IC chip mounting device, IC chip mounting method

Abstract

To achieve an improvement in accuracy of the mounting position of an IC chip when the IC chip is mounted on an antenna in the inlay manufacturing process.SOLUTION: An IC chip-mounting device for transporting an inlay antenna and mounting an IC chip in a predetermined reference position on the antenna includes: a nozzle which is configured to suck an IC chip when being at a first position and place the IC chip at an antenna reference position when being at a second position; a nozzle mount unit to which the nozzle is mounted; an image acquiring unit which acquires an image of the IC chip being sucked onto the nozzle; and a correction amount determination unit which, on the basis of the image acquired by the image acquiring unit, determines, as correction amounts for the IC chip being sucked onto the nozzle, a first correction amount that is a correction amount for an angle around the axis of the nozzle, a second correction amount that is a correction amount for the position of the antenna in a transport direction, and a third correction amount that is a correction amount for the position in a width direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an IC chip mounting device and an IC chip mounting method. [Background technology]

[0002] With the spread of RFID tags, the production of sheet-like inlays having an antenna and an IC chip electrically connected to the antenna is expanding. Inlay manufacturing involves a process of placing a supplied IC chip on a predetermined reference position on the antenna, which serves as a reference for mounting the IC chip, in an antenna formed on a base substrate. At this time, it is known that the position of the IC chip is corrected in order to mount the IC chip accurately on the reference position of the antenna (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a mounting device that includes a stage that moves a synchronous roller that adsorbs and holds an IC chip back and forth and left and right relative to a film substrate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2008-123406 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the mounting device described in Patent Document 1 only moves the synchronous roller back and forth and left and right (that is, the X-axis and Y-axis) relative to the film substrate, and is limited in terms of accurate positioning relative to the antenna. Therefore, an object of one embodiment of the present invention is to improve the accuracy of the mounting position of an IC chip when the IC chip is mounted on an antenna in the inlay manufacturing process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is an IC chip mounting device for transporting an antenna for inlay and mounting an IC chip at a predetermined reference position of the antenna, the device comprising: a nozzle configured to adsorb an IC chip when in a first position and to place the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna when in a second position; a nozzle attachment section to which the nozzle is attached; a first rotation section that rotates the nozzle about its axis; a second rotation section that rotates the nozzle attachment section so that the nozzle moves from the first position to the second position; a moving mechanism that moves the nozzle; an image acquisition section that acquires an image of the IC chip adsorbed to the nozzle when the nozzle is at a predetermined position between the first position and the second position; and based on the image acquired by the image acquisition section, a first correction amount that is a correction amount for an angle around the axis of the nozzle and a second correction amount that is a correction amount for a position of the antenna in a transport direction as correction amounts for the IC chip adsorbed to the nozzle. ,width and a correction amount determination unit that determines a correction amount for a position in a direction of the nozzle, the first rotation unit rotates the nozzle about an axis based on the first correction amount, the second rotation unit rotates the nozzle attachment unit at an angular velocity adjusted based on the second correction amount, and the movement mechanism moves the nozzle perpendicular to the transport direction of the antenna based on the third correction amount. The above This is a device equipped with an IC chip that moves in the width direction. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to improve the accuracy of the mounting position of an IC chip when the IC chip is mounted on an antenna in the inlay manufacturing process. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a partially enlarged view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively, before and after mounting an IC chip thereon. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an antenna sheet and a roll body around which the antenna sheet is wound. [Diagram 3]4A to 4C are diagrams showing a portion of the IC chip mounting device according to the embodiment corresponding to an IC chip placement step. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 shows a chip-containing tape and its enlarged cross section. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of a rotary mounter in the IC chip mounting device of the embodiment. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are a plan view and a side view of a nozzle unit mounted on a rotary mounter. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a rotary mounter and an antenna sheet. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a perspective view showing a state in which the chip-including tape is separated by a separation roller. FIG. [Figure 9] 13A to 13C are diagrams illustrating the operation of supplying IC chips from the chip-containing tape to the nozzle unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is a front view showing a width direction moving mechanism of the rotary mounter. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that controls the rotary mounter. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of an image captured by an imaging device. [Figure 13] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an example of an IC chip sucked onto a nozzle before and after rotation of the nozzle. [Figure 14] 5A to 5C are diagrams showing a portion of the IC chip mounting device according to the embodiment that corresponds to a curing step. [Figure 15] 15 is a diagram showing a part of the pressing unit and an ultraviolet irradiator as viewed from an arrow J in FIG. 14. [Figure 16] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating a method of conveying an antenna sheet according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] 1A to 1C are diagrams illustrating an IC chip placement process according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a curing process according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a diagram illustrating a configuration example of an ultraviolet curing unit in FIG. 18. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a curing process according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an IC chip mounting device and an IC chip mounting method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The IC chip mounting device 1 according to the embodiment is a device that mounts an IC chip on a thin-film antenna when manufacturing an inlay for non-contact communication such as an RFID inlay. 1 shows an exemplary antenna AN having a predetermined antenna pattern, but is not intended to be limited to this antenna pattern. FIG. 1 also shows an enlarged view of a portion E before and after an IC chip C is mounted on the antenna AN. In this example, the IC chip C is mounted at a predetermined reference position Pref that is determined in advance based on the antenna pattern. The IC chip C is extremely small, for example, with a vertical and horizontal size of several hundred μm, and it is required to mount this extremely small IC chip C accurately at the reference position Pref.

[0009] To mount an IC chip C on the antenna AN, an IC chip placement process is required in which adhesive is applied toward the reference position Pref of the antenna AN and the IC chip C is placed on the adhesive, and a curing process is required in which the adhesive is hardened to strengthen the connection between the antenna AN and the IC chip C.

[0010] In the IC chip placement process described below, a roll PR is provided on which a strip-shaped antenna sheet AS (an example of an antenna continuum) having a plurality of antennas AN formed at a fixed pitch on a substrate BM is wound, as shown in Fig. 2. The antenna sheet AS is continuously pulled out from the roll PR and fed into the line for the IC chip placement process. The material of the substrate BM is not particularly limited, but examples thereof include paper substrates such as fine paper, coated paper, and art paper, synthetic resin films made from PET (polyethylene terephthalate), PE (polyethylene), PP (polypropylene), and PS (polystyrene), sheets combining multiple types of the above synthetic resins, and composite sheets combining synthetic resin films and paper. The antenna AN is formed, for example, by attaching a metal foil to a base material BM, or by screen printing or vapor depositing a conductive material in a predetermined pattern on the base material BM.

[0011] In the following description, the XYZ coordinate system is defined as shown in Fig. 2. In the following description, when referring to diagrams of the state in which the product is arranged in each process, a diagram viewed on the YZ plane is called a front view, a diagram viewed on the XY plane is called a plan view, and a diagram viewed on the XZ plane is called a side view. The X direction is the direction in which the antenna sheet AS unwound from the roll PR is transported in each process described below, and is also referred to as the transport direction D1. The Y direction is the width direction of the antenna sheet AS, and is also referred to as the width direction D2. The Z direction is the direction perpendicular to the antenna sheet AS.

[0012] (1) IC chip placement process The IC chip arrangement step will be described below with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 10. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a portion of the IC chip mounting device 1 of the embodiment corresponding to the IC chip arrangement step. Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the chip-containing tape CT and an enlarged view of its AA cross section. In the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting device 1 can place extremely small IC chips with high precision at the reference positions Pref (see FIG. 1) of the antennas AN on the antenna sheet AS.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 3, in the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting apparatus 1 includes a conveyor 81, a dispenser 2, a rotary mounter 3, an ultraviolet irradiator 41, imaging devices CA1 to CA3, a tape feeder 71, a tape main body take-up reel 72, a film take-up reel 73, and a separation roller 74.

[0014] The conveyor 81 (an example of a conveying section) conveys the antenna sheet AS pulled out from a roll PR (see FIG. 2) toward the downstream process at a predetermined conveying speed. The upper surface of the conveyor 81 corresponds to the conveying surface. The dispenser 2 dispenses a fixed amount of anisotropic conductive paste (ACP; hereinafter simply referred to as "conductive paste") toward the reference position Pref of each antenna AN being transported. This conductive paste is an example of an ultraviolet-curing adhesive. The dispenser 2 is configured to be able to adjust the dispensing position in the width direction in order to accurately position the dispensing position relative to the reference position Pref of each antenna AN.

[0015] The imaging device CA1 is provided upstream of the dispenser 2 and captures an image of a portion of each antenna AN near the reference position Pref in order to determine a position to apply the conductive paste. The imaging device CA2 is provided downstream of the dispenser 2 and captures an image of a portion of each antenna AN near the reference position Pref in order to inspect whether the conductive paste has been applied to each antenna AN and to inspect whether the conductive paste has been accurately applied to an area including the reference position Pref.

[0016] The rotary mounter 3 is a chip mounter that places an IC chip on the conductive paste applied to each antenna AN, and rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 3. The rotary mounter 3 is attached to and suspended from a suspension plate 86. The suspension plate 86 is supported on a support base 85 so as to be movable in the Y direction. As a result, the rotary mounter 3 is suspended from above on the support base 85, and has a structure that allows it to move in the Y direction. As described later, the rotary mounter 3 picks up an IC chip from the chip-containing tape, and releases and places (mounts) the picked-up IC chip toward the reference position Pref of each antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS. At this time, a process is performed to correct the position and orientation of the picked-up IC chip in order to accurately place the IC chip at the reference position Pref of the antenna AN. The imaging device CA3 captures an image of the IC chip picked up by a nozzle (described later) for a correction process to correct the position and orientation of the IC chip when mounting the IC chip on the antenna AN.

[0017] The tape feeder 71 is loaded with a wound chip-containing tape containing IC chips, and is configured to sequentially draw out the chip-containing tape in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 3 at a speed synchronized with the rotary mounter 3 . Now, with reference to FIG. 4, an example of the chip-containing tape will be described. As shown in Fig. 4, the chip-including tape CT includes a tape body T in which recesses Td for containing IC chips C are formed at regular intervals, and a covering film CF attached to the tape body T so as to cover the recesses Td. The recesses Td are formed, for example, by embossing the tape body T. An IC chip C is contained in each recess Td along the extension direction of the chip-including tape CT. Mounting holes H are formed at regular intervals in the extension direction of the chip-including tape CT. The mounting holes H are provided for accurate positioning relative to the circumferential surface of the separation roller 74, and are inserted into protrusions 74p (described later) provided on the separation roller 74 when the chip-including tape CT is transported to the separation roller 74.

[0018] 4, suction holes Ts are formed between the bottom surface of the recess Td and the back surface (the surface opposite to the surface to which the cover film CF is adhered) of the tape body T. The suction holes Ts are provided to allow the separation roller 74 to suck the IC chip C so that the IC chip C does not fall out of the recess Td when the cover film CF is peeled off.

[0019] 3 again, at the separation roller 74, the covering film CF is peeled off from the chip-containing tape CT supplied from the tape feeder 71 via one or more auxiliary rollers, and the tape body T and the covering film CF are separated. The IC chips C exposed by the peeling of the covering film CF are successively sucked by each nozzle provided on the rotary mounter 3. After the chip-containing tape CT is separated into a tape body T and a covering film CF by the separation roller 74, the tape body T is wound onto the tape body take-up reel 72 via one or more auxiliary rollers, and the covering film CF is wound onto the film take-up reel 73 via one or more auxiliary rollers.

[0020] Next, the rotary mounter 3 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 5 is a side view of the rotary mounter 3 in the IC chip mounting device 1 of the embodiment. Fig. 6A is a plan view of a nozzle unit mounted on the rotary mounter 3. Fig. 6B is a side view of the nozzle unit 30. Fig. 7 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between the rotary mounter 3 and the antenna sheet AS.

[0021] 5, a plurality of nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12 (12 in the illustrated example) are arranged radially from a rotary head 3H (an example of a nozzle attachment portion) on the rotary mounter 3. In the following description, when referring to matters common to the nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12, they will be collectively referred to as nozzle unit 30. Although the rotary head 3H is not shown in detail, it is connected to a rotary drive motor (rotary drive motor M31 described later) that rotates the nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12 counterclockwise in FIG. 5, a vacuum pump for adsorbing the IC chip to the nozzle unit 30, and a blower for releasing the IC chip from the nozzle unit 30.

[0022] 6, the nozzle unit 30 includes a nozzle 32, a sleeve 33, an electromagnetic valve 35, and a cylinder drive motor M30. The nozzle 32 is provided at the tip of the nozzle unit 30, and is connected to the cylinder drive motor M30 inside the sleeve 33. The cylinder drive motor M30 (an example of a first rotating part) is a motor (e.g., a stepping motor) that rotates the nozzle 32 about its axis. A passage that can communicate with an intake pipe 36 and an exhaust pipe 37 is formed in the nozzle 32. An intake pipe 36 and an exhaust pipe 37 are connected to the sleeve 33. The intake pipe 36 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown), and the exhaust pipe 37 is connected to a blower (not shown). The solenoid valve 35 is, for example, a three-port solenoid valve, and is configured to open the passage 34 of the nozzle 32 and the intake pipe 36 and close the exhaust pipe 37, or to open the passage 34 of the nozzle 32 and the exhaust pipe 37 and close the intake pipe 36, depending on the energized state of the solenoid valve 35. The solenoid valve 35 is configured to perform either a suction operation in which air is sucked by the nozzle 32 through the intake pipe 36, or a discharge operation in which air is discharged from the nozzle 32 through the exhaust pipe 37.

[0023] 7, the rotary head 3H is rotated counterclockwise by a rotary drive motor (not shown), which sequentially switches the position of each nozzle unit 30 on the circumference of the rotary head 3H. In other words, a specific nozzle unit 30 is positioned in turn at each of the 12 positions PA to PL on the circumference of the rotary head 3H, from position PA counterclockwise to position PL, so as to move along a circular orbit on a plane perpendicular to the transport surface, in accordance with the rotation of the rotary head 3H.

[0024] Here, position PA (an example of the first position) is a position where the nozzle unit 30 picks up a new IC chip C from the chip-containing tape CT. Position PE is a position where an image of the IC chip C picked up by the nozzle of the nozzle unit 30 is captured by the imaging device CA3. Position PK (an example of the second position) is a position where the adsorbed IC chip C is released onto the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN on the transported antenna sheet AS. At position PK, the movement direction of the nozzle tip coincides with the transport direction D1 of the antenna sheet AS. At position PK, air is discharged from the nozzle of the nozzle unit 30 to release the IC chip C. At position PL, the nozzle unit 30 does not adsorb the IC chip C because the IC chip C has already been released at position PK. Note that at position PL, air may be released from the nozzle to remove dust that may adhere to the nozzle. Figure 7 shows an example in which a dust collection tray TR is disposed at position PL to collect dust that may be released from the nozzle.

[0025] 7, the nozzle unit 30-1 at position PA picks up a new IC chip C there, rotates counterclockwise while holding the IC chip C, releases the IC chip C when it reaches position PK, and then picks up a new IC chip C again when it returns to position PA, repeating this process. With this IC chip mounting method, IC chips can be continuously placed on each antenna AN without stopping the transport of the antenna sheet AS, resulting in high productivity.

[0026] The angular velocity of the rotary head 3H and the transport speed of the antenna sheet AS are set or controlled so that the nozzle units 30 that reach the position PK in sequence emit the IC chips C toward the reference positions Pref of the antennas AN of the antenna sheet AS transported from upstream. In order to reliably position the IC chips C, it is preferable to provide a section in which the speed of the tip of the nozzle unit 30 near the position PK and the transport speed of the antenna sheet AS are equal.

[0027] In this embodiment, an example in which twelve nozzle units 30 are arranged on the rotary head 3H is shown, but the number is not limited to this. The number of nozzle units 30 arranged on the rotary head 3H can be set arbitrarily.

[0028] Next, the operation of the nozzle unit 30 sucking the IC chip C will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing the state in which the chip-including tape CT is separated by the separation roller 74. Fig. 9 is a side view near the separation roller 74, and is a diagram explaining the operation in which the IC chip C is supplied from the chip-including tape CT to the nozzle unit 30. In Fig. 9, only the chip-including tape CT is shown in cross section so that the state of the chip-including tape CT can be seen.

[0029] 8, the protrusion 74p of the separation roller 74 is inserted into the mounting hole H of the chip-including tape CT supplied from the tape feeder 71, and the chip-including tape CT is transported with the width direction of the chip-including tape CT positioned. At this time, the covering film CF of the chip-including tape CT is peeled off by the branching member 75 and directed toward the film take-up reel 73. On the other hand, the tape body T of the chip-including tape CT is directed toward the tape body take-up reel 72.

[0030] 9, the IC chip C exposed by peeling off the cover film CF is immediately sucked by the nozzle unit 30. At this time, in order to prevent the IC chip C from dropping during the short time from when the IC chip C is exposed to when it is sucked by the nozzle unit 30, the separation roller 74 is provided with a suction path (not shown) for sucking the IC chip C toward the center of rotation of the separation roller 74. The IC chip C is sucked through this suction path and a suction hole Ts (see FIG. 4) provided in the tape main body T.

[0031] Next, the moving mechanism 8 that moves the rotary head 3H in the width direction D2 will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a front view of the moving mechanism 8. The moving mechanism 8 is provided to enable correction of the position in the width direction D2 of the IC chip C adsorbed by the nozzle unit 30. As shown in Fig. 10, the moving mechanism 8 has a bearing 76, a shaft 77, a suspension plate 86, a guide plate 87, a slider 88, and a width direction drive motor M32. The bearings 76, the shaft 77, and the width-direction drive motor M32 are provided on a support base 85. The shaft 77 is a rod-shaped member having a threaded portion, and is rotationally driven by the width-direction drive motor M32. The shaft 77 is rotatably supported by bearings 76 (at two locations) fixed to the upper surface of the support base 85. The rotary head 3H is attached to a suspension plate 86. A threaded hole (not shown) is formed at the upper end of the suspension plate 86, and this hole is fitted with the threaded portion of the shaft 77. Therefore, the suspension plate 86 and the rotary head 3H attached to the suspension plate 86 can move in the width direction D2 in response to the rotation of the shaft 77. Note that a hollow portion is provided in the upper portion of the support base 85 and the guide plate 87 within the movable range of the suspension plate 86 in the width direction D2. The slider 88 is attached to the suspension plate 86, and slides on the upper surface of the guide plate 87 as the suspension plate 86 moves in the width direction D2. With the above-mentioned configuration, the movement mechanism 8 is capable of displacing the rotary head 3H in the width direction D2 in response to the rotational drive of the width-direction drive motor M32.

[0032] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which the nozzle units 30 attached to the rotary head 3H are moved in the width direction D2 by moving the rotary head 3H in the width direction D2 by the movement mechanism 8, but this is not limiting. For example, the rotary head may be configured so that each nozzle unit 30 can be individually displaced in the width direction D2 inside the rotary head without moving the rotary head in the width direction D2.

[0033] Referring again to FIG. 3, an ultraviolet irradiator 41 is provided near the position where the IC chip is discharged from the nozzle unit 30 of the rotary mounter 3 to the antenna AN (position PK in FIG. 7). The ultraviolet irradiator 41 is configured to irradiate ultraviolet rays to the conductive paste on the antenna AN being transported. The ultraviolet irradiation by the ultraviolet irradiator 41 has a different purpose from the ultraviolet irradiation (described later) performed in the curing process which is a process subsequent to the IC chip arrangement process, and aims to adjust the viscosity of the conductive paste on the antenna AN. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the integrated amount of ultraviolet light applied to the conductive paste by the ultraviolet irradiator 41 is less than the integrated amount of ultraviolet light applied to the conductive paste in the subsequent curing process. Since the integrated amount of ultraviolet light is expressed as the product of the light intensity and the irradiation time, at least one of the light intensity and the irradiation time can be adjusted to adjust the integrated amount of light.

[0034] In the IC chip mounting device 1 of this embodiment, a thermosetting adhesive such as an epoxy resin may be applied to the antenna AN by the dispenser 2, and a thermosetting device may be provided instead of the ultraviolet irradiator 41.

[0035] 3, the ultraviolet irradiator 41 is arranged so as to irradiate ultraviolet rays after the IC chip is placed, but this is not limited thereto. The ultraviolet irradiator 41 may be arranged so as to irradiate ultraviolet rays before the IC chip is placed, or may be arranged so as to irradiate ultraviolet rays at the same time as the IC chip is placed. When ultraviolet light is applied after the IC chip is placed, the viscosity of the conductive paste is reduced, making it difficult for the IC chip to shift or tilt after being placed on the conductive paste. When ultraviolet light is applied before the IC chip is placed or at the same time as the IC chip is placed, the IC chip is placed on conductive paste with a reduced viscosity, making it difficult for the IC chip to move after being placed on the conductive paste, making it difficult for the IC chip to shift or tilt. In either case, by irradiating the position near where the IC chip is to be placed with ultraviolet light, it is possible to prevent the IC chip from being unstable on the conductive paste due to the fluidity of the conductive paste. In other words, there is an advantage in that irradiation with ultraviolet irradiator 41 can improve the mounting accuracy of the IC chip.

[0036] Next, with reference to Figs. 11 to 13, the control performed by the control unit 100 that controls the rotary mounter 3 will be described. Fig. 11 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 100. Fig. 12 shows an example of an image captured by the imaging device CA1. Fig. 13 is a diagram illustrating an IC chip C sucked to the nozzle 32 before and after the nozzle 32 rotates. The state before the nozzle rotation in Fig. 13 shows an example of an image captured by the imaging device CA3. The state after the nozzle rotation in Fig. 13 shows the XYZ axes when the nozzle is at position PK (see Fig. 7).

[0037] The control unit 100 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) and is electrically connected to the imaging devices CA1 to CA3, the dispenser 2, the cylinder drive motor M30, the rotation drive motor M31, the width direction drive motor M32, the solenoid valve 35, and the ultraviolet irradiator 41. The rotation drive motor M31 (an example of a second rotating unit) is a drive means that rotates the nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12 in the rotary head 3H. The control unit 100 includes a microcomputer, memory (RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory)), storage, and a group of driving circuits. The microcomputer reads and executes programs recorded in the memory, and realizes the functions of a discharge position adjustment means 101, an IC chip correction means 102, a valve control means 103, and a curing execution means 104.

[0038] The discharge position adjusting means 101 has a function of determining the discharge position of the conductive paste based on an image captured by the imaging device CA1, and adjusting the discharge timing of the conductive paste and the position in the width direction D2 of the dispenser 2. The method of determining the discharge position of the conductive paste is as follows, with reference to FIG. The image captured by the imaging device CA1 is an image of a portion of the antenna AN in the vicinity of the reference position Pref, as exemplified in FIG. The discharge position adjustment means 101 identifies the reference position Pref from the characteristic portion of the shape included in the image. Specifically, the discharge position adjustment means 101 analyzes the shape of the antenna AN in the image of Fig. 12, identifies parallel reference lines L1 and L2 in the X direction and parallel reference lines L3 and L4 in the Y direction, and identifies the intersection of the center line of the reference lines L1 and L2 and the center line of the reference lines L3 and L4 as the reference position Pref.

[0039] 12 is a target position of the reference position Pref on the image, and is a position determined in advance based on a result of performing calibration between the image captured by the imaging device CA1 and the dropping position of the conductive paste of the dispenser 2. That is, by adjusting the discharge timing of the dispenser 2 and the position in the width direction D2 so that the reference position Pref specified on the image coincides with the target position Pj1, the conductive paste can be applied to the actual reference position of the antenna AN. In the example of Fig. 12, in order for the reference position Pref specified on the image to coincide with the target position Pj1, it is necessary to adjust the position by x1 in the X direction and by y1 in the Y direction. Specifically, the timing of ejection from the dispenser 2 is determined based on x1, taking into consideration the transport speed of the antenna AN, and the displacement of the dispenser 2 in the width direction D2 is performed based on y1. In other words, the ejection position adjustment means 101 transmits a control signal to the dispenser 2 for instructing the ejection timing and the displacement in the width direction D2, and the dispenser 2 performs the ejection operation based on the control signal.

[0040] The image captured by the imaging device CA2 is the same as that in FIG. 12, except that the conductive paste has been applied.

[0041] The IC chip correction means 102 has a function of correcting the IC chip sucked by the nozzle 32. The IC chip correction method is as follows, with reference to Figs. As shown in the state before rotation in Fig. 13, the image captured by the imaging device CA3 (an example of an image acquisition unit) includes the nozzle end 32e of the nozzle 32 and the IC chip C sucked to the nozzle end 32e. Point Pc1 is the center position of the IC chip C before the nozzle rotates. Point Pj2 in the image of Fig. 13 is the target position of the center position of the IC chip C on the image, and is set to coincide with the target position Pj1 in Fig. 12. In other words, by matching the center position of the IC chip C with the target position Pj1, the IC chip C can be placed at the reference position of the actual antenna AN to be transported.

[0042] The center of rotation Prc around the axis of the nozzle 32 is not the theoretical center of the axis of each nozzle due to variations in the installation of the nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12, etc. The center of rotation Prc differs for each nozzle unit and is specified based on, for example, actual measurement data obtained in advance. First, when the center Pc1 of the IC chip C shown in the image is rotated around the rotation center Prc around the axis of the nozzle 32, the amount of rotation until the reference line of the IC chip C (for example, the reference side Sc of the IC chip C in Figure 13) becomes parallel to the Y direction is determined. 13, the IC chip C in the captured image is rotated around the rotation center Prc so that the reference side Sc of the IC chip C is parallel to the Y direction. The rotation angle at this time is specified as the correction amount in the rotation direction of the IC chip C (an example of a first correction amount). If the center position of the IC chip C after the movement is set to point Pc2, the correction amount in the X direction (an example of a second correction amount) is specified as x2, and the correction amount in the Y direction (an example of a third correction amount) is specified as y2 in order to make point Pc2 coincide with the target position Pj2.

[0043] The IC chip correction means 102 sends a control signal to the cylinder drive motor M30, which corresponds to the amount of correction in the rotational direction around the axis of the nozzle 32, thereby causing the nozzle 32 to rotate around the axis between position PE (the position imaged by the imaging device CA3) and position PK where the IC chip is released. The IC chip correction means 102 sends a control signal corresponding to the correction amount x2 in the X direction to a drive circuit that drives the rotation drive motor M31, thereby adjusting the angular velocity of the rotary head 3H. The IC chip correction means 102 sends a control signal corresponding to the correction amount y2 in the Y direction to a drive circuit that drives the width direction drive motor M32, thereby adjusting the position of the rotary head 3H in the width direction D2. By adjusting the position of the rotary head 3H in the width direction D2, the position of the nozzle 32 in the width direction D2 is also adjusted.

[0044] In the IC chip mounting device 1 of this embodiment, the IC chip correction means 102 corrects the position of the IC chip in the X direction and Y direction, and the orientation of the IC chip in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle, which has the advantage of extremely high mounting accuracy with respect to the reference position of the IC chip antenna.

[0045] The valve control means 103 controls each solenoid valve 35 of the 12 nozzle units 30-1 to 30-12 included in the rotary mounter 3 so as to perform either an operation of sucking air from or discharging air from each nozzle unit 30 depending on the position of each nozzle unit 30. Specifically, the valve control means 103 controls the solenoid valve 35 to suck air from the nozzle unit 30 when the nozzle unit 30 is located at positions PA to PJ (see FIG. 7), and controls the solenoid valve 35 to discharge air from the nozzle unit 30 when the nozzle unit 30 is located at positions PK and PL.

[0046] The curing execution means 104 sends a predetermined drive signal to the ultraviolet irradiator 41 so that the ultraviolet irradiator 41 irradiates each of the transported antennas AN with ultraviolet light at a preset integrated light amount.

[0047] (2) Curing process Next, the curing step will be described with reference to FIGS. In the curing process, the conductive paste applied to each antenna that has undergone the above-mentioned IC chip placement process is cured to strengthen the physical connection between the antenna and the IC chip as well as to ensure electrical continuity between the antenna and the IC chip.

[0048] 14 is a diagram showing a portion corresponding to the curing step in the IC chip mounted device 1 of the embodiment. FIG 15 is a diagram showing a part of the pressing unit 6 and the ultraviolet irradiator 42 as viewed from the arrow J in FIG.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 14, in the curing step, the IC chip mounting apparatus 1 includes a conveyor 82, a curing device 4, and an imaging device CA4. The conveyor 82 transports the antenna sheet AS, which is transported from an upstream IC chip placement process, downstream at a predetermined transport speed. The imaging device CA4 is disposed above the antenna sheet AS at the most upstream side in the curing process (i.e., the most downstream side in the IC chip placement process) and captures an image of each antenna AN conveyed from the IC chip placement process. The imaging device CA4 is provided to inspect whether the IC chips are placed in appropriate positions in the IC chip placement process.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 14, the curing device 4 has one or more pressing units 6 and an ultraviolet irradiator 42 . The pressing unit 6 moves up and down in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface, and presses the IC chips arranged on the conductive paste of the antennas AN while irradiating each antenna AN with ultraviolet light. The number of pressing units 6 is not limited, but can be set to any number from the viewpoints of productivity and cost. The ultraviolet irradiator 42 is disposed along the conveying direction D1, so that it is possible to simultaneously irradiate ultraviolet rays onto many antennas AN on the antenna sheet AS.

[0051] 15 shows a state in which ultraviolet rays are irradiated onto each antenna AN by the ultraviolet irradiator 42. As shown in FIG. 15, the pressing unit 6 has a structure in which a pressing part 61 is attached to the tip of a shaft 63. The side of the pressing part 61 of the pressing unit 6 (i.e., the surface on which the ultraviolet irradiator 42 is disposed) is open. The glass plate 61p constituting the pressing surface of the pressing part 61 is made of glass that transmits ultraviolet rays. The ultraviolet irradiator 42 has a light source 42e, such as an LED (Light Emitting Device), etc. The light source 42e is configured to irradiate the antenna AN with ultraviolet light from a direction inclined obliquely with respect to the transport plane. By applying ultraviolet light while pressing the IC chip on the conductive paste applied to each antenna AN, the conductive paste applied to each antenna AN hardens, strengthening the physical connection between the antenna and the IC chip while ensuring electrical continuity between the antenna and the IC chip.

[0052] As described above, a strip-shaped antenna sheet on which a plurality of antennas are formed at a fixed pitch on a substrate is fed into the line, and an IC chip is mounted on each antenna through an IC chip placement process and a hardening process. In the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting device of this embodiment applies adhesive toward the reference position of the antenna and places the IC chip on the adhesive, and hardens the adhesive in the hardening process to strengthen the connection between the antenna and the IC chip. In particular, in this embodiment, in the IC chip placement process, the position of the IC chip in the X direction and Y direction, and the orientation of the IC chip on a plane perpendicular to the axis of the nozzle that adsorbs the IC chip are corrected. Therefore, the accuracy of the mounting position of the IC chip can be improved when mounting the IC chip on the antenna.

[0053] Although the embodiments of the IC chip mounting device and the IC chip mounting method have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. Furthermore, the above-mentioned embodiments can be variously improved or modified without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0054] For example, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the antenna sheet AS is transported in one direction on the conveyor 81 in the IC chip arrangement process, but the present invention is not limited to this. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 16, in the IC chip arrangement step, the antenna sheet AS may be transported by suction drums 92, 94 and a plurality of transport rollers (for example, transport rollers 91, 93, 95 in FIG. 17). In FIG. 16, at the highest position of the suction drum 92, the dispenser 2 dispenses conductive paste onto the reference position of the antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS. Also, at the highest position of the suction drum 94, the IC chip is arranged on the conductive paste. In this case, it is preferable that at least the suction drums 92, 94 are suction rollers that adsorb the back surface of the antenna sheet AS. This makes it possible to prevent the antenna sheet AS from shifting in position (particularly in the longitudinal direction), and to perform the discharge of the conductive paste and the arrangement of the IC chip with high precision.

[0055] In one embodiment, instead of releasing the IC chip onto the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN on the transported antenna sheet AS, the IC chip may be placed by pressing it against the conductive paste. 17 shows a time series of operations of the rotary mounter 3 when placing an IC chip by pressing it against the conductive paste. In one embodiment, each nozzle unit 30 of the rotary mounter 3 is configured to be individually movable in a radial direction (diameter direction) by a built-in driving device. In state ST1, the nozzle unit 30 has adsorbed the IC chip C. When placing the adsorbed IC chip C, as shown in state ST2, the nozzle unit 30 is moved toward the reference position (i.e., downward, i.e., in the Z direction in FIG. 2) so as to extend in the radial direction (diameter direction), and the IC chip C is pressed onto the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN to place the IC chip C on the conductive paste. After the IC chip C is placed, the adsorption is released and the nozzle unit 30 is returned to the position of state ST1. For example, the operations of states ST1 to ST3 are performed at the timing when the nozzle unit 30 reaches position PK (see FIG. 7), so that the IC chip C is placed on the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN.

[0056] The curing step of one embodiment is shown in Fig. 18. Fig. 18 shows a curing device 4A used in the curing step of one embodiment. The curing device 4A has multiple ultraviolet curing units 43 removably attached to a mounting plate 44. Multiple mounting plates 44 with different mounting positions are prepared according to the spacing between adjacent antennas AN of the antenna sheet AS, and by replacing the mounting plate 44 according to the spacing, it is possible to accommodate various antenna sheets AS. The support shaft 45 supports the mounting plate 44 and is configured to be able to raise and lower the mounting plate 44. The antenna sheet AS conveyed from the IC chip arrangement process is sent to the curing process via conveyor rollers 96 to 98. The conveyor roller 97 is configured to be able to raise and lower by a driving device (not shown).

[0057] A configuration example of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 is shown in Fig. 19. As shown in Fig. 19, the ultraviolet curing unit 43 incorporates a light source 432 (e.g., an LED light source) for irradiating ultraviolet rays into a housing 431. The light source 432 is powered by a cable 436 (not shown in Fig. 18) provided from the outside of the ultraviolet curing unit 43. A condenser lens for condensing the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source 432 may be provided inside the housing 431. The holding plate 434 is connected to the housing 431 and holds a glass plate 435. The ultraviolet rays irradiated from the light source 432 are irradiated onto the conductive paste applied to each antenna AN, and the conductive paste is cured.

[0058] 18 again, the conveying state shows the state in which the antenna sheet AS is conveyed from the IC chip arrangement process. The conveying of the antenna sheet AS is stopped at the timing when the antenna AN, on which the uncured conductive paste is applied, is positioned directly below the ultraviolet curing unit 43. Then, in the state in which the conveying of the antenna sheet AS is stopped (stopped state), the ultraviolet curing unit 43 is moved downward to irradiate the antenna AN with ultraviolet rays while pressing it with the glass plate 435, thereby curing the conductive paste.

[0059] Even in the stopped state, the antenna sheet AS is transported from the IC chip arrangement process, so the transport roller 97 descends under its own weight while ultraviolet light is being irradiated, and absorbs the transported antenna sheet AS between the transport rollers 96 and 98. When the ultraviolet light irradiation is completed, the antennas AN corresponding to the number of the ultraviolet light curing units 43 are rapidly transported downstream, and the uncured antennas AN are stopped so that they are positioned directly below the ultraviolet light curing units 43. In other words, in the curing process of one embodiment, the transport state and the stopped state (state in which ultraviolet light is irradiated) of the antenna sheet AS are repeated. When the antenna AN is rapidly transported, the transport roller 97 rises due to the tension applied to the antenna sheet AS.

[0060] The curing step of the embodiment may be performed using a heat curing device. That is, when a heat curing adhesive such as an epoxy resin is applied by the dispenser 2, the adhesive is cured by a heat curing process in the curing step. Fig. 20 shows a curing device 4B configured to repeatedly convey and stop the antenna sheet AS, similarly to Fig. 18. Unlike the curing device 4A, the curing device 4B includes a plurality of thermal curing units 46. A heat source is provided in each thermal curing unit 46, which is powered by a cable (not shown). When the antenna sheet AS is stopped, the support shaft 45 is driven to descend, and each thermal curing unit 46 presses the corresponding antenna AN while heating and curing the adhesive. When heating is completed, the support shaft 45 is driven to ascend, and the antenna sheet AS is conveyed.

[0061] In addition, in FIG. 18, when the conductive paste is cured by ultraviolet light, instead of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 having a built-in light source, a pressing unit that presses the antenna AN through a glass plate may be used, and an ultraviolet irradiation device may be provided that irradiates ultraviolet light from the outside in the width direction or diagonally from above onto the conductive paste on the antenna AN that is pressed in a stopped state. In one embodiment, in order to prevent the antenna sheet AS from being stopped when irradiating ultraviolet rays, multiple ultraviolet curing units 43 may be circulated in sync with the traveling speed of the antenna sheet AS, and ultraviolet rays may be irradiated by the built-in light source while pressing the antenna AN. Similarly, in one embodiment, when the conductive paste is thermally cured, a plurality of thermal curing units 46 may be cyclically moved in conjunction with the traveling speed of the antenna sheet AS to heat the antenna AN while pressing it. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1...IC chip mounting device, 2...dispenser, 3...rotary mounter, 3H...rotary head, 4, 4A, 4B...curing device, 6...pressure unit, 8...movement mechanism, 30...nozzle unit, 32...nozzle, 32e...nozzle end, 33...sleeve, 34...passage, 35...solenoid valve, 36...intake pipe, 37...exhaust pipe, 41, 42...ultraviolet irradiator, 42e...light source, 43...ultraviolet curing unit, 44...mounting plate, 45...support shaft, 46...thermal curing unit, 61...pressure section, 61p...glass plate, 63...shaft, 71...tape feeder, 72...tape body take-up reel, 73...film take-up reel, 74...separation roller, 74p...projection, 75...branching member, 76...bearing , 77... shaft, 81, 82... conveyor, 85... support stand, 86... suspension plate, 87... guide plate, 88... slider, 91, 93, 95-98... transport rollers, 92, 94... suction drum, 100... control unit, 101... discharge position adjustment means, 102... IC chip correction means, 103... valve control means, 104... hardening execution means, AN... antenna, AS... antenna sheet, BM... substrate, C... IC chip, CA1-CA4... imaging device, CF... covering film, CT... chip-containing tape, H... mounting hole, M30... cylinder drive motor, M31... rotation drive motor, M32... width direction drive motor, PR... roll body, T... tape body, TR... dust collection tray, Td... recess, Ts... suction hole

Claims

1. An IC chip mounting device for transporting an antenna for inlay and mounting an IC chip at a predetermined reference position of the antenna, a nozzle configured to attract an IC chip when in a first position and to place the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna when in a second position; a nozzle attachment portion to which the nozzle is attached; A first rotating unit that rotates the nozzle about an axis; a second rotating unit that rotates the nozzle attachment unit so that the nozzle moves from the first position to the second position; A moving mechanism that moves the nozzle; an image acquisition unit that acquires an image of the IC chip attracted to the nozzle when the nozzle is at a predetermined position between the first position and the second position; a correction amount determination unit that determines, based on the image acquired by the image acquisition unit, correction amounts for the IC chip attracted to the nozzle, including a first correction amount that is a correction amount for an angle around the axis of the nozzle, a second correction amount that is a correction amount for a position of the antenna in a transport direction, and a third correction amount that is a correction amount for a position in a width direction; Equipped with The first rotation unit rotates the nozzle about an axis based on the first correction amount, The second rotation unit rotates the nozzle attachment unit at an angular velocity adjusted based on the second correction amount, the moving mechanism moves the nozzle in the width direction perpendicular to a transport direction of the antenna, based on the third correction amount. Device equipped with IC chip.

2. a conveying section that conveys an antenna continuum on which a plurality of the antennas are successively formed, on a predetermined conveying surface; the second rotating unit rotates the nozzle attachment unit such that the nozzle moves in a circular orbit on a plane perpendicular to the transport surface, and a moving direction of the nozzle when the nozzle is in the second position coincides with a transport direction of the antenna continuum.

2. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 1.

3. A plurality of the nozzles are attached to the nozzle attachment portion, the second rotating unit rotates the nozzle attachment unit, whereby each nozzle moves in sequence from the first position to the second position, and an IC chip is disposed at the reference position of each antenna of the transported antenna continuum.

3. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 2.

4. A plurality of the nozzles are attached to the nozzle attachment portion, the correction amount determination unit determines the first correction amount corresponding to each nozzle; the first rotation unit rotates the corresponding nozzle about an axis based on the first correction amount determined for each nozzle; 4. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 1.

5. the moving mechanism moves the nozzle attachment portion in the width direction, thereby moving the nozzle in the width direction.

5. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 1.

6. The nozzle attachment portion is suspended on a support base.

6. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 1.

7. the nozzle releases the IC chip toward the reference position of the antenna, thereby disposing the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna.

7. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 1.

8. the moving mechanism further moves the nozzle while the nozzle is adsorbing the IC chip to bring the nozzle close to the antenna; the nozzle releases the suction applied to the IC chip at the reference position, thereby disposing the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna; 7. An IC chip mounting device according to claim 1.

9. 1. An IC chip mounting method for transporting an inlay antenna and mounting an IC chip at a predetermined reference position of the antenna, comprising: When the nozzle attached to the nozzle attachment portion is in a first position, the IC chip is attracted by the nozzle; rotating the nozzle attachment portion to move the nozzle from the first position toward a second position; acquiring an image of the IC chip attracted to the nozzle when the nozzle is at a predetermined position between the first position and the second position; determining, based on the acquired image, correction amounts for the IC chip adsorbed to the nozzle, a first correction amount which is a correction amount for an angle around an axis of the nozzle, a second correction amount which is a correction amount for a position of the antenna in a transport direction, and a third correction amount which is a correction amount for a position in a width direction perpendicular to the transport direction; Rotating the nozzle about an axis based on the first correction amount; rotating the nozzle attachment portion at an angular velocity adjusted based on the second correction amount; moving the nozzle in the width direction based on the third correction amount; When the nozzle is in the second position, the IC chip attracted to the nozzle is placed at the reference position of the antenna. IC chip mounting method.

10. conveying an antenna continuum on which a plurality of the antennas are successively formed on a predetermined conveying surface; rotating the nozzle attachment portion so that the nozzle moves in a circular orbit on a plane perpendicular to the conveying surface, and a moving direction of the nozzle when the nozzle is in the second position coincides with a conveying direction of the antenna continuum; 10. The method for mounting an inlay IC chip according to claim 9.

11. A plurality of the nozzles are attached to the nozzle attachment portion, rotating the nozzle attachment portion so that each nozzle moves in sequence from the first position to the second position; When each nozzle is in the second position, an IC chip is placed at the reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum carried by each nozzle.

11. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 10.

12. A plurality of the nozzles are attached to the nozzle attachment portion, determining the first correction amount corresponding to each nozzle; rotating the corresponding nozzle around an axis based on the first correction amount determined for each nozzle; 12. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 9, wherein the IC chip mounting method is a method for mounting an IC chip on a substrate.

13. The nozzle attachment portion is moved in the width direction, thereby moving the nozzle in the width direction.

13. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 9, wherein the IC chip mounting method is a method for mounting an IC chip on a substrate.

14. placing the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna by discharging the IC chip from the nozzle toward the reference position of the antenna; 14. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 9, wherein the IC chip mounting method is a method for mounting an IC chip on a substrate.

15. placing the IC chip at the reference position of the antenna by moving the nozzle while the nozzle is holding the IC chip by suction to bring the IC chip close to the antenna, and releasing the suction of the IC chip from the nozzle at the reference position; 14. The IC chip mounting method according to claim 9, wherein the IC chip mounting method is a method for mounting an IC chip on a substrate.

Images