Laminated Molding System

Abstract

To provide a laminate molding press machine, laminate molding system and laminate molding method, which enable laminate molding of a laminate molded product with high precision or which enable good laminate molding of a laminate molded product using a laminate film with high inorganic material content.SOLUTION: In a laminate molding press machine 3 for pressurizing and molding a laminate film A2 and a laminated material A1 with a concavo-convex part A1a between an upper platen 312 and a lower platen 314, pressure blocks 317 and 318 mounted on at least one platen 312 and 314 of the upper platen 312 or the lower platen 314 are provided with metal sheets 322 and 32 constituting pressure surfaces 322a and 325a via a resin film 321 of engineering plastic or thermosetting resin. A resin of the resin film has a R scale of Rockwell hardness of 15 or more and 140 or less.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a laminate molding press device that press-forms a laminated film and a material to be laminated having an uneven portion between an upper plate and a lower plate, a laminate molding system that includes the laminate molding press device, and a laminate molding method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Documents 1 to 4 describe known lamination molding presses that press-mold a laminate film and a laminate material having an uneven surface between an upper platen and a lower platen. Patent Document 1 describes a lamination molding press equipped with a flattening press machine downstream of a vacuum lamination device. The flattening press includes a polishing plate, which serves as a pressure block, on the surface of which a cushioning material made of rubber or the like having a thickness of, for example, 1.5 mm is attached, and an elastically deformable mirror plate made of stainless steel or the like having a thickness of, for example, 2 mm is attached to the surface of the cushioning material. The document describes that during molding, the mirror plate, which forms the molding surface, initially elastically deforms in accordance with the unevenness of the product surface, and then gradually returns to its original flat surface due to the elastic deformation of the cushioning material and the mirror plate.

[0003] Similarly to Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 describes a flat press machine, which is a laminate molding press machine in a post-process of a vacuum lamination machine, and is also similar in that a buffer material and a flexible metal plate are sequentially placed on the surface of the press block in the flat press. Patent Document 2 also describes that fluororubber is particularly preferable as the material for the buffer material, but also states that paper or plastic may be used.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes that in both the vacuum lamination device for performing the primary molding and the flat press device for performing the secondary molding, a metal plate-like body is provided via a buffer material on each surface of the hot platen facing the film-like resin material, and an elastic press plate that abuts against the surface of the film-like resin material and presses it is adhesively fixed to the plate-like body. Furthermore, (0031) of the specification describes that it is preferable to provide a buffer material having rubber elasticity or the like.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 4 describes a vacuum press facility consisting of a first vacuum press device and a second vacuum press device, and describes that the pressure surface of the first vacuum press device has sufficient elasticity, and that the pressure surface of the second press device can be formed from a metal member, but can also be molded using an elastic member such as hard rubber. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2002-120100 A (Claim 1), (0029), (0035), (Fig. 1), (Fig. 5) [Patent Document 2] JP 2004-122553 A (Claim 1), (0041) to (0044), (Fig. 1) [Patent Document 3] JP 2008-12918 A (Abstract), (Claim 1), (0030), (0031), (Fig. 1), (Fig. 8) [Patent Document 4] JP 2005-334902 A (Claim 1), (0018), (0019), (Fig. 1) Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In recent years, the laminate films used in lamination molding have increasingly been types that contain increased amounts of inorganic materials such as SiO2, with the aim of improving adhesion to the laminated object by lowering the film surface roughness, preventing peeling from the substrate by lowering the thermal expansion coefficient, improving insulation (reducing dielectric loss), and lowering the moisture content.However, as a result, the number of laminate films with a high Young's modulus is increasing, which creates the problem of lower fluidity of the molten material when the laminate film is heated and pressurized compared to conventional types of laminate films.

[0008] Furthermore, if the pressure applied when pressing is simply increased using a conventional press, as shown in Figure 5, the large elasticity of the cushioning material causes stress to concentrate on the pressure surface corresponding to the edge of the laminate, causing the resin material of the laminated film near the edge to flow outward, resulting in molding defects.

[0009] Therefore, the present invention aims to provide a laminate molding press device, a laminate molding system, and a laminate molding method that enable the laminate molding of highly accurate laminate molded products or that enable the laminate molding of laminate molded products using laminate films with a high inorganic material content to be performed well. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The laminate molding press apparatus according to claim 1 of the present invention is a laminate molding press apparatus for press-molding a laminated film and a material to be laminated, which has an uneven portion, between an upper platen and a lower platen, wherein a pressure block attached to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen is provided with a metal thin plate that constitutes a pressure surface via a resin film made of engineering plastic or thermosetting resin, The resin of the resin film is characterized by having a hardness of 15 or more and 140 or less on the Rockwell R scale. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The laminate molding press device described in claim 1 of the present invention is a laminate molding press device that press-forms a laminate material having an uneven portion and a laminate film between an upper platen and a lower platen, and the pressure block attached to at least one of the upper platen or lower platen is equipped with a thin metal plate that forms the pressure surface via a resin film of engineering plastic or thermosetting resin, and the resin of the resin film has a hardness of 15 or more and 140 or less on the Rockwell R scale, so that it is possible to laminate mold highly accurate laminate molded products, or to laminate mold well even when molding laminate molded products using a laminate film with a high content of inorganic material. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a lamination molding system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an enlarged view of a main part of a laminate molding press device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a lamination molding system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a lamination molding system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic explanatory view of pressure molding performed using a conventional laminate molding press. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] A laminate molding system 1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1, which shows cross sections of a vacuum lamination device 2 and a laminate molding press device 3. In the laminate molding system 1, a laminate molding press device 3 is provided downstream of the vacuum lamination device 2, and a substrate A1 and a laminate film A2, which are materials to be laminated and have uneven portions and are transported from the vacuum lamination device 2 by carrier films F1 and F2, are pressure-molded by the laminate molding press device 3.

[0014] The carrier film delivery device 4, which serves as both a transfer device and a tension device for the substrate A1 and the laminate film A2, is equipped with a lower unwinding roll 411 and a driven roll 412. The lower carrier film F1, which is unwound from the unwinding roll 411, is changed to a horizontal position at the driven roll 412. A loading stage 413 is provided where the lower carrier film F1 is now in a horizontal position, on which the substrate A1 and laminate film A2, which are the materials to be molded and sent in a superimposed state from the previous process, are placed. The carrier film delivery device 4 also has an upper unwinding roll 414 and a driven roll 415, and the upper carrier film F2, which is unwound from the unwinding roll 414, is superimposed on the laminated molded product A3, which is made up of the substrate A1 and the laminate film A2, at the driven roll 415. The substrate A1 and laminated film A2 are transported sandwiched between these carrier films F1 and F2, and laminate molding is performed via the carrier films F1 and F2 in the vacuum lamination device 2 or the laminate molding press device 3. This has the advantage of preventing the laminated film A2 from melting and adhering to the equipment parts, and in particular, in the laminate molding press device 3, it provides a certain cushioning effect when pressurizing the intermediate laminated material A4.

[0015] The vacuum lamination device 2, located downstream of the carrier film delivery device 4, applies pressure to a laminated product A3 consisting of a substrate A1 and a laminate film A2 within a vacuum (reduced pressure) chamber C using a pressure member such as a diaphragm 211 to laminate and mold an intermediate laminate material A4, which is a primary molded product. The vacuum lamination device 2 has a fixed upper platen 212 and a lower platen 213 that can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 214. When the lower platen 213 rises and contacts the upper platen 212, a chamber C is formed inside. Chamber C is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) and can be depressurized. A heating plate 215 is attached to the lower surface of the center of the upper platen 212, and a heat-resistant elastic body 216, such as a rubber film (not shown), is attached to the surface of the heating platen 215. A heating plate 217 is also attached to the upper surface of the center of the lower platen 213. A diaphragm 211 made of a heat-resistant rubber film, which serves as a pressure body, is attached to the periphery of the hot plate 217 of the lower platen 213 so as to cover the upper surface of the hot plate 217. When pressurized air is sent to the back side of the diaphragm 211 by a compressor (not shown), the diaphragm 211 expands within the chamber C and pressurizes the substrate A1 and the laminated film A2 between it and the hot platen 217. The diaphragm 211 of the vacuum lamination device 2 may be attached to the upper platen. The pressure body of the vacuum lamination device may also be one that pressurizes the substrate A1 and the laminated film A2 between rolls having an elastic body attached to their surfaces or between the rolls and a pressure plate.

[0016] The laminate molding press 3, which is disposed in series downstream of the vacuum laminating apparatus 2, further pressurizes the intermediate laminate A4, which is made up of the laminated material A1 and the laminate film A2 and has been press-formed by the vacuum laminating apparatus 2, with the unevenness remaining on the laminate film A2 side, to form a flatter laminated product A5. The laminate molding press 3 includes a substantially rectangular base plate 311 disposed below the base plate 311 and tie bars 313 erected between the four corners of an upper plate 312, which is a substantially rectangular fixed plate located above the base plate 311. The laminate molding press 3 also includes a lower plate 314, which is a substantially rectangular movable plate, that can be raised and lowered between the base plate 311 and the upper plate 312. The base plate 311 is provided with a hydraulically operated pressure cylinder 315 as a pressure means, and a ram 316 of the pressure cylinder 315 is fixed to the back surface of the lower plate 314. The pressurizing means of the laminate molding press apparatus 3 of the first embodiment may be of another type, such as a combination of an electric motor and a toggle device. Furthermore, the laminate molding press apparatus 3 may be one in which an upper platen descends relative to a lower platen. Furthermore, although the laminate molding press apparatus 3 of the first embodiment does not have a chamber that can be evacuated, it may have a chamber that can be evacuated and pressurization may be performed within the vacuum chamber.

[0017] Pressure blocks 317 and 318 are attached to the opposing surfaces of the upper platen 312 and the lower platen 314 of the laminate molding press apparatus 3. Next, the pressure block 318 on the lower platen 314 side will be described in detail using Figure 2. Note that in Figure 2, the thickness of the fluororesin film 321, which is a resin film, and the stainless steel thin plate 322, which is a thin metal plate, are exaggerated to appear thicker than they actually are relative to their length. A heat insulating material 319 is disposed between the lower platen 314 and the pressure block 318 of the laminate molding press apparatus 3, and multiple cartridge heaters 320, which are heating means, are disposed in parallel inside the pressure block 318. Note that the pressure block 318, which also serves as a heating plate, may be equipped with a polishing plate or a plate-shaped heater as in Patent Document 1, and is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 2.

[0018] A thermosetting resin film such as a fluororesin film 321 (e.g., PTFE) or an engineering plastic resin film such as polyimide is laid on the smooth surface 318a of the pressure block 318 as a buffer material. A thin metal plate such as a thin stainless steel plate 322 is laid on the surface of the fluororesin film 321. In the first embodiment, the surface 318a of the pressure block 318, the fluororesin film 321, and the thin stainless steel plate 322 have the same shape in a plan view. The surface of the thin stainless steel plate 322 forms the pressure surface 322a. The fluororesin film 321 and the thin stainless steel plate 322 have bolt holes (not shown) at multiple locations (four, six, eight, etc.) around the periphery other than the pressure surface. Bolts are inserted through the holes into bolt holes in the pressure block 318, and the fluororesin film 321 and the thin stainless steel plate 322 are fixed to the pressure block 318. An adjustment portion may be provided at the portion where the bolt is inserted to allow for thermal expansion of the stainless steel thin plate 322, etc. Furthermore, the method of attaching the fluororesin film 321 and the stainless steel thin plate 322 to the pressure block 318 may be by using a holder or adhesive other than bolts. With the above-described structure, the pressure block 318 of the laminate molding press device 3 is provided with the metal thin plate 322 that constitutes the pressure surface 322a via the fluororesin film 321, which is a buffer material.

[0019] Next, the resin film used as the cushioning material of the laminate molding press device 3 in the present invention will be described. The resin film used in the present invention is preferably a thermosetting resin film, an engineering plastic film, or an industrial functional film. In the first embodiment, fluororesin films 321 and 324 are used. The fluororesin film 321 is made of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), also known as Teflon (registered trademark) (Rockwell R scale (ISO 2039-2)20, deflection temperature under load (℃ (1.81 MPa)) 55℃, maximum use temperature 260℃), as well as PFA (Rockwell R scale 50, deflection temperature under load 47℃, maximum use temperature 260℃), FEP (Rockwell R scale 50, deflection temperature under load 50℃, maximum use temperature 200℃), PCTFE (Rockwell R scale 80, deflection temperature under load 90℃, maximum use temperature 120℃), ETFE (Rockwell R scale 50, deflection temperature under load 74℃, maximum use temperature 150℃), ECTFE (Rockwell R scale 50, deflection temperature under load 77℃, maximum use temperature 150℃), PVDF (Rockwell R scale 93 to 116, deflection temperature under load 100℃, maximum use temperature 156℃), and any of the above-mentioned fluororesin films 321 may be used. PTFE is particularly popular because it is easy to obtain and has a high maximum operating temperature. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFR) has a low Rockwell R scale value of around 18, and similar laminate molding is possible even with resin films with a hardness of around R15. The fluororesin used in the fluororesin film is not cross-linked like fluororubber, and does not have the same elasticity as fluororubber.

[0020] Examples of thermosetting resin films used in the present invention include, but are not limited to, fluororesin (FR), phenolic resin (PF), urea resin (UF), melamine resin (MF), allyl resin (PDAP), alkyd resin (ALK), unsaturated polyester (UP), epoxy resin (EP), diallyl phthalate (DAP), polyurethane resin, silicone resin (SI), polyimide (PI), etc. Thermosetting resin films are particularly suitable because they have excellent heat resistance and are resistant to deterioration even when used at relatively high temperatures in the laminate molding press device 3.

[0021] The resin film used in the buffer material may also be an engineering plastic. In this invention, the term "engineering plastic" refers to a resin with a heat resistance of 100°C or higher, a tensile strength of 49 MPa or higher, and a flexural modulus of 2.4 GPa or higher. The term "engineering plastic" includes general-purpose engineering plastics (also referred to as "general-purpose engineering plastics") and super engineering plastics (also referred to as "special engineering plastics"). Examples of general-purpose engineering plastics that can be used in the buffer material include, but are not limited to, polyamide (PA), polyacetal (POM), polycarbonate (PC), modified polyphenylene ether (PPE), polybutyl terephthalate (PBT), glass fiber-reinforced polyethylene terephthalate (GF-PET), and ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHPE). General-purpose engineering plastics can be used when the laminate molding press is operated at a relatively low temperature.

[0022] Super engineering plastics are resins with a heat resistance of 150°C or higher. Examples of general-purpose engineering plastics used in cushioning materials include, but are not limited to, polysulfone (PSF), polyethersulfone (PES), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), liquid crystal polymer (LCP), polyethylene naphthalate (polyethernitrile) (PEN), polyarylate (PAR), polyethersulfone (PES), polyarylate (PAR), polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyetherimide (PFI), polyamideimide (PAI), polyaminobis(phenylene sulfide)imide (PABM), polybutylene maleimide (BT-resin), polyoxybenzoyl (POB), aramid (a polyamide consisting only of an aromatic skeleton, sometimes referred to as Ar), and thermoplastic polyimide (PI).

[0023] Among the engineering films containing the above-mentioned super engineering plastics, resins particularly suitable for use in the present invention include polyimide (both thermoplastic and thermosetting) (deflection temperature under load of 260°C or higher, Rockwell R scale of 110 to 130), polyether ketone (deflection temperature under load of 140°C, Rockwell R scale of 126), polysulfone (deflection temperature under load, Rockwell R scale of 110 to 120), polyphenylene sulfide (deflection temperature under load of 260°C, Rockwell R scale of 100), polyether sulfone (deflection temperature under load of 203°C, Rockwell R scale of 100), polyethylene naphthalate (polyether nitrile film) (deflection temperature under load of 330°C, Rockwell R scale of 114), and aramid (deflection temperature under load of 200°C to 230°C). These are commercially available and relatively easy to obtain. Alternatively, a film using at least one of these resins may be used. Among the above, polyimide film or a resin film containing polyimide as the main component is preferably used. Polyimide films are relatively easy to obtain and have excellent heat resistance.

[0024] Furthermore, the resin film used in the present invention is preferably one having a hardness (Rockwell R scale) (ISO 2039-2) of 15 to 140, although this is not limited thereto. Since the Rockwell R scale is merely a measurement method, it goes without saying that resins for which measurements using other measurement methods, such as the Rockwell M scale, are listed in catalogs, etc., are also covered by the present invention. If the hardness of the resin film is too low, stress will concentrate on a portion of the pressure surface (particularly the edge of the laminated product), as in the case of rubber being used as a cushioning material. If the hardness is too high, stress will concentrate on a portion of the pressure surface (particularly the front surface of the convex portion of the laminated material). If the hardness of the resin film is within an appropriate range, it is easy to apply approximately uniform pressure to all portions of the pressure surface.

[0025] The resin film of the present invention may be a mixture of multiple resins, as long as the resin has the largest volumetric percentage as the primary component. Alternatively, the resin film may be formed by bonding multiple resin films together. Furthermore, as long as the primary component is a resin material as described above, the film may contain materials other than resin materials. For example, the film may contain fibers or other additives in addition to resin. Furthermore, a foamed resin may be used as long as the foaming ratio is small. While Patent Document 2 lists a rubber buffer material with a Shore A hardness of 70 degrees, any material that does not provide the same cushioning effect as a buffer material with a Shore A hardness of 70 degrees or less may be used. Patent Document 2 also mentions the use of plastic as a buffer material, but lists it along with paper and rubber. This listing assumes the use of a buffer material with a cushioning effect similar to that of rubber, and does not specify what type of plastic should be used.

[0026] In the first embodiment, only one fluororesin film 321 is used as the buffer material, but two or more sheets of the same resin film, or two or more sheets of resin films of different types or thicknesses may be simply stacked or pasted together. The resin film of the present invention is flexible, but may be one that breaks when bent with a force greater than a predetermined level. As in Patent Document 1, a rubber heater may be placed on the surface of the pressure block, or an extremely thin coating layer containing rubber or the like may be formed on the surface of the pressure block, on which a resin film such as polyimide is placed, and on top of that, a thin metal plate such as a thin stainless steel plate 322 may be placed.

[0027] The thickness of these resin films used as buffer materials is preferably 0.01 mm to 2.00 mm, more preferably 0.02 mm to 1.00 mm. While thicknesses of 1.00 mm or less are generally referred to as films and thicknesses of 1.00 mm or more as sheets, in the present invention, all films in the 1.00 mm to 2.00 mm range are also included in the concept of film. Furthermore, even when multiple resin films are stacked together to form a buffer material, the total thickness is preferably within the above range. If the resin film thickness is thinner than 0.02 mm, the elastic deformation effect of the stainless steel thin plates 322, 325 is hardly obtained, resulting in excessive force being applied only to the front portion of the protrusion A1b of the substrate A1. Furthermore, if the resin film thickness is thicker than 2.00 mm, problems similar to those observed when rubber is used as a buffer material occur, as shown in the deformed view in Figure 5. Furthermore, if the resin film is in the 0.02 mm to 0.05 mm range, problems may arise when the height of the protrusion A1b of the substrate A1 is high. Furthermore, a thickness in the range of 1.00 mm to 2.00 mm may result in excessively large cushioning effects. Note that these resin film thicknesses are those when the resin film is attached to the pressure block 318. After being attached to the pressure block 318, the resin film may slightly decrease in thickness as the number of press molding cycles increases, so the same thickness may not be maintained when the resin film is removed after press molding. However, even if the thickness of the resin film changes slightly, it will not cause any significant problems with pressure molding unless the change is significant.

[0028] The stainless steel thin plate 322, which is placed on the surface of the fluororesin film 321, has a smooth, mirror-finished surface (pressure surface 322a). The thickness of the stainless steel thin plate 322 is 0.05 mm to 5.0 mm, preferably 0.5 mm to 3.0 mm. The material of the metal thin plate is not limited to stainless steel (Young's modulus (E / GPa) 200). It may also be iron (Young's modulus (E / GPa) 205), aluminum (Young's modulus (E / GPa) 70), nickel (Young's modulus (E / GPa) 204), copper (Young's modulus (E / GPa) 110), alloys thereof, or metals with equivalent Young's moduli. Depending on the molded product, the pressure surface may have a predetermined surface roughness. In the present invention, the combination of a plastic film such as polyimide film and the metal thin plate prevents the large elastic deformation of the metal plate when pressure is applied, as occurs with conventional rubber cushioning materials. As a result, it is possible to prevent the laminated film from flowing outward from the substrate edge. Depending on the type of laminated molded product A, a thinner metal sheet such as stainless steel having a thickness of 0.1 mm to 0.8 mm can be used to achieve a greater elastic effect. Note that a stainless steel thin plate 322 having a pressure surface on its surface that has been subjected to nitriding or carbonization to form a coating is also included in the metal sheet of the present invention in which the surface is a pressure surface.

[0029] In the laminate molding press apparatus 3 of the first embodiment, the upper platen 312 also has the same pressure block 317 as the lower platen 314, a fluororesin film 324 such as PTFE, and a stainless steel thin plate 325. However, at least one of the pressure block 317 on the upper platen 312 side and the pressure block 318 on the lower platen 314 side may have the above structure, or the upper platen 312 and the lower platen 314 may have different materials or thicknesses of the film serving as the buffer material, or different materials or thicknesses of the thin metal plates. Specifically, if the uneven portion A1a is provided on only one surface of the substrate A1 and the laminate film A2 is to be bonded only to the side with the uneven portion A1a, a pressure block including a polyimide film and a stainless steel thin plate may be provided only on the platen on the side of the substrate A1 corresponding to the side with the uneven portion A1a. However, when the substrate A1 has uneven portions on both sides and the laminate film A2 is to be attached to both sides, it is desirable to provide the pressure blocks 317, 318 of the upper platen 312 and the lower platen 314 of the laminate molding press device 3 with fluororesin films 324, 321 such as PTFE and thin stainless steel plates 322, 325 as shown in Figure 1.

[0030] A carrier film take-up device 5, which serves as both a transfer device and a tension device for the laminate molded product A5, is provided downstream of the laminate molding press device 3. The carrier film take-up device 5 includes a lower take-up roll 511 and a driven roll 512, and the lower carrier film F1 is taken up by the take-up roll 511. The carrier film take-up device 5 also includes an upper take-up roll 513 and a driven roll 514, and the upper carrier film F2 is peeled off from the laminate molded product A5 at the driven roll 514 and taken up by the upper take-up roll 513. An unloading stage 515 for the laminate molded product A5 is provided at the section where only the lower carrier film F1 is fed horizontally. The transfer device for the carrier films F1 and F2 may also include a transfer device that grips both sides of the carrier films F1 and F2 and pulls them toward the downstream process. The transfer devices for the laminate molded product A3, intermediate laminate material A4, etc. in the laminate molding system 1 are not limited to those described above and may also use a multi-axis robot or the like. In the first laminate molding system 1, when another device such as a cooling press device is provided downstream of the laminate molding press device 3, the carrier film winding device 5 is provided downstream of the other device.

[0031] Next, a lamination molding method for laminating material A1 and laminate film A2 using a lamination molding system 1 including the lamination molding press 3 of the first embodiment will be described. In the lamination molding system 1 during continuous molding, pressure molding is performed in a batch process simultaneously using sequence control in a diaphragm-type vacuum lamination device 2 and a lamination molding press 3, which is a flattening press. However, here, the molding sequence for one batch of substrate A1 and laminate film A2, which are the lamination material, will be described. The upper and lower carrier films F1 and F2, which are wound from a carrier film feed device 4 and wound on a carrier film winding device 5, are often made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and have a thickness of 0.02 mm to 0.20 mm, although this is not limited to this.

[0032] The laminate material A1 placed on the loading stage 413 of the carrier film delivery device 4 is a circuit board for build-up, having an uneven portion A1a consisting of convex portions A1b of the copper foil portion adhered to the substrate surface and concave portions A1c of the copper foil-free portion. The thickness of the copper foil (height relative to the substrate portion) is not limited to this, but is on the order of several microns to several tens of microns, and in most cases is 0.1 mm or less. A laminated molded product A3 for build-up molding is formed by stacking laminated films A2 on the top and bottom of the circuit board A1. Note that although one laminated molded product A3 is shown in FIG. 1, multiple laminated molded products A3 may be laminated and molded at the same time.

[0033] The laminated film A2 in the first embodiment is an insulating film, and is used after the PET films laminated on both sides are peeled off from the original storage state. The resin material of the laminated film A2 is a thermosetting resin such as epoxy or a thermosetting resin as the main component. In addition to the thermosetting resin, various materials and additives are contained for purposes such as adjusting roughness, imparting flame retardancy, imparting low expansion, imparting fluidity, imparting film-forming properties, lowering dielectric loss tangent (insulating properties), and reducing moisture content. In particular, in recent years, there has been an increase in types that contain increased amounts of inorganic materials for purposes such as adjusting roughness, imparting low expansion, lowering dielectric loss tangent, and reducing moisture content. Examples of inorganic materials include, but are not limited to, SiO2.

[0034] In the first embodiment, a laminate film A2 having a SiO2 content (volume %) of 20% or more is preferably used. In the present invention, a laminate film A2 having a SiO2 content (volume %) of 20% or more is defined as a resin film with a high inorganic content. Examples of resin films with a high inorganic content include, but are not limited to, Ajinomoto Build-Up Film (ABF) (registered trademark), an interlayer insulating film from Ajinomoto Fine-Techno Co., Inc., such as GX13 (Young's modulus (GPa) 4.0), GX92 (Young's modulus (GPa) 5.0), GX-T31 (Young's modulus (GPa) 7.5), NextGX (Young's modulus 7.5), and GZ41 (Young's modulus (GPa) 9.0), or films with a Young's modulus (GPa) of 9.0 or more. Other companies' products also include similar resin films with a high inorganic content. As mentioned above, these resin films contain 20% by volume or more, or 40% by weight or more, of inorganic material for purposes such as improving adhesion to the substrate by reducing the film surface roughness, preventing peeling from the substrate by reducing the thermal expansion coefficient, improving insulation (reducing dielectric loss), and reducing moisture content. In particular, for substrates for 5G, the fifth-generation communication system, greater precision is required, so laminated films A2 (interlayer insulating films) with an inorganic material content of 25% by volume or more are particularly suitable. The thickness of the laminated film A2 is not limited to this, but interlayer insulating films manufactured by Ajinomoto Fine-Techno Co., Inc. and others with thicknesses of 0.01 mm to 0.1 mm are commercially available and widely used. The laminated film A2 may also be laminated with a copper foil layer, and these films are also used in the laminate molding press of the present invention.

[0035] The laminated product A3 placed on the loading stage 413 is then moved along with the upper and lower carrier films F1 and F2 as the take-up rolls 511 and 513 rotate and are transported into the open chamber C of the vacuum laminating device 2 and positioned therein. Next, chamber C of the vacuum laminating device 2 is closed, and a vacuum is created inside chamber C using a vacuum pump (not shown). Pressurized air is then pumped in to expand the diaphragm 211 into chamber C, pressurizing the laminated product A3, consisting of the substrate A1 and the laminated film A2, between the diaphragm 211 and the elastic body 216 of the hot plate 215 on the upper platen 212. The pressure applied by the diaphragm 211 is, for example, 1 MPa or less. The laminated film A2 is bonded to the substrate A1 so that it fills the recesses A1c in the substrate A1, resulting in the formation of an intermediate laminated material A4, a primary molded product. However, the surface of the laminated film A2 of the intermediate laminated material A4 formed by the vacuum laminating device still has irregularities following the shape of the irregularities A1a of the substrate A1. Furthermore, if the laminated film used has a high inorganic material content, the fluidity of the molten resin is low, making it more likely that irregularities will remain.

[0036] In the vacuum laminating device 2, the intermediate laminate A4, which is made up of the laminated material A1 having the uneven portion A1a and the laminating film A2, is laminated and molded, and the chamber C is opened. Then, as the carrier film take-up device 5 feeds the next carrier films F1 and F2, the intermediate laminate A4 is transported between the upper platen 312 and the lower platen 314 of the laminating press device 3, and is stopped at a predetermined pressure position. Next, the pressure cylinder 315 of the laminating press device 3 is activated, and the lower platen 314 and pressure block 318 are raised. As mentioned above, the elastically deformable stainless steel thin plate 322 is attached to the pressure block 318 via the fluororesin film 321, which has a cushioning effect. After the pressure surface 322a of the stainless steel thin plate 322 comes into contact with the lower carrier film F1, it further pushes up the intermediate laminate A4 via the lower carrier film F1. The intermediate laminate A4 is then brought into contact with the pressure surface 325a of the stainless steel thin plate 325 of the upper plate 312 via the upper carrier film F2, and is then pressed between the upper and lower pressure surfaces 322a and 325a.

[0037] The temperature of the pressure blocks 317, 318 (hot plates) of the laminate molding press 3 during this process varies depending on the materials of the substrate A1 and the laminate film A2, and is therefore not limited thereto. It is typically controlled between 80°C and 140°C, more preferably between 90°C and 130°C. If the temperature is too high, the viscosity of the resin material composing the laminate film will be low when melted, resulting in excessive fluidity. This can lead to the resin material leaking from the edges of the intermediate laminate, preventing the desired thickness of the laminated product and the insulating layer thickness from being achieved. Furthermore, if the temperature of the pressure blocks 317, 318 during pressurization is too high, problems such as deterioration of the resin material and a longer molding cycle time, including cooling in the subsequent process, can occur. On the other hand, if the temperature of the pressure blocks 317, 318 during pressurization is too low, the viscosity of the resin material will be too high to achieve the desired fluidity, resulting in insufficient embedding of the laminate film A2 into the substrate A1 and an insufficient flatness of the surface of the laminated product A5.

[0038] The pressure (surface pressure) applied to the intermediate laminate A4 also varies depending on the materials of the substrate A1 and the laminate film A2, and is not limited to these values, but is controlled to 0.3 MPa to 4.0 MPa, more preferably 0.5 MPa to 2.5 MPa. If the pressure is too strong, the molten resin material that constitutes the laminate film A2 will flow out from the edge of the intermediate laminate A4, preventing good pressure molding, just as with the temperature conditions. If the pressure is too low, the laminate film A2 will not be sufficiently embedded in the substrate A1, or the surface of the laminate molded product A5 will not be sufficiently flat.

[0039] In the first embodiment, the buffer material between the elastic stainless steel thin plates 322, 325 and the pressure blocks 317, 318 is a resin film such as fluororesin films 324, 321, which increases the hardness of the buffer material compared to conventional rubber buffer materials, thereby suppressing the elastic deformation of the elastic stainless steel thin plates 322, 325 to a desired range or substantially eliminating the deformation. Furthermore, if the pressure block were a metal block only, excessive force would be applied only to the surface portion of the intermediate laminate A4 corresponding to the front surface of the convex portion A1b of the substrate A1, which could destroy the substrate A1 or could result in insufficient pressure being applied to the concave portion A1c of the substrate A1.

[0040] In this regard, in a conventional laminate molding press 10 using rubber cushioning materials, as shown in Figure 5, the central portions 101a, 102a of the cushioning materials 101, 102 are compressed by the reaction force exerted on the intermediate laminate A4 during press molding. The central portions 103a, 104a of the stainless steel thin plates 103, 104, which directly contact the intermediate laminate A4, also bend toward the pressure blocks 105, 106. In contrast, the outer portions 101b, 102b of the cushioning materials 101, 102, which do not directly press the intermediate laminate A4, are hardly compressed. As a result, the distance between the pressure blocks 105, 106 and the outer portions 103b, 104b of the stainless steel thin plates becomes relatively larger than the distance between the pressure blocks 105, 106 and the central portions 103a, 104a of the stainless steel thin plates. When this phenomenon occurs, the outer portions 103b, 104b of the stainless steel thin plates corresponding to the outer sides of the intermediate laminate A4 form inclined surfaces 103c, 104c, with the center recessed toward the pressure blocks 105, 106 and the outer sides protruding from the pressure blocks 105, 106. This creates a predetermined angle α between the inclined surfaces 103c, 104c of the outer portions 103b, 104b of the stainless steel thin plates and the surface of the outer portion of the intermediate laminate A4. As a result, stress during pressure application is concentrated on the end A2a of the laminate film A2 layer of the intermediate laminate A4. Furthermore, this results in a problem in which molten resin near the end A2a of the laminate film A2 of the intermediate laminate A4 overflows outward as outflowing resin A2b.

[0041] In contrast, in the first embodiment, a thermosetting resin film such as fluororesin films 321, 324 or an engineering plastic is used as the cushioning material, so when pressure is applied to the intermediate laminate material A4, only the resin film of the cushioning material in the center is compressed to a small extent, and the elastic deformation of the stainless steel thin plates 322, 325, which are elastic metal plates, is also small. Therefore, the degree to which stress is concentrated at the end A4c of the laminate film A2 on the surface of the intermediate laminate material A4 is reduced, and the molten resin near the end A4c of the laminate film A2 layer of the intermediate laminate material A4 hardly flows outward.

[0042] Then, by applying pressure at the above temperature and pressure in the laminate molding press device 3, the surfaces of the upper and lower laminate films A2 of the intermediate laminate material A4, which still have unevenness, become flat and are laminated into the laminate molded product A5. After the predetermined pressurizing time has elapsed, the pressure cylinder 315 is operated again to lower the lower platen 314, and then the upper and lower winding rolls 511, 513 are rotated, and the laminate molded product A5 is transferred to the removal stage 515 and carried out to a subsequent process by a transfer device (not shown). The laminate molded product A5 or a substrate or the like obtained by reprocessing the laminate molded product A5 are encompassed by the present invention.

[0043] Next, a laminate molding system 6 of a second embodiment shown in FIG. 3 will be described, focusing on differences from the laminate molding system 1 of the first embodiment and using reference numerals. The laminate molding press device 8 of the laminate molding system 6 of the second embodiment does not use a diaphragm, and the pressurizing mechanism, such as the pressurizing cylinder 819, has substantially the same structure as the laminate molding press device 3 of the first embodiment. In the laminate molding press device 8, pressurizing blocks 813 and 814 attached to an upper platen 811 and a lower platen 812, respectively, are equipped with polyimide films 815 and 816 serving as buffer materials and stainless steel thin plates 817 and 818 serving as thin metal plates, with the surfaces of the stainless steel thin plates 817 and 818 serving as pressurizing surfaces 817a and 818a. Also similar is the fact that the pressurizing cylinder 819 raises the lower platen 812, and pressurizing is performed between the pressurizing surfaces 817a and 818a.

[0044] The difference between the laminate molding press 3 of the first laminate molding system 1 and the laminate molding press 8 of the laminate molding system 6 of the second embodiment is that the laminate molding press 8 has side walls 820, 821, which are chamber-forming members, formed on at least one of the upper platen 811 and the lower platen 812, and a chamber C is formed when the relative distance between the upper platen 811 and the lower platen 812 is reduced by raising the lower platen 812 etc. The laminate molding press 8 is also equipped with a vacuum pump (not shown) for creating a vacuum inside the chamber C. Therefore, the laminate molding press 8 is a vacuum lamination apparatus.

[0045] Furthermore, the laminate molding press 3 used for secondary molding, as in the first embodiment, is provided in a process downstream of the laminate molding press 8. The fluororesin films 815, 816 and stainless steel thin plates 817, 818 that serve as cushioning materials for the laminate molding press 8, and the resin films such as fluororesin films 321, 324 and thin metal plates such as stainless steel thin plates 322, 325 that serve as cushioning materials for the laminate molding press 3 may be made of the same material or different materials. If they are made of different materials, it is desirable that the laminate molding press 8 has better embeddability. As an example, it is preferable that the resin films such as fluororesin films 815, 816 used in the laminate molding press 8 be thicker than the resin films such as fluororesin films 321, 324 used in the laminate molding press 3, or that the thin metal plates such as stainless steel thin plates 322, 325 be thinner. Alternatively, fluororesin films 321 and 324 may be used in lamination molding press 3, and resin films having a higher Rockwell hardness than the fluororesin films, such as polyimide films 815 and 816, may be used in lamination molding press 8 in the subsequent process.

[0046] In the lamination molding method using the lamination molding system 6 of the second embodiment, from the primary molding, the substrate A1 and laminate film A2, which are the materials to be laminated, are pressurized by the lamination molding press device 8. Therefore, the primary molding can be performed with a greater pressure than with the vacuum lamination device 2 using the diaphragm 211 of the first embodiment. Therefore, as described above, even if the specific gravity of the inorganic material of the laminate film A2 is quite high, for example, 60% to 75% by weight, pressure molding can be performed effectively.

[0047] The intermediate laminate material A4 laminated (primary molding) by the laminate molding press 8 is sent to the laminate molding press 3. The temperature and pressure (surface pressure) of the pressure blocks of the laminate molding press 8 and the laminate molding press 3 may be the same or different. Although not limited to this, as an example, the temperature of the pressure block of the laminate molding press 8 may be higher than that of the laminate molding press 3 to improve the fluidity of the resin material of the laminate film, and the pressure of the laminate molding press 3 may be higher than that of the laminate molding press 8 to increase the smoothness of the surface of the laminate molded product A5. The laminate molded product A5 laminated in the second embodiment or a substrate obtained by reprocessing the laminate molded product A5 is also encompassed by the present invention.

[0048] As a modification of the second embodiment, the lamination molding system 6 may be configured to complete molding using only one vacuum lamination device, the lamination molding press 8. Even in this case, the invention can be completed by providing a pressure block attached to at least one of the upper and lower plates of the present invention with a thin metal plate that forms the pressure surface via a resin film. Furthermore, the lamination molding press 3 may be followed by another lamination molding press 3 of the same type or a cooling press of a different type, which may be arranged in series.

[0049] Next, a laminate molding system 7 of a third embodiment shown in Figure 4 will be described, focusing on the differences from the laminate molding system 1 of the first embodiment and assigning reference numerals. The laminate molding system 7 of the third embodiment is configured by providing another similar laminate molding press 9 downstream of the laminate molding press 3 of the laminate molding system 1 of the first embodiment. That is, two laminate molding presses 3.9 of the laminate molding system 7 are provided in series downstream of the vacuum lamination device 2. An intermediate laminate material A4 consisting of a laminated material A1 with concave and convex portions and a laminate film A2, which are transported from the vacuum lamination device 2 by carrier films F1 and F2, is sequentially pressure-molded by the two laminate molding presses 3.9.

[0050] The laminate molding press device 9 has almost the same structure as the laminate molding press device 3, and the pressure blocks 913 and 914 attached to the upper platen 911 and the lower platen 912, respectively, are equipped with polyimide films 915 and 916 as cushioning materials and stainless steel thin plates 917 and 918 as thin metal plates, and the surfaces of the stainless steel thin plates 917 and 918 form pressure surfaces 917a and 918a.

[0051] The resin films such as fluororesin films 915, 916 and thin metal plates such as stainless steel sheets 917, 918 that serve as cushioning materials for laminate molding press 9, and the resin films such as fluororesin films 321, 324 and thin metal plates such as stainless steel sheets 322, 325 that serve as cushioning materials for laminate molding press 3, may have the same thickness or different thicknesses. In the third embodiment, fluororesin films having a thickness of 0.01 mm to 1.00 mm are used for laminate molding press 3 and laminate molding press 9. However, the thicknesses of the resin films used as cushioning materials for laminate molding press 3 and laminate molding press 9 may differ. For example, a thicker resin film such as a fluororesin film may be used for laminate molding press 3 in the preceding process so that it has better embeddability.

[0052] Furthermore, the materials of the resin films serving as cushioning materials for the laminate molding press 9 and the laminate molding press 3 may be the same or different. If they are different materials, it is desirable to use a film made of a material with a smaller Rockwell R scale so that the laminate molding press 3 in the preceding process has better embeddability. Furthermore, better embeddability may be achieved by making the metal thin plates such as the stainless steel thin plates 322, 325 of the laminate molding press 3 thinner than that of the laminate molding press 9 or by using a metal material with a smaller Young's modulus.

[0053] In the laminate molding method using the laminate molding system 6 of the third embodiment, laminate-molded intermediate laminate materials A4a and A4b are sent in this order to the vacuum lamination device 2, the laminate molding press device 3, and the laminate molding press device 9. In the case of two lamination devices as in the first embodiment, the laminate molding press device 3 often requires a longer pressurization time than the vacuum lamination device 2, and the overall molding time is often determined by the laminate molding press device 3. However, in the laminate molding system 7 of the third embodiment, the molding time can be distributed over two pressurization molding processes using the laminate molding press device 3 and the laminate molding press device 9, and in most cases the molding time required for the vacuum lamination device 2 can also be used for molding using the other laminate molding press device 3 and the laminate molding press device 9.

[0054] Furthermore, because pressure molding can be performed twice using the laminate molding press 3 and the laminate molding press 9, good laminate molding can be achieved even if the laminate film A2 contains a high content of inorganic material and has poor fluidity when melted. The temperatures and pressures (surface pressures) of the pressure blocks of the laminate molding press 3 and the laminate molding press 9 may be the same or different. Although not limited to this, as an example, the temperature of the pressure block of the laminate molding press 3 may be higher than that of the laminate molding press 9 to improve the fluidity of the molten resin material of the laminate film A2, and the pressure of the laminate molding press 9 may be higher than that of the laminate molding press 3 to improve the surface smoothness of the laminate molded product A5. In the third embodiment, a further device, such as a cooling press, may be provided downstream of the laminate molding press 9. The laminate molded product A5 laminated in the third embodiment or a substrate obtained by reprocessing the laminate molded product A5, etc., are also encompassed within the present invention.

[0055] As a modification of the third embodiment, a laminate molding press whose pressure surface is made of an elastic plate such as rubber may be used instead of the laminate molding press 3 installed next to the vacuum laminating device 2. In this case, the laminate molding press 9 of the present invention is used only for the third laminate molding.

[0056] It is also envisioned that the laminate molding presses 3, 8, and 9 of the present invention may be shipped without the resin film or thin metal plate serving as a cushioning material attached, with the resin film or the like of the present invention being attached later, and such configurations are also encompassed by the present invention. Furthermore, the present invention also encompasses replacing the cushioning material of the laminate molding presses 3, 8, and 9 with a resin film or a material with a high cushioning effect, such as rubber, that is encompassed by the present invention, depending on the type of material A1 to be laminated or the type of laminate film A2 to be laminated in the laminate molding factory.

[0057] Although not listed individually, the present invention is not limited to the first to third embodiments described above, and it goes without saying that the present invention is applicable to modifications made by a person skilled in the art based on the spirit of the present invention, or combinations of the descriptions of the first to third embodiments. The laminated molded products laminated by the laminate molding systems 1, 6, and 7 are not limited to circuit boards, and may be semiconductor wafers or other plate-like objects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1,6.7 Laminated molding system 2. Vacuum lamination device 3,8,9 Laminated molding press equipment 212,312,811,911 Upper board 213,314,812,912 Lower board 317,318,813,814,913,914 Pressurized Block 321, 324, 815, 816, 915, 916 Fluorine resin film (resin film) 322, 325, 817, 818, 917, 918 Stainless steel sheet (thin metal sheet) 322a, 325a, 817a, 818a, 917a, 918a Pressure surface

Claims

1. In a lamination molding system, a laminate material having an uneven portion as a molding target and a laminate film are pressurized and molded in stages, First, the object to be molded is pressurized by a lamination device equipped with a chamber capable of reducing the pressure inside the chamber, Second, the object to be molded is pressed by a lamination molding press device having an upper platen and a lower platen, The press block attached to at least one of the upper platen and the lower platen of the laminate molding press device includes: a metal thin plate that constitutes a pressure surface via a resin film of a thermosetting resin or an engineering plastic; The resin of the resin film has a hardness of 15 or more and 140 or less on the Rockwell R scale and a thickness of 0.02 mm or more and 2.00 mm or less. Laminated molding system.

2. The laminate molding press presses the molding object with a surface pressure of 0.3 MPa to 4.0 MPa. The layered molding system of claim 1 .

3. The laminate molding press device heats the pressure block to 80°C to 140°C and presses the molding object. The layered molding system of claim 1 .

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