IC chip mounting device and IC chip mounting method

Abstract

To provide an IC chip mounting apparatus that easily switches between heat curing and light curing when an IC chip is mounted on a substrate and can be both heat-cured and light-cured.SOLUTION: An aspect of the present invention relates to an IC chip mounting apparatus including: a transportation unit that transports an antenna continuous body in which a plurality of antennas for inlay are continuously formed on a substrate; an IC chip arrangement unit that arranges an IC chip on an adhesive provided on a predetermined reference position of each of the antennas of the antenna continuous body; a light curing unit that cures the adhesive by radiating light in a state in which the IC chip arranged on the adhesive is pressed toward an antenna side; and a unit attachment unit that exchangeably attaches a heat curing unit that cures the adhesive by heating the IC chip arranged on the adhesive in the state in which the IC chip is pressed toward the antenna side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] With the widespread use of RFID tags, the production of sheet-type inlays, each of which has an antenna and an IC chip electrically connected to the antenna, is expanding. To manufacture an inlay, an adhesive is applied to a predetermined reference position on the antenna, which serves as a reference for mounting the IC chip, and the IC chip is then placed at the reference position. The adhesive is then cured to fix the IC chip in place. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for bonding an IC chip, which includes a mounting step of mounting an IC chip on a substrate coated with a conductive adhesive, and a step of sandwiching the IC chip mounted on the substrate and the substrate between an upper head and a lower head from above and below to apply pressure and heat the applied conductive adhesive. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-133982 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As mentioned above, conventional IC chip mounting equipment requires heat curing when mounting an IC chip on a substrate coated with adhesive (e.g., an antenna formed on a PET film). Meanwhile, resource-saving RFID tags have recently become popular, in which an antenna is formed on the backside of a thermal substrate with a heat-sensitive layer and an IC chip is mounted on the substrate. This uses a thermal substrate as the base substrate for the inlay, allowing it to serve as both the substrate for the inlay and the RFID tag, with one side of the inlay (the heat-sensitive layer) used as the printing surface for the RFID tag. However, there is a problem with the heat-sensitive layer becoming discolored when the adhesive is heat-cured after mounting the IC chip. To prevent this, a method has been devised in which the adhesive is cured by light curing, such as by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, without using heat. However, because the adhesive curing process is an integral part of the IC chip mounting process, it is necessary to prepare separate IC chip mounting equipment for heat curing and light curing, which impacts productivity. An object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide an IC chip mounting device that can easily switch between heat curing and light curing when mounting an IC chip on a substrate, and that can be used for both heat curing and light curing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing an inlay device, comprising: a conveying section for conveying an antenna continuum in which a plurality of antennas for inlays are successively formed on a substrate; an IC chip placement unit that places an IC chip on an adhesive provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum; The IC chip mounting device includes a unit mounting section to which a light curing unit that cures the adhesive by irradiating light onto the IC chip placed on the adhesive while the IC chip is pressed against the antenna, and a heat curing unit that cures the adhesive by heating the IC chip placed on the adhesive while the IC chip is pressed against the antenna, can be interchangeably mounted. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to switch between heat curing and light curing of adhesive with a single IC chip mounting device, thereby improving the productivity of IC chip mounting. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1A and 1B are a plan view and a partially enlarged view of an antenna according to an embodiment of the present invention, respectively, before and after mounting an IC chip thereon. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an antenna sheet and a roll body around which the antenna sheet is wound. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing a portion of the IC chip mounting device according to the embodiment that corresponds to an IC chip placement step. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 shows a chip-containing tape and its enlarged cross section. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a side view of a rotary mounter in the IC chip mounting device of the embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the relationship between a rotary mounter and an antenna sheet. [Figure 7] 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the chip-including tape is separated by a separation roller. FIG. [Figure 8] 10A to 10C are diagrams illustrating the operation of supplying IC chips from the chip-including tape to the nozzle unit. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a method for conveying an antenna sheet in a curing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a state in which a curing process is being performed in a curing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a state in which an ultraviolet curing unit is attached to a curing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ultraviolet curing unit and a heat curing unit in a curing device according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a pressing unit in the curing device of one embodiment. [Figure 14] 1A and 1B are side and bottom views of an upper unit mounting portion of a curing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a control unit that controls the curing device according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

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

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

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

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

[0012] (1) IC chip placement process The IC chip placement step will be described below with reference to Fig. 3 to Fig. 8. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a portion of the IC chip mounting device 1 of the embodiment that corresponds to the IC chip placement step. Fig. 4 shows a plan view of the chip-including tape CT and an enlarged view of its cross section taken along line AA. In the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting device 1 can place extremely small IC chips with high precision at the reference positions Pref (see FIG. 1) of the antennas AN on the antenna sheet AS.

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

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

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

[0016] The rotary mounter 3 (an example of an IC chip placement unit) is a chip mounter that places IC chips on the conductive paste applied to each antenna AN, and rotates counterclockwise in Fig. 3. The rotary mounter 3 is attached to a suspension plate 86, which is fixed to a support base 85. In other words, the rotary mounter 3 is suspended from above on the support base 85. As will be described later, the rotary mounter 3 picks up an IC chip from the chip-containing tape, and releases and places (mounts) the picked-up IC chip toward the reference position Pref of each antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS.

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

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

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

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

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

[0022] 6, the rotary head 3H is rotated counterclockwise by a rotary drive motor (not shown), thereby sequentially switching the position of each nozzle unit 30 on the circumference of the rotary head 3H. In other words, as the rotary head 3H rotates, a specific nozzle unit 30 moves along a circular orbit on a plane perpendicular to the conveyance surface, and is positioned in turn at each of the 12 positions PA to PL on the circumference of the rotary head 3H, starting from position PA in the counterclockwise direction and ending at position PL.

[0023] Here, position PA is a position where nozzle unit 30 picks up a new IC chip C from chip-including tape CT, and position PE is a position where imaging device CA3 picks up an image of IC chip C while it is being picked up by the nozzle of nozzle unit 30. Position PK is a position where the adsorbed IC chip C is released onto the conductive paste applied to the antenna AN on the transported antenna sheet AS. At position PK, the movement direction of the nozzle tip coincides with the transport direction D1 of the antenna sheet AS. At position PK, air is discharged from the nozzle of the nozzle unit 30 to release the IC chip C. At position PL, the nozzle unit 30 is not holding the IC chip C because the IC chip C has already been released at position PK. At position PL, air may be released from the nozzles to remove dust that may adhere to the nozzles. Figure 6 shows an example in which a dust collection tray TR is placed at position PL to collect dust that may be released from the nozzles.

[0024] 6, the nozzle unit 30-1 at position PA picks up a new IC chip C there, rotates counterclockwise while holding the IC chip C, releases the IC chip C when it reaches position PK, and then picks up a new IC chip C again when it returns to position PA, repeating this process. With this IC chip mounting method, IC chips can be continuously placed on each antenna AN without stopping the transport of the antenna sheet AS, resulting in high productivity.

[0025] The angular velocity of the rotary head 3H and the conveying speed of the antenna sheet AS are set or controlled so that the nozzle units 30 that sequentially reach position PK emit IC chips C toward the reference positions Pref of each antenna AN on the antenna sheet AS being conveyed from upstream. To ensure the placement of the IC chips C, it is preferable to provide a section where the speed of the tip of the nozzle unit 30 near position PK and the conveying speed of the antenna sheet AS are equal.

[0026] In this embodiment, an example is shown in which twelve nozzle units 30 are arranged on the rotary head 3H, but this is not limitative. The number of nozzle units 30 arranged on the rotary head 3H can be set as desired.

[0027] Next, the operation of sucking the IC chip C by the nozzle unit 30 will be described with reference to FIGS. Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the state in which the chip-including tape CT is separated by the separation roller 74. Fig. 8 is a side view of the vicinity of the separation roller 74, and is a diagram illustrating the operation in which the IC chip C is supplied from the chip-including tape CT to the nozzle unit 30. In Fig. 8, only the chip-including tape CT is shown in cross section so that the state of the chip-including tape CT can be seen.

[0028] 7, the protrusion 74p of the separation roller 74 is inserted into the mounting hole H of the chip-including tape CT supplied from the tape feeder 71, and the chip-including tape CT is conveyed with the width direction of the chip-including tape CT positioned. At this time, the covering film CF of the chip-including tape CT is peeled off by the branching member 75 and directed toward the film take-up reel 73. Meanwhile, the tape body T of the chip-including tape CT is directed toward the tape body take-up reel 72.

[0029] 8, the IC chip C exposed by peeling off the cover film CF is immediately sucked by the nozzle unit 30. At this time, to prevent the IC chip C from falling during the short time between when the IC chip C is exposed and when it is sucked by the nozzle unit 30, the separation roller 74 is provided with a suction path (not shown) for sucking the IC chip C toward the center of rotation of the separation roller 74. The IC chip C is sucked through this suction path and suction holes Ts (see FIG. 4) provided in the tape main body T.

[0030] (2) Curing process Next, the curing step will be described with reference to FIGS. In the curing process, the conductive paste applied to each antenna that has undergone the IC chip placement process described above is cured to strengthen the physical connection between the antenna and the IC chip and ensure electrical continuity between the antenna and the IC chip.

[0031] The curing process of one embodiment is shown in Figures 9 and 10. Each figure shows a curing device 4 used in the curing process of one embodiment. The curing device 4 is configured to simultaneously cure the conductive paste applied to multiple antennas AN on the antenna sheet AS. In Figures 9 and 10, the curing device 4 is configured to simultaneously cure the conductive paste on eight antennas AN, but this is not limited to this. The number of antennas AN for which the conductive paste can be cured simultaneously can be set as desired.

[0032] The curing device 4 is configured to be able to accommodate multiple curing units for simultaneously curing the conductive paste applied to multiple antennas AN. The multiple curing units installed in the curing device 4 are either multiple ultraviolet curing units 43 (an example of a light curing unit) or multiple heat curing units 45, and the curing device 4 is configured to be able to interchangeably use either of them. Figures 9 and 10 show an example in which the curing device 4 is equipped with multiple ultraviolet curing units 43 and multiple pressing units 46 corresponding to each ultraviolet curing unit 43.

[0033] 9, the curing device 4 includes an upper unit mounting portion 41U (an example of a unit mounting portion) for mounting a plurality of ultraviolet curing units 43, a lifting / lowering portion 42U, a lower unit mounting portion 41L for mounting a plurality of pressing units 46, and the lifting / lowering portion 42L. The lifting / lowering portion 42U lifts and lowers the upper unit mounting portion 41U using an actuator (not shown). The lifting / lowering portion 42L lifts and lowers the lower unit mounting portion 41L using an actuator (not shown). The antenna sheet AS conveyed from the IC chip placement process is sent to the curing process via conveyor rollers 96-98.

[0034] In one embodiment, the curing process alternates between a conveying state in which the antenna sheet AS is conveyed and a stopped state in which the antenna sheet AS is stopped to harden the conductive paste. Fig. 9 shows the curing device 4 in the conveying state, and Fig. 10 shows the curing device 4 in the stopped state. In the transport state as shown in Fig. 9, the upper unit mounting part 41U is raised and the lower unit mounting part 41L is lowered to retract each curing unit so that the curing units do not interfere with the transport of the antenna sheet AS. In the stopped state as shown in Fig. 10, the upper unit mounting part 41U is lowered and the lower unit mounting part 41L is raised to press each curing unit from the front and back sides of the antenna sheet AS, and a curing process (ultraviolet curing or heat curing) is performed.

[0035] Even when the apparatus is stopped (i.e., when curing is being performed by the curing device 4), the antenna sheet AS is transported from the IC chip placement process, and the transport roller 97 descends under its own weight while the curing process is being performed, absorbing the transported antenna sheet AS between the transport rollers 96 and 98. Once the curing process is completed, the antenna sheet AS is rapidly transported downstream, and the antenna sheet AS is stopped so that the uncured antenna AN is positioned directly below each curing unit. In other words, when the antenna sheet AS is rapidly transported, the transport roller 97 rises due to the tension applied to the antenna sheet AS.

[0036] An upper unit mounting portion 41U according to one embodiment is shown in Fig. 11. In the example shown in Fig. 11, a plurality of ultraviolet curing units 43 are mounted on the upper unit mounting portion 41U. The upper unit mounting portion 41U is provided with connectors 411 and joints 412 in numbers corresponding to the number of ultraviolet curing units 43 that can be mounted at the same time. Power is supplied to the corresponding ultraviolet curing unit 43 through each connector 411. Air is supplied to the corresponding ultraviolet curing unit 43 through each joint 412. The ultraviolet curing unit 43 is provided with a connector corresponding to each connector 411 and a joint corresponding to each joint 412, and the connectors 411 and joints 412 can be fitted together with a single touch. Note that the connectors and joints on either the unit side or the unit mounting portion may be female or male. As will be described later, the ultraviolet curing unit 43 is provided with a magnet, and can be attached to the upper unit attachment portion 41U with a single touch by magnetic force.

[0037] FIG. 12 shows an example of the configuration of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the heat curing unit 45. As shown in FIG. 12, the ultraviolet curing unit 43 includes an air spring accommodating portion 431 , a circuit board 432 , an ultraviolet irradiating portion 433 , a glass plate 434 , a cable 435 , an air pipe 436 , and an attachment portion 437 .

[0038] The air spring housing 431 is in communication with an air pipe 436. The air spring housing 431 provides a pressure force by air when pressing the ultraviolet curing unit 43 against the antenna AN. A joint 436F is attached to the tip of the air pipe 436. The joint 436F can be fitted with the joint 412 (see FIG. 11) of the upper unit mounting portion 41U. The circuit board 432 is powered by power supplied through a cable 435 and has an infrared communication unit. The infrared communication unit communicates with an external control device in a non-contact manner, making it possible to set the ultraviolet irradiation time of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 433 and monitor the operating status of the ultraviolet irradiation unit 433. The circuit board 432 is connected to a cable 435. A connector 435C is attached to the tip of the cable 435. The connector 435C can be fitted to the connector 411 (see FIG. 11) of the upper unit mounting part 41U.

[0039] The ultraviolet irradiation unit 433 has a built-in light source (for example, an LED light source) for irradiating the conductive paste on the antenna AN with ultraviolet rays. The light source in the ultraviolet irradiation unit 433 is supplied with power from the circuit board 432. The ultraviolet irradiation unit 433 may be provided with a condenser lens for condensing the ultraviolet rays irradiated by the light source. The glass plate 434 transmits ultraviolet light emitted from the ultraviolet light irradiation section 433, and has a pressing surface that presses the IC chip C on the antenna AN as the ultraviolet light curing unit 43 descends. The mounting portion 437 is a portion that is mounted to the upper unit mounting portion 41U. In one embodiment, the mounting portion 437 has a built-in magnet 437M, and is mounted to the upper unit mounting portion 41U by magnetic force.

[0040] The ultraviolet curing unit 43 presses the IC chip placed on the conductive paste toward the antenna side, and irradiates the conductive paste on the antenna AN with ultraviolet light from the ultraviolet irradiation unit 433, thereby hardening the conductive paste and strengthening the connection between the antenna and the IC chip.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 12, the heat curing unit 45 includes an air spring accommodating portion 451 , a circuit board 452 , a heating portion 453 , a cable 435 , an air pipe 456 , and a mounting portion 457 .

[0042] The air spring housing 451 communicates with an air pipe 456. The air spring housing 451 provides the air pressure when pressing the heat curing unit 45 against the antenna AN. A joint 456F is attached to the tip of the air pipe 456. The joint 456F is the same as the joint 436F of the ultraviolet curing unit 43, and can be fitted with the joint 412 (see FIG. 11) of the upper unit mounting portion 41U. The circuit board 452 is powered by power supplied through a cable 455 and has an infrared communication unit. The infrared communication unit communicates with an external control device in a non-contact manner, making it possible to set the temperature in the heating unit 453 and monitor the operating status of the heating unit 453. The circuit board 452 is connected to a cable 455. A connector 455C is attached to the tip of the cable 455. The connector 455C is the same as the connector 435C of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and can be fitted with the connector 411 (see FIG. 11) of the upper unit mounting portion 41U.

[0043] The heating section 453 has a built-in heater for heating the conductive paste on the antenna AN. The heater in the heating section 453 is supplied with power from the circuit board 432. The heating section 453 presses the antenna AN as the heat curing unit 45 descends. The mounting portion 457 is a portion that is attached to the upper unit mounting portion 41U, and is the same as the mounting portion 437 of the ultraviolet curing unit 43. In one embodiment, the mounting portion 457 has a built-in magnet 457M, and is attached to the upper unit mounting portion 41U by magnetic force.

[0044] The heating and curing unit 45 presses the IC chip placed on the conductive paste toward the antenna side, and hardens the conductive paste by heating the conductive paste on the antenna AN with the heating section 453, thereby strengthening the connection between the antenna and the IC chip.

[0045] As described above, the connector 435C of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the connector 455C of the heat curing unit 45 are the same. Basically, each connector only needs to include a power terminal and a ground terminal for the same power source, and the electrical specifications for the connectors are the same between the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the heat curing unit 45. The joint 436F of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the joint 456F of the heat curing unit 45 are the same. The ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the heat curing unit 45 can both share the same air flow rate and air pressure supplied from the upper unit mounting portion 41U. The mounting portion 437 of the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the mounting portion 457 of the heat curing unit 45 have the same shape. That is, the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the heat curing unit 45 are electrically and mechanically compatible units with respect to the upper unit mounting portion 41U.

[0046] The pressing unit 46 attached to the lower unit mounting portion 41L sandwiches the antenna sheet AS together with the curing unit when the ultraviolet curing unit 43 or the heat curing unit 45 is attached to the upper unit mounting portion 41U, and presses the IC chip C placed on the antenna AN. 13 shows an example of the configuration of the pressing unit 46. As shown in FIG. 13, the pressing unit 46 has a main body 461, a circuit board 462, a heating unit 463, a cable 465, and an attachment portion 467.

[0047] The main body 461 supports the heating part 463 on the upper side and the mounting part 467 on the lower side, and also houses the circuit board 462 therein. The circuit board 462 is powered by power supplied through a cable 465 and has an infrared communication unit. The infrared communication unit communicates with an external control device in a non-contact manner, making it possible to set the temperature of the heating unit 463 and monitor the operating state of the heating unit 463. The circuit board 462 is connected to the cable 465. A connector 465C is attached to the tip of the cable 465. The connector 465C can be fitted to a connector (not shown) of the lower unit mounting portion 41L. The heating section 463 has a pressing surface 463p and incorporates a heater for heating the conductive paste on the antenna AN while pressing it from below when the thermal curing unit 45 is attached to the upper unit attachment section 41U. Power is supplied to the heater in the heating section 463 from the circuit board 462. When the ultraviolet curing unit 43 is attached to the upper unit attachment section 41U, the pressing surface 463p presses the conductive paste on the antenna AN from below, but does not heat it. The mounting portion 467 is a portion that is mounted to the lower unit mounting portion 41L. When either the ultraviolet curing unit 43 or the heat curing unit 45 is mounted to the upper unit mounting portion 41U, there is no need to replace the pressing unit 46. The mounting method for the mounting portion 467 to the lower unit mounting portion 41L does not matter, but magnetic force may be used, as with the ultraviolet curing unit 43 and the heat curing unit 45, or fastening with screws may be used.

[0048] The structure of the portion where each curing unit is attached to the upper unit attachment portion 41U will be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 shows a side view and a bottom view of the upper unit attachment portion 41U. 14, an opening forming plate 413 is detachably attached to the exposed portion of the bottom of the upper unit mounting part 41U. For example, the opening forming plate 413 is fastened to the main body of the upper unit mounting part 41U with screws. The opening forming plate 413 has a plurality of openings 413h. The openings 413h are formed at predetermined intervals along the conveyance direction of the antenna sheet AS and receive the respective mounting portions 437, 457 of the plurality of curing units. The size of the openings is only slightly larger than the mounting portions 437, 457, and each curing unit can be positioned when the mounting portions 437, 457 are attached to the upper unit mounting portion 41U.

[0049] The spacing between adjacent openings 413h in the opening forming plate 413 is set to match the spacing between adjacent IC chips C arranged on the antenna sheet AS. Therefore, it is preferable to prepare a plurality of opening forming plates with different opening pitches to accommodate various antenna sheets (sheets with different spacing between adjacent IC chips) to be transported to the IC chip mounting device 1, and configure the opening forming plate according to the antenna sheet to be transported so that it can be attached to and detached from the curing device 4. The method for attaching and detaching the opening forming plate 413 to the main body of the upper unit mounting part 41U is not limited, and it can be fastened with screws, for example.

[0050] Inside the upper unit mounting portion 41U, a holding portion 414 that holds and positions the mounting portions 437, 457 of each curing unit is provided above the opening forming plate 413. As shown in Fig. 14 , when viewed from below, a holding surface 414P of the holding portion 414 is exposed from the opening 413h of the opening forming plate 413. In one embodiment, the holding surface 414P is made of a ferromagnetic material, and when the mounting portion of each curing unit is inserted into the opening 413h, the holding surface 414P holds either the ultraviolet curing unit 43 or the heat curing unit 45 by the magnetic force generated between the holding surface 414P and the magnet provided in the mounting portion.

[0051] Next, the control performed by the control unit 200 that controls the curing device 4 will be described with reference to Fig. 15. Fig. 15 is a functional block diagram of the control unit 200. The control unit 200 is mounted on a circuit board (not shown) provided in the curing device 4, and is electrically connected to the sheet conveying motor M41, the lifting actuator 47, the air actuator 48, the ultraviolet curing unit 43, the heat curing unit 45, and the pressing unit 46. The control unit 200 includes a microcomputer, memory (RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory)), storage, and a group of drive circuits. The microcomputer reads and executes programs recorded in the memory to realize the functions of a sheet conveying means 201, a lifting control means 202, an air pressure control means 203, and a hardening control means 204.

[0052] The sheet conveying means 201 sends a control signal to the drive circuit of the sheet conveying motor M41, thereby controlling whether to convey the antenna sheet AS sent from the IC chip placement process to a subsequent process or to stop the antenna sheet AS. The lifting control means 202 controls the lifting sections 42U and 42L, thereby raising or lowering the upper unit mounting section 41U and the upper unit mounting section 41L. The sheet conveying means 201 and the lifting control means 202 are timing-controlled so that a conveying state in which the antenna sheet AS is conveyed and a stopped state in which the antenna sheet AS is stopped and the conductive paste is hardened are repeated.

[0053] The air pressure control means 203 controls the air actuator 48 and a control valve (not shown) so as to supply air at a preset air pressure from an air tank (not shown) to the curing unit attached to the upper unit attachment portion 41U. The curing control means 204 performs infrared communication with the circuit board 432 of the ultraviolet curing unit 43, the circuit board 452 of the heat curing unit 45, and the circuit board 462 of the pressing unit 46, and sets parameters such as the ultraviolet irradiation time and the temperature during heating. The curing control means 204 also acquires data indicating the operating status from each curing unit and each pressing unit, and displays the data on a display (not shown).

[0054] As explained above, a strip-shaped antenna sheet having a plurality of antennas formed on a substrate at a fixed pitch is fed into the line, and an IC chip is mounted on each antenna through an IC chip placement process and a curing process. In the IC chip placement process, the IC chip mounting device of this embodiment applies adhesive (conductive paste) toward the reference position of the antenna and places the IC chip on the adhesive, and in the curing process, hardens the adhesive to strengthen the connection between the antenna and the IC chip. In particular, in the curing process described above, the electrical specifications and mechanical specifications regarding installation and air supply are common between the ultraviolet curing unit and the heat curing unit, making it easy to switch between heat curing and light curing, and making it possible to use both heat curing and light curing.

[0055] An IC chip mounting method according to one embodiment includes the following steps. (a) Step of transporting an antenna sheet AS on which a plurality of antennas AN for inlays are continuously formed on a substrate BM (b) Step of placing an IC chip C on the conductive paste provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna AN of the antenna sheet AS. (c) A step of selectively attaching either an ultraviolet curing unit 43 that irradiates ultraviolet rays while pressing the IC chip C placed on the conductive paste toward the antenna AN, or a heat curing unit 45 that heats the IC chip C placed on the conductive paste while pressing it toward the antenna AN, to the upper unit attachment portion 41U, and curing the conductive paste.

[0056] Although the embodiments of the IC chip mounting device and IC chip mounting method have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments can be improved or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0057] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the case where each hardening unit is attached to the unit attachment part using magnetic force has been described, but the attachment method is not limited to this. The attachment part of each hardening unit may be threaded, and the holding part of the unit attachment part may be threaded, so that the two are fastened together. In the above-described embodiment, the adhesive is hardened by ultraviolet light, but this is not limiting, and an adhesive that is hardened by light other than ultraviolet light, for example, visible light, may also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 1...IC chip mounting device, 2...dispenser, 3...rotary mounter, 3H...rotary head, 4...curing device, 30...nozzle unit, 41U...upper unit mounting portion, 411...connector, 412...joint, 413...opening forming plate, 413h...opening, 414...holding portion, 414P...holding surface, 41L...lower unit mounting portion, 42U, 42L...lifting portion, 43...ultraviolet curing unit, 431...air spring housing portion, 432...circuit board, 433...ultraviolet irradiation portion, 434...glass plate, 435...cable, 435C...connector, 436...air piping, 436F...joint, 437...mounted portion, 437M...magnet, 45...heat curing unit, 451...air spring housing portion, 452...circuit board, 453...heating portion, 455...cable, 455C...connector, 4 56...Air piping, 456F...Joint, 457...Attached portion, 457M...Magnet, 46...Pressing unit, 461...Main body, 462...Circuit board, 463...Heating portion, 463p...Pressing surface, 465...Cable, 465C...Connector, 467...Attached portion, 71...Tape feeder, 72...Tape main body take-up reel, 73...Film take-up reel, 74...Separation roller, 74p...Protrusion, 75...Branching member, 81...Conveyor, 85...Support base, 86...Suspension plate, 96-98...Transport roller, 200...Control unit, AN...Antenna, AS...Antenna sheet, BM...Substrate, C...IC chip, CA1-CA3...Imaging device, CF...Coating film, CT...Chip-containing tape, H...Mounting hole, PR...Roll body, T...Tape main body, TR...Waste collection tray, Td...Indentation, Ts...Suction hole

Claims

1. a conveying unit that conveys an antenna continuum in which a plurality of antennas for inlays are successively formed on a substrate; an IC chip placement unit that places an IC chip on an adhesive provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum; a unit mounting portion to which a light curing unit that cures the adhesive by irradiating light onto the IC chip placed on the adhesive while pressing the IC chip toward the antenna, and a heat curing unit that cures the adhesive by heating the IC chip placed on the adhesive while pressing the IC chip toward the antenna are replaceably mounted. Device equipped with IC chip.

2. the light curing unit and the heat curing unit have mounting portions of the same shape on the opposite side of a pressing surface that presses the IC chip toward the antenna, The unit mounting portion has a holding portion that holds the mounted portion of each unit while positioning it.

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

3. A magnet is provided on the mounting portion of each unit, the holding portion has a holding surface formed of a ferromagnetic material and holds either the light curing unit or the heat curing unit by magnetic force; 3. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 2.

4. the unit mounting portion mounts a plurality of the light curing units or a plurality of the heat curing units at predetermined intervals along the conveyance direction of the antenna continuum; the holding portion includes an opening forming plate having a plurality of openings formed at the predetermined intervals along the conveyance direction of the antenna continuum and adapted to receive and hold the mounting portions of the plurality of units.

4. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 2 or 3.

5. The opening forming plate is detachable.

5. The IC chip mounting device according to claim 4.

6. the light curing unit has a glass pressing surface that presses the IC chip placed on the adhesive and transmits the light; 6. An IC chip mounted device according to claim 1.

7. Carrying an antenna continuum in which a plurality of antennas for inlays are successively formed on a substrate; an IC chip is placed on an adhesive provided at a predetermined reference position of each antenna of the antenna continuum; a light curing unit that irradiates light onto the IC chip placed on the adhesive while the IC chip is pressed against the antenna side, or a heat curing unit that heats the IC chip placed on the adhesive while the IC chip is pressed against the antenna side, selectively attached to the unit attachment device to cure the adhesive. IC chip mounting method.

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