Resin sealing equipment and sealing mold

Abstract

To provide a sealing mold and a resin sealing device which can absorb the thickness variations of a workpiece and perform molding such that the total thickness of a molding becomes constant.SOLUTION: A sealing mold 202 according to the present invention comprises: a pot 240 in a lower die 206; a cull block 244 in which a cull 246 is perforated in an upper die 204; a first workpiece holding part 205A and a second workpiece holding part 205B in one of the lower die 206 and the upper die 204; one or a plurality of first cavities 208A and one or a plurality of second cavities 208B in the other; a first cavity piece 226A and a first clamper 228A which constitute the first cavity 208A; a first clamper spring 232A which biases the first clamper 228A; a second cavity piece 226B and a second clamper 228B which constitute the second cavity 208B; and a second clamper spring 232B which biases the second clamper 228B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin sealing apparatus and a sealing die. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As an example of a resin sealing device that seals a workpiece having electronic components mounted on a substrate with sealing resin (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "resin") and processes it into a molded product, one that uses a transfer molding method is known.

[0003] The transfer molding method is a technology in which a pot is provided to supply a predetermined amount of resin to a pair of sealing areas (cavities) provided in a sealing mold consisting of an upper and lower mold, and workpieces are placed in positions corresponding to each sealing area and clamped between the upper and lower molds, and resin is sealed by pouring resin from the pot into the cavity (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 5906528, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent No. 4778751). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5906528 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 4778751 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] There are individual differences in the workpieces that are the objects to be resin-encapsulated, and it is practically impossible to reduce the variation in thickness (dimensional difference) to 0. Therefore, with resin-encapsulating equipment using the conventional transfer molding method, there were issues such as the workpiece being damaged (broken, etc.) when clamped, the workpiece being misaligned during resin-encapsulation, and resin leakage, because the thickness variation could not be absorbed.

[0006] Here, in a resin sealing apparatus using a conventional transfer molding method, the following techniques are known as mechanisms for absorbing variations in thickness of a workpiece (specifically, a base material), but each of them involves problems. 1) Automatic plate thickness mechanism: While this mechanism makes it possible to adjust the base material thickness on the left and right sides of the pot (absorbing thickness variations), it requires the use of air cylinders and cotters, etc., which makes maintenance time-consuming. 2) VCH (Valiable Cavity Height) mechanism: This mechanism requires dedicated equipment, which increases the cost of the device and requires a lot of maintenance work. 3) Center float mechanism: With this mechanism, there was a problem in that it was impossible to adjust the base material thickness (to absorb thickness variations) on the left and right sides of the pot. All of the above 1) to 3) had the problem that the total thickness of the molded product after molding (i.e., the overall thickness of the workpiece and the sealing resin) changes due to the change in the thickness of the workpiece (specifically, the base material). [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a sealing die using a transfer molding method that has a configuration for resin sealing multiple workpieces at once, is capable of absorbing variations in the thickness of the workpieces, is capable of molding the molded product to a constant total thickness, and is capable of facilitating maintenance and reducing equipment costs, and a resin sealing device equipped with the sealing die.

[0008] The present invention solves the above problems by the solution means described below as one embodiment.

[0009] The sealing die according to the present invention is a sealing die having an upper die and a lower die, which seals a workpiece with resin to process it into a molded product, the lower die is provided with a pot into which the tablet-shaped resin is poured, the upper die is provided with a cull block, which is fixed immovably relative to the upper die chase block and has a cull drilled on its underside, directly above the pot, The lower mold a first workpiece holding portion and a second workpiece holding portion each holding one or a plurality of the workpieces, Upper die the first cavity piece constituting the bottom of the first cavity; a first clamper arranged around the first cavity piece to be vertically movable and to constitute a side portion of one of the first cavities or to constitute a plurality of side portions of the first cavities and to clamp the work; a first clamper spring for urging the first clamper toward the first work holding part; a second cavity piece constituting the bottom of the second cavity; a second clamper arranged around the second cavity piece to be vertically movable and to constitute a side portion of the second cavity or to constitute a plurality of side portions of the second cavities and to clamp the work; and a second clamper spring for urging the second clamper toward the second work holding part.

[0010] According to this, multiple workpieces or multiple electronic components on one workpiece are clamped by different clampers, and each clamper is movable and biased by a different clamper spring, so that it is possible to absorb variations in the thickness of the workpieces (including variations in the thickness of the electronic components). On the other hand, by configuring each cavity piece to be fixed to a common upper chase block, it is possible to form a molded product with a constant total thickness regardless of the thickness of the workpiece. Furthermore, since these can be achieved with a simpler configuration than conventional devices, it is possible to facilitate maintenance and reduce the cost of the device.

[0011] It is also preferable that the first clamper and the second clamper each have a runner drilled therein that communicates with the cull at least when the mold is closed. With this, even if the first clamper and the second clamper are movable, a resin flow path having the cull and the runner can be constructed, and transfer molding can be performed.

[0012] It is also preferable that the first clamper spring and the second clamper spring are each provided with a plurality of types with different spring constants, and one is selected according to the resin sealing conditions and detachably fixed to the upper mold or the lower mold. This allows the work clamping force to be set and adjusted appropriately for each work. In addition, since the clamper spring can be changed, it is easy to set the spring so as to reduce defects such as damage to the work (substrate) and resin leakage during the resin sealing process.

[0013] It is also preferable that the first clamper spring and the second clamper spring each have a configuration in which a plurality of coil springs are arranged at intervals. This allows the workpiece to be clamped with an even clamping force along its outer edge. This further enhances the effect of suppressing damage to the workpiece (base material) and resin leakage.

[0014] A resin sealing apparatus according to the present invention includes the above-mentioned sealing die. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the present invention, in a resin sealing device using a transfer molding method that resin seals multiple workpieces at once, it is possible to absorb variations in the thickness of the workpieces, and prevent the workpieces from being damaged due to excessive clamping force, and the workpieces from being misaligned or resin leaking due to insufficient clamping force. It is also possible to perform molding that results in a constant total thickness of the molded product. Furthermore, it is possible to facilitate maintenance and reduce the cost of the device. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an example of a sealing die and a resin sealing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view taken along line II-II in FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of a sealing mold of the resin sealing apparatus in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] 4 is a top view showing an example of a lower mold of the sealing mold of FIG. 3. [Diagram 5] 4 is a bottom view showing an example of an upper mold of the sealing mold of FIG. 3. [Figure 6] 2 is an explanatory view (front sectional view) of the operation of the resin sealing apparatus in FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is an explanatory diagram (front sectional view) of the operation following FIG. 6. [Figure 8] 8 is an explanatory diagram (front sectional view) of the operation following FIG. 7. [Figure 9] 4 is a bottom view showing another example of the upper mold of the sealing mold of FIG. 3. [Figure 10] 4 is a bottom view showing another example of the upper mold of the sealing mold of FIG. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view (schematic view) showing an example of a sealing die 202 according to an embodiment of the present invention and a resin sealing apparatus 1 including the sealing die 202. Fig. 2 is a side view taken along line II-II in Fig. 1 (some mechanisms are not shown). For convenience of explanation, arrows may be used in the drawings to explain the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions of the resin sealing apparatus 1. In addition, in all the drawings for explaining each embodiment, members having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[0018] The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus for resin sealing a work (molded product) W using a sealing die 202 including an upper die 204 and a lower die 206. Hereinafter, as the resin sealing apparatus 1, a resin sealing apparatus using a transfer molding method will be described as an example, in which the work W is held by the lower die 206, a cavity 208 (including a part of the die surface 204a) provided in the upper die 204 in a corresponding arrangement is covered with a release film (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as a "film") F, and the upper die 204 and the lower die 206 are clamped to seal the work W with resin R. In this embodiment, a configuration will be described as an example in which two cavities 208 are provided in one upper die 204 and two workpieces W (for example, rectangular workpieces) are arranged in one lower die 206 and resin sealing is performed collectively to obtain two molded products Wp at the same time. However, the present embodiment is not limited to this, and a plurality of sets of the above configuration may be arranged side by side (not shown). The film F is not essential, and the cavity 208 may be provided in either the upper mold 204 or the lower mold 206 or in both.

[0019] First, the workpiece W to be molded has a configuration in which one or more electronic components Wb are mounted in a predetermined arrangement on a substrate Wa. More specifically, examples of the substrate Wa include plate-like members such as resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, and wafers formed in rectangular or circular shapes. Examples of the electronic components Wb include semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive members, spacers, and combinations thereof. However, the present invention is not limited to these.

[0020] Examples of methods for mounting electronic components Wb on the substrate Wa include wire bonding mounting, flip chip mounting, etc. Alternatively, in the case of a configuration in which the substrate (glass or metal carrier plate) Wa is peeled off from the molded product Wp after resin sealing, there is also a method in which the electronic components Wb are attached using a thermally peelable adhesive tape or an ultraviolet-curable resin that is cured by exposure to ultraviolet light.

[0021] On the other hand, a tablet-type (for example, cylindrical) thermosetting resin (for example, an epoxy-based resin containing a filler) is used as an example of the resin R. Note that the resin R is not limited to the above state, and may be a shape other than a cylindrical shape, and may be a resin other than an epoxy-based thermosetting resin.

[0022] As an example of the film F, a film material having excellent heat resistance, peelability, flexibility, and extensibility, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, polyvinylidine chloride, etc., is preferably used. In this embodiment, a roll-shaped film is used as the film F. As another example, a strip-shaped film may be used (not shown).

[0023] Next, an overview of the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the resin sealing apparatus 1 mainly includes a supply unit 100A that mainly supplies the workpiece W and resin R to be sealed, a press unit 100B that mainly seals the workpiece W with resin and processes it into a molded product Wp, and a storage unit 100C that mainly stores the molded product Wp after the resin sealing.

[0024] The resin sealing apparatus 1 also includes a transport mechanism 100D that moves between the units to transport the workpiece W, resin R, and molded product Wp. As an example, the transport mechanism 100D includes an inloader 122 that transports the workpiece W and resin R to the press unit 100B, an outloader 124 that transports the molded product Wp from the press unit 100B, and a guide rail 126 shared by the inloader 122 and the outloader 124. The transport mechanism 100D is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to use a known pickup or the like as appropriate (not shown). Instead of a configuration including a loader, a configuration including an articulated robot (not shown) may also be used.

[0025] Here, the inloader 122 receives the workpiece W and resin R in the supply unit 100A and transports them to the press unit 100B. As an example of the configuration of the inloader 122, two rows of workpiece holding sections 122A and 122B are arranged in parallel along the left-right direction, each of which can hold one workpiece W. In addition, a resin holding section 122C is provided between the two rows of workpiece holding sections 122A and 122B, capable of holding multiple pieces of resin R (four pieces are shown as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, or a single piece may be used) along the front-rear direction. Note that the workpiece holding sections 122A, 122B and the resin holding section 122C use a known holding mechanism (for example, a structure having holding claws for clamping, a structure having a suction hole communicating with a suction device for adsorption, etc.) (not shown).

[0026] The inloader 122 according to this embodiment is configured to move in the left-right and front-back directions to load the work W and resin R into the sealing mold 202 and place them at a predetermined position in the lower mold 206. However, this is not limited to this, and a configuration may be provided in which a loader that moves in the left-right direction to transport between units and a loader that moves in the front-back direction to load into the sealing mold 202 are separately provided (not shown).

[0027] The outloader 124 also receives the molded product Wp (including unnecessary resin parts such as culls and runners) in the press unit 100B and transports it to the storage unit 100C. As an example of the configuration of the outloader 124, molded product holding sections 124A and 124B are provided, which are arranged in two rows in the left-right direction and each can hold one molded product Wp. Note that the molded product holding sections 124A and 124B use a known holding mechanism (for example, a clamping configuration with holding claws, a suction hole communicating with a suction device for suction, etc.) (not shown).

[0028] The out-loader 124 according to this embodiment is configured to move in the left-right and front-back directions to carry out the molded product Wp outside the sealing mold 202 and place it on the molded product table 114. However, this is not limited to this, and a configuration may be provided in which a loader that moves in the front-back direction to carry out the molding product Wp from the sealing mold 202 and a loader that moves in the left-right direction to transport between units are separately provided (not shown).

[0029] The resin sealing apparatus 1 can change the overall configuration by changing the configuration of the units. For example, the configuration shown in Fig. 1 is an example in which two press units 100B are installed, but a configuration in which only one press unit 100B is installed, or three or more press units are installed, etc. are also possible. Also, a configuration in which other units are additionally installed (neither is shown in the figures).

[0030] (Supply unit) Next, the supply unit 100A included in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described.

[0031] The supply unit 100A includes, for example, a work stocker 102 used to store the work W, and a work table 104 on which the work W is placed. A known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like is used for the work stocker 102, and it is possible to store a plurality of works W at once. With this configuration, the work W is taken out of the work stocker 102 using a known pusher or the like (not shown), and placed on the work table 104 (for example, a pair of works W are placed in parallel). Next, the work W placed on the work table 104 is held by the inloader 122 and transported to the press unit 100B.

[0032] Furthermore, the supply unit 100A (or another unit) is provided with a resin supply mechanism 140 that supplies the resin R at a lateral position of the work table 104. As an example, the resin supply mechanism 140 is provided with a supply section 142 having a hopper, a feeder, etc., that supplies the resin R, and a delivery section 144 having a transport mechanism such as an elevator, that holds a plurality of pieces of resin R supplied from the supply section 142 at predetermined positions. With this configuration, the plurality of pieces of resin R held in the delivery section 144 are held by the inloader 122 and transported to the press unit 100B.

[0033] (Press unit) Next, a description will be given of the press unit 100B provided in the resin sealing apparatus 1. Here, Fig. 3 is a front cross-sectional view (schematic) of the sealing mold 202 of the resin sealing apparatus 1, Fig. 4 is a schematic view of the upper surface (i.e., mold surface 206a) of the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202, and Fig. 5 is a schematic view of the lower surface (i.e., mold surface 204a) of the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202.

[0034] The press unit 100B includes a press device 250 that opens and closes a sealing die 202 (described later) to clamp the workpiece W and seal it with resin.

[0035] 2, the press device 250 includes a sealing mold 202 having a lower mold 206 and an upper mold 204 and disposed between a pair of platens 252, 254, a plurality of connecting mechanisms 256 between which the pair of platens 252, 254 are spanned, a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 for moving (raising and lowering) the platen 254, and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or a toggle link mechanism) 262. In this embodiment, the upper mold 204 is assembled to the fixed platen 252, and the lower mold 206 is assembled to the movable platen 254. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the upper mold 204 may be assembled to the movable platen and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the fixed platen, or both the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 may be assembled to the movable platens.

[0036] The press unit 100B also includes a film supply mechanism 201 that transports (supplies) a roll-shaped film F without openings (holes) on its sheet surface to the inside of the sealing die 202. The film supply mechanism 201 is configured such that unused film F is sent out from an unwinding section 201A and supplied to the opened sealing die 202, and after being used for resin sealing in the sealing die 202, it is wound up by a winding section 201B as used film F. The unwinding section 201A and the winding section 201B may be arranged in reverse in the front-rear direction, or may be arranged to supply a strip of film F in the left-right direction (both not shown). As described above, a strip-shaped film may be used instead of a roll-shaped film (not shown).

[0037] Next, the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower mold 206 includes a lower mold base 212, a lower chase block 216, a lower clamp block 220, etc., which are assembled together. As an example, the lower chase block 216 is fixed onto the lower mold base 212, and the lower mold base 212 is fixed onto a movable platen 254.

[0038] Here, the lower die 206 is provided with a plurality of cylindrical pots 240 (four pots are shown as an example, but the number is not limited to four, or a single pot may be used) along the front-rear direction in which resin (here, resin tablets) R is accommodated. The pots 240 are formed as through holes that are continuous with the lower die chase block 216 and the lower die clamp block 220. A plunger 16 that is pushed by a known transfer drive mechanism (not shown) is disposed within the pot 240. With this configuration, the plunger 16 is pushed, and the resin R in the pot 240 is supplied into the cavity 208 (described later).

[0039] In this embodiment, a workpiece holding section 205 for holding one or more workpieces W is provided in an arrangement surrounded by a lower clamp block 220 fixed on a lower chase block 216. More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, two workpiece holding sections 205 (a first workpiece holding section 205A and a second workpiece holding section 205B) are arranged to sandwich the pot 240 in the left-right direction. As an example, the workpiece holding section 205 is provided with a suction passage communicating with a suction device (both not shown) and configured to suck and hold the workpiece W. Note that instead of or in addition to the configuration with the suction passage, a configuration with holding claws for clamping the outer periphery of the workpiece W may be used (not shown).

[0040] In addition, a lower mold heater (not shown) is provided on the lower mold base 212. This allows heat to be conducted to the periphery of the pot 240 via the lower chase block 216 and the like, and the resin R in the pot 240 can be heated to a predetermined temperature (about 180°C in this embodiment) and melted efficiently in a short time. As an example, a known electric wire heater, sheath heater, etc. is used as the lower mold heater.

[0041] Next, the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the upper mold 204 includes an upper mold base 210, an upper mold chase block 214, an upper mold clamp block 218, etc., which are assembled together. As an example, the upper mold chase block 214 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper mold base 210, and the upper mold base 210 is fixed to the lower surface of a fixed platen 252.

[0042] Here, the upper die 204 is provided with a cull block 244 fixed immovably to the upper die chase block 214 (including a member fixed to the upper die chase block 214) at a position directly above the pot 240 of the lower die 206 (here, referring to an area of ​​a predetermined width directly above it), and with a cull 246 drilled on its lower surface. Also, a cavity 208 is provided in which a predetermined portion of the work W (the portion on which the electronic component Wb is mounted) is accommodated.

[0043] 5, the cavity 208 according to this embodiment is disposed so as to be surrounded by an upper die clamp block 218 fixed below the upper die chase block 214. More specifically, two cavities 208 (first cavity 208A and second cavity 208B) are disposed so as to sandwich the cull block 244 in the left-right direction in a plan view, corresponding to the positions of the two work holding portions 205 (first work holding portion 205A and second work holding portion 205B) of the lower die 206.

[0044] Here, as an example of the configuration of cavity 208 (first cavity 208A and second cavity 208B), there is provided a first cavity piece 226A that is fixed to the upper chase block 214 and forms the bottom of first cavity 208A, a first clamper 228A that is arranged around the first cavity piece 226A in a planar view so as to be movable up and down to form the side of first cavity 208A and clamp the workpiece W, and a first clamper spring 232A that biases first clamper 228A toward first workpiece holding portion 205A. Symmetrically arranged are a second cavity piece 226B that is fixed to the upper chase block 214 and forms the bottom of the second cavity 208B, a second clamper 228B that is arranged around the second cavity piece 226B to be vertically movable in a plan view, forms the side of the second cavity 208B and clamps the workpiece W, and a second clamper spring 232B that urges the second clamper 228B toward the second workpiece holding portion 205B. Note that a suction path for degassing the cavity 208 and for adsorbing a film is omitted from the illustration.

[0045] According to the above configuration, the above-mentioned problem can be solved. Specifically, in the resin sealing device 1 using the transfer method, a plurality of workpieces W (two in this embodiment) are held by the lower mold 206, and each workpiece W is clamped by the respective clampers 228A, 228B, and the clampers 228A, 228B are biased by the corresponding clamper springs 232A, 232B to be movable, thereby absorbing the variation in the thickness of the workpiece W (specifically, the base material Wa). In addition, since the cavity pieces 226A, 226B themselves are fixed to a common single upper mold chase block 214, molding can be performed so that the total thickness of the molded product Wp is constant regardless of the thickness of the workpiece W. In other words, it is possible to provide a product (molded product Wp) with a constant total thickness with uniform quality without variation. In addition, there is no need to provide special equipment or dedicated equipment as in the conventional technology, and only the configuration of the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202 can be used, which makes it possible to reduce manufacturing costs and facilitate maintenance.

[0046] On the other hand, as described above, the first clamper 228A and the second clamper 228B are movable. Therefore, it is preferable that the first clamper 228A and the second clamper 228B have a configuration in which a cull 246 and a runner 248 that communicates with the first cavity 208A and the second cavity 208B at least in the mold closed state are drilled on the lower surface or the vicinity of the lower surface of each of them. As a result, even if the first clamper 228A and the second clamper 228B are movable, a flow path for resin having the cull 246 and the runner 248 can be formed, and transfer molding can be performed.

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first clamper spring 232A and the second clamper spring 232B are provided with a plurality of types of springs (coil springs, as one example) with different spring constants, and one of them is selected according to the resin sealing conditions and removably fixed to the upper die 204. This allows the work clamping force to be individually set and adjusted, making it extremely easy to change the conditions so that the work clamping force is appropriate for each work W. In other words, it is easy to set the settings to reduce defects such as damage to the work W (substrate Wa) and resin leakage during the resin sealing process.

[0048] As an example, the first clamper spring 232A and the second clamper spring 232B are configured with a plurality of springs (for example, coil springs) arranged at intervals so as to surround the corresponding cavity piece (i.e., the first cavity piece 226A and the second cavity piece 226B), respectively. This allows the workpiece W to be clamped with an even clamping force along the outer edge thereof. This further enhances the effect of suppressing damage to the workpiece W (substrate Wa) and resin leakage, etc.

[0049] In addition, an upper mold base 210 is provided with an upper mold heater (not shown). This allows heat to be conducted to the periphery of the cavity 208 and the resin flow paths (cull 246, runner 248, etc.) via the upper mold chase block 214, etc., and the molten resin R filled in the cavity 208 and the resin flow paths 246, 248 can be heated to a predetermined temperature. As an example, a known electric wire heater, sheath heater, etc. is used as the upper mold heater.

[0050] Here, other configuration examples of the upper die 204 will be described. First, when the first workpiece holding part 205A holds one (or a plurality) workpieces W, each of which has a plurality of electronic components Wb mounted on a single substrate Wa, the configuration shown in FIG. 9 can be applied. Specifically, a plurality of first cavities 208A are arranged at corresponding positions of the first workpiece holding part 205A. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the side of one first cavity 208A may be formed by one first clamper 228A, or as shown in FIG. 10, the side of a plurality of first cavities 208A may be formed by one first clamper 228A. On the other hand, when a plurality of workpieces W are held by the first workpiece holding part 205A, the configuration shown in FIG. 9 can be applied. Note that, with regard to the above-mentioned FIG. 9 and FIG. 10, the first cavity 208A and the second cavity 208B are illustrated as having the same configuration, but they may be configured separately.

[0051] (Storage unit) Next, the container unit 100C included in the resin sealing apparatus 1 will be described.

[0052] The storage unit 100C, for example, includes a molded product table 114 on which the molded product Wp is placed, a gate breaking section 116 for removing unnecessary resin parts such as culls, runners, and gates from the molded product Wp, and a molded product stocker 112 used to store the molded product Wp from which the unnecessary resin parts have been removed. The molded product stocker 112 uses a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like, and is capable of storing a plurality of molded products Wp at once. With this configuration, the molded product Wp (connected via the unnecessary resin parts) transported from the press unit 100B using an outloader 124 or the like is placed on the molded product table 114. Next, the molded product Wp is transferred to the gate breaking section 116 using a known pickup or the like (not shown) to remove the unnecessary resin parts, and then stored in the molded product stocker 112 using a known pusher or the like (not shown).

[0053] (Resin sealing operation) Next, an operation of resin sealing using the sealing die 202 according to this embodiment and the resin sealing apparatus 1 including the sealing die 202 will be described. Here, an example is given of a configuration in which two sets of cavities 208 are provided in one upper die 204, and two workpieces W (e.g., rectangular workpieces) are arranged in parallel in one lower die 206, and resin sealing is performed collectively to simultaneously obtain two molded products Wp. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and a configuration in which one workpiece W is arranged or multiple workpieces W are arranged in parallel in the front-rear and left-right directions and resin sealing is performed may also be used.

[0054] As a preparation step, a heating step (upper die heating step) is performed in which the upper die 204 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C) by an upper die heater. Also, a heating step (lower die heating step) is performed in which the lower die 206 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 200°C) by a lower die heater. Furthermore, a step (film supplying step) is performed in which the film F is transported (sent out) from the unwinding section 201A to the winding section 201B by the film supply mechanism 201 and the film F is supplied to a predetermined position in the sealing die 202 (a position between the upper die 204 and the lower die 206).

[0055] Next, a process is performed in which the workpieces W are carried out one by one from the work stocker 102 by a known pusher or the like (not shown) and placed on the upper surface of the work table 104 (note that a known pickup mechanism or the like may be used in combination). Also, a process is performed in which the tablet-shaped resin R is carried out one by one from the supply unit 142 by a known feeder, elevator, or the like (not shown) and a plurality of pieces of the resin R (four pieces, as an example) are held at predetermined positions in the delivery unit 144.

[0056] Next, the inloader 122 is moved to directly above the work table 104 (it may be waiting in the same position beforehand). At that position, the work table 104 is raised (or the inloader 122 is lowered) and the workpieces W are held by the workpiece holding parts 122A and 122B (in this embodiment, each of the workpiece holding parts 122A and 122B holds one workpiece W) is carried out.

[0057] Next, the inloader 122 is moved to directly above the delivery section 144. At that position, the delivery section 144 is raised (or the inloader 122 is lowered) to perform a process of holding the resin R by the resin holding section 122C (in this embodiment, the resin holding section 122C holds four pieces of resin R).

[0058] Next, the inloader 122 transports a plurality of (two in this embodiment) workpieces W and a plurality of (four in this embodiment) resin pieces R into the sealing mold 202 of the press unit 100B in one process, and performs the process of placing the workpieces W on each of the workpiece holding portions 205 (workpiece holding portions 205A, 205B in this embodiment) of the lower mold 206, and the process of storing the resins R in each of the plurality of (four in this embodiment) pots 240 in the lower mold 206. Note that during the transport, a process of preheating the workpieces W and the resins R (preheating process) may be performed by a heater (not shown) provided in the inloader 122.

[0059] Next, the sealing mold 202 is closed, and the workpiece W is clamped between the upper die 204 and the lower die 206 and resin-sealed to form the molded product Wp (resin sealing step).

[0060] More specifically, first, as shown in Fig. 6, the driving source 260 and the drive transmission mechanism 262 are driven to move the movable platen 254 upward. This causes the lower die 206 to move toward the upper die 204 (i.e., upward). When the lower die 206 continues to move upward, as shown in Fig. 7, the first clamper 228A of the upper die 204 comes into contact with the workpiece W held by the first workpiece holding portion 205A of the lower die 206, clamping the workpiece W. Similarly, the second clamper 228B of the upper die 204 comes into contact with the workpiece W held by the second workpiece holding portion 205B of the lower die 206, clamping the workpiece W. When the lower die 206 continues to move upward, as shown in FIG. 8, the first clamper 228A, which is in contact with the work W of the first work holding part 205A, moves upward against the urging force of the first clamper spring 232A, and the first cavity piece 226A moves downward relatively. Similarly, the second clamper 228B, which is in contact with the work W of the second work holding part 205B, moves upward against the urging force of the second clamper spring 232B, and the second cavity piece 226B moves downward relatively. In this state, the transfer drive mechanism is operated to push the plunger 242 toward the upper die 204, and the molten sealing resin is pressure-fed into the cavity 208 through the cull 246 and runner 248 of the upper die 204. In addition, in FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, the release film is omitted in order to clarify the configuration.

[0061] As described above, by applying heat and pressure to the workpiece W, the resin R is thermally cured and resin sealing (compression molding) is performed to form the molded product Wp. At this time, the workpieces W held by the workpiece holders 205A and 205B are clamped by separate clampers 228A and 228B, and the clampers 228A and 228B are biased by separate clamper springs 232A and 232B, respectively, so that the variation in the thickness of the workpiece W (specifically, the base material Wa) can be absorbed. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of defects such as damage to the workpiece W due to excessive clamping force, misalignment of the workpiece W due to insufficient clamping force, and resin leakage. In addition, since each cavity piece 226A and 226B is fixed to a common upper chase block 214, molding can be performed so that the total thickness of the molded product Wp is constant regardless of the thickness of the workpiece W.

[0062] Next, the sealing mold 202 is opened, and a process is performed in which the outloader 124 removes multiple (in this embodiment, two) molded products Wp (which include unnecessary resin parts such as cull parts and runner parts and are connected via them) from the sealing mold 202 in one process.

[0063] In parallel with this (or afterwards), the process of feeding out the used film F is carried out by transporting the film F from the unwinding section 201A to the winding section 201B by the film supply mechanism 201.

[0064] Next, a process is performed in which the molded product Wp (including the cull portion, runner portion, etc.) is placed on the molded product table 114 by the outloader 124 (note that a known pick-up mechanism or the like may be used in combination). Next, a process is performed in which unnecessary resin portions such as the cull portion and runner portion are removed from the molded product Wp in the gate break section 116. Next, a process is performed in which the molded products Wp (with unnecessary resin portions removed) are carried into the molded product stocker 112 one by one by a known pusher or the like (not shown). Note that a process of post-curing the molded product Wp may be performed prior to these processes.

[0065] The above are the main operations of resin sealing performed using the resin sealing apparatus 1. However, the above process order is only an example, and the order of steps can be changed or steps can be performed in parallel as long as there is no problem. For example, in this embodiment, since the configuration includes two press units 100B, the above operations can be performed in parallel to efficiently form a molded product.

[0066] As described above, the sealing die according to the present invention and the resin sealing device equipped with the sealing die can absorb variations in thickness of the workpieces in a resin sealing device using a transfer molding method in which multiple workpieces are resin-sealed at once, and can prevent damage to the workpieces due to excessive clamping force, positional deviation of the workpieces due to insufficient clamping force, resin leakage, etc. Also, molding can be performed so that the total thickness of the molded product is constant. Furthermore, compared to conventional devices, it is possible to facilitate maintenance and reduce the cost of the device.

[0067] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. Specifically, in the above embodiment, an upper mold has one upper mold resin sealing portion with two cavities arranged therein, and a lower mold has one lower mold resin sealing portion with two workpiece holding portions arranged therein, each of which holds a workpiece, and two molded products are simultaneously obtained by performing resin sealing at once, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, as a modified example, a configuration may be adopted in which multiple sets of the upper mold resin sealing portion are provided in the front-rear direction (or the left-right direction) of the upper mold, and multiple sets of the lower mold resin sealing portion are provided in the front-rear direction (or the left-right direction) of the corresponding lower mold. With this configuration, even if the thickness of the workpiece varies, it is possible to mass-produce products (i.e., molded products) with a constant total thickness.

[0068] The cavity may also be provided in the lower mold. In this case, a structure may be adopted in which the resin passes vertically through a hole that penetrates the top and bottom of a workpiece such as a lead frame. Furthermore, when changing from a structure in which the cavity is provided in the upper mold to a structure in which the cavity is provided in the lower mold, the above-mentioned movable clamper mechanism (mechanism using a clamper, clamper spring, etc.) may be changed from a structure in which it is provided in the upper mold to a structure in which it is provided in the lower mold. In this case, since the pot is provided on the lower side, a structure may be adopted in which a runner communicates from the upper mold cull to the lower mold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1 Resin sealing equipment 202 Sealing mold 204 Upper mold 206 Lower mold 226A 1st cavity piece 226B 2nd cavity piece 228A 1st Clamper 228B No. 2 Clamper 232A First clamper spring 232B 2nd clamper spring 244 Calblock R Sealing resin Double work

Claims

1. A sealing die having an upper die and a lower die, which seals a workpiece with resin and processes it into a molded product, The lower mold is A pot is provided into which the tablet-shaped resin is poured, The upper mold is A cull block having a cull formed on its underside is provided immediately above the pot and is immovably fixed to the upper chase block. The lower die is provided with a first workpiece holding portion and a second workpiece holding portion each of which holds one or a plurality of the workpieces; The upper mold has one or more first cavities arranged to correspond to the first work holding portion, and one or more second cavities arranged to correspond to the second work holding portion; a first cavity piece constituting a bottom of the first cavity; a first clamper that is disposed around the first cavity piece so as to be movable up and down and that constitutes a side portion of one of the first cavities or constitutes a plurality of side portions of the first cavities and that clamps the work; a first clamper spring that biases the first clamper toward the first work holding portion; a second cavity piece constituting a bottom of the second cavity; a second clamper that is disposed around the second cavity piece so as to be movable up and down and that forms a side portion of one of the second cavities or forms a plurality of side portions of the second cavities and clamps the work; a second clamper spring that biases the second clamper toward the second work holding portion; The following is provided: The sealing mold is characterized by the above.

2. The lower mold comprises a lower mold chase block and a lower mold clamp block fixed to the lower mold chase block, The upper mold includes an upper mold clamp block fixed to the upper mold chase block, In a mold closed state, the cull block is in close contact with the lower clamp block, and the first clamper, the second clamper, and the upper clamp block are not in close contact with each other. The sealing mold according to claim 1 .

3. The first clamper and the second clamper each have a runner that communicates with the cull at least in a mold closed state.

3. The sealing mold according to claim 1 or 2,

4. The first clamper spring and the second clamper spring are each provided with a plurality of types having different spring constants, and one of the springs is selected according to a resin sealing condition and is detachably fixed to the upper mold or the lower mold.

3. The sealing mold according to claim 1 or 2,

5. The first clamper spring and the second clamper spring each have a configuration in which a plurality of coil springs are arranged at intervals.

3. The sealing mold according to claim 1 or 2,

6. A resin sealing device comprising the sealing die according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images