Circuit forming method and circuit forming device

Abstract

Provided is a circuit-forming method including: a viscosity calculation step in which a predetermined amount of a thermosetting resin is discharged, and thermosetting resin viscosity is calculated on the basis of the diameter of the discharged thermosetting resin; an injection step in which the thermosetting resin is injected between a resin layer and an electronic component; and a resin curing step in which the thermosetting resin injected in the injection step is cured, utilizing the thermosetting resin viscosity calculated in the viscosity calculation step.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a circuit forming method for forming a circuit by curing a thermosetting resin injected between a resin layer and an electronic component. [Background technology]

[0002] The following Patent Document describes a circuit forming method in which a thermosetting resin injected between a resin layer and an electronic component is cured to form a circuit. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-108903 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] An object of the present specification is to properly cure a thermosetting resin injected between a resin layer and an electronic component. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above problems, this specification discloses a circuit formation method including a viscosity calculation step of discharging a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin and calculating the viscosity of the thermosetting resin based on the diameter of the discharged thermosetting resin, an injection step of injecting the thermosetting resin between a resin layer and an electronic component, and a resin curing step of curing the thermosetting resin injected in the injection step using the viscosity of the thermosetting resin calculated in the viscosity calculation step.

[0006] Furthermore, in order to solve the above-mentioned problems, this specification discloses a circuit forming device including: a viscosity calculation device that dispenses a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin and calculates the viscosity of the thermosetting resin based on the diameter of the dispensed thermosetting resin; a condition calculation device that calculates conditions for semi-curing the thermosetting resin based on the viscosity of the thermosetting resin calculated by the viscosity calculation device; a resin layer forming device that dispenses ultraviolet curing resin to form a resin layer; a wiring forming device that dispenses a conductive fluid on the resin layer to form wiring; an arrangement device that arranges electronic components so as to be conductive with the wiring; an injection device that injects thermosetting resin between the resin layer and the electronic components; and a resin curing device that semi-cures the thermosetting resin injected by the injection device in accordance with the conditions calculated by the condition calculation device, and then hardens the thermosetting resin while pressing the electronic components against the resin layer. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] In the present disclosure, a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin is dispensed, and the viscosity of the thermosetting resin is calculated based on the diameter of the dispensed thermosetting resin. The calculated viscosity of the thermosetting resin is then used to harden the thermosetting resin injected between the resin layer and the electronic component. This makes it possible to properly harden the thermosetting resin injected between the resin layer and the electronic component. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit forming device. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control device. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a heat-sensitive peeling film attached onto a base. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a circuit board on which a resin laminate is formed. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a circuit board in a state where wiring is formed on a resin laminate. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a circuit board in a state where a conductive resin paste is applied onto wiring. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a circuit board on which electronic components are mounted. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a circuit board in a state in which a thermosetting resin is injected between the upper surface of the resin laminate and the lower surface of the electronic component, and the thermosetting resin is also discharged around the electronic component. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing the circuit board in a state where it is heated while compressing the electronic components. [Figure 10] 10 is map data showing the application diameter of a thermosetting resin and the viscosity of the thermosetting resin. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] FIG. 1 shows a circuit formation apparatus 10. The circuit formation apparatus 10 includes a conveying device 20, a first modeling unit 22, a second modeling unit 23, a third modeling unit 24, a fourth modeling unit 25, a compression unit 26, a mounting unit 27, and a control device (see FIG. 2) 28. The conveying device 20, the first modeling unit 22, the second modeling unit 23, the third modeling unit 24, the fourth modeling unit 25, the compression unit 26, and the mounting unit 27 are arranged on a base 29 of the circuit formation apparatus 10. The base 29 has a generally rectangular shape, and in the following description, the longitudinal direction of the base 29 will be referred to as the X-axis direction, the lateral direction of the base 29 as the Y-axis direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction as the Z-axis direction.

[0010] The transport device 20 includes an X-axis slide mechanism 30 and a Y-axis slide mechanism 32. The X-axis slide mechanism 30 includes an X-axis slide rail 34 and an X-axis slider 36. The X-axis slide rail 34 is disposed on a base 29 so as to extend in the X-axis direction. The X-axis slider 36 is held by the X-axis slide rail 34 so as to be slidable in the X-axis direction. The X-axis slide mechanism 30 also includes an electromagnetic motor (see FIG. 2) 38, and the X-axis slider 36 is moved to any position in the X-axis direction by the drive of the electromagnetic motor 38. The Y-axis slide mechanism 32 also includes a Y-axis slide rail 50 and a stage 52. The Y-axis slide rail 50 is disposed on the base 29 so as to extend in the Y-axis direction and is movable in the X-axis direction. One end of the Y-axis slide rail 50 is connected to the X-axis slider 36. The stage 52 is held by the Y-axis slide rail 50 so as to be slidable in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the Y-axis slide mechanism 32 has an electromagnetic motor (see FIG. 2) 56, and the stage 52 moves to any position in the Y-axis direction by driving the electromagnetic motor 56. As a result, the stage 52 moves to any position on the base 29 by driving the X-axis slide mechanism 30 and the Y-axis slide mechanism 32.

[0011] The stage 52 has a base 60, a holding device 62, an elevating device (see FIG. 2) 64, and a heater (see FIG. 2) 66. The base 60 is formed in a flat plate shape, and a substrate is placed on the upper surface. The holding devices 62 are provided on both sides of the base 60 in the X-axis direction. The holding devices 62 clamp both edges of the substrate in the X-axis direction placed on the base 60, thereby fixedly holding the substrate. The elevating device 64 is disposed below the base 60 and raises and lowers the base 60. The heater 66 is built into the base 60 and heats the substrate placed on the base 60 to a desired temperature.

[0012] The first modeling unit 22 is a unit that models the wiring of a circuit board and has a first printing unit 72 and a baking unit 74. The first printing unit 72 has an inkjet head (see FIG. 2) 76 that ejects metal ink in a linear pattern. The metal ink is made by dispersing nanometer-sized metal particles, such as silver particles, in a solvent. The surfaces of the metal particles are coated with a dispersant to prevent aggregation in the solvent. The inkjet head 76 ejects the metal ink from multiple nozzles using, for example, a piezoelectric method using piezoelectric elements.

[0013] The baking unit 74 has an infrared irradiation device 78 (see FIG. 2). The infrared irradiation device 78 is a device that irradiates the ejected metal ink with infrared rays, and the metal ink irradiated with infrared rays is baked to form wiring. Note that baking of metal ink is a phenomenon in which, by applying energy, the solvent is vaporized and the protective film on the metal particles, i.e., the dispersant, is decomposed, and the metal particles come into contact or fuse together, thereby increasing the conductivity. Then, by baking the metal ink, metal wiring is formed.

[0014] The second modeling unit 23 is a unit that models the resin layer of the circuit board, and has a second printing unit 84 and a curing unit 86. The second printing unit 84 has an inkjet head (see FIG. 2) 88 that ejects ultraviolet curable resin. The ultraviolet curable resin is a resin that hardens when irradiated with ultraviolet light. The inkjet head 88 may be, for example, a piezo type that uses a piezoelectric element, or a thermal type that heats the resin to generate bubbles and ejects the resin from multiple nozzles.

[0015] The curing unit 86 has a flattening device (see FIG. 2) 90 and an irradiation device (see FIG. 2) 92. The flattening device 90 flattens the upper surface of the ultraviolet curing resin discharged by the inkjet head 88, for example, by leveling the surface of the ultraviolet curing resin and scraping off excess resin with a roller or blade, thereby making the thickness of the ultraviolet curing resin uniform. The irradiation device 92 is equipped with a mercury lamp or LED as a light source and irradiates the discharged ultraviolet curing resin with ultraviolet light. This hardens the discharged ultraviolet curing resin, forming a resin layer.

[0016] The third modeling unit 24 is a unit that models connection portions between electrodes and wiring of electronic components on a circuit board, and includes a third printing unit 100. The third printing unit 100 includes a dispenser 106 (see FIG. 2) that dispenses conductive resin paste. The conductive resin paste is a resin that hardens when heated at a relatively low temperature, with micrometer-sized metal particles dispersed in it. The metal particles are in the form of flakes, and the viscosity of the conductive resin paste is relatively high compared to metal ink. The amount of conductive resin paste dispensed by the dispenser 106 is controlled by the inner diameter of the needle, the pressure during dispensing, and the dispensing time.

[0017] The conductive resin paste dispensed by the dispenser 106 is heated by the heater 66 built into the base 60, and the resin in the heated conductive resin paste hardens. At this time, the resin in the conductive resin paste hardens and shrinks, and the flake-shaped metal particles dispersed in the resin come into contact with each other. This allows the conductive resin paste to exhibit conductivity. The resin in the conductive resin paste is an organic adhesive, and exhibits adhesive strength when hardened by heating.

[0018] The fourth modeling unit 25 is a unit that models resin for fixing electronic components to a circuit board, and includes a fourth printing unit 110 and a measurement unit 112. The fourth printing unit 110 includes a dispenser 116 (see FIG. 2) that dispenses thermosetting resin. Thermosetting resin is a resin that hardens when heated. The thermosetting resin dispensed by the dispenser 116 is heated by a heater 66 built into the base 60 and hardens. The amount of thermosetting resin dispensed by the dispenser 116 is also controlled by the inner diameter of the needle, the pressure during dispensing, and the dispensing time.

[0019] The measurement unit 112 has a calibration table (not shown), an electronic balance (see FIG. 2) 117, and a camera (see FIG. 2) 118. The calibration table is a table for calibrating the dispenser 116, and the dispenser 116 dispenses the thermosetting resin onto the calibration table. The electronic balance 117 measures the weight of the thermosetting resin dispensed onto the calibration table. The inner diameter of the needle of the dispenser 116 when dispensing the thermosetting resin, the pressure during dispensing, and the dispensing time are adjusted so that the weight of the thermosetting resin measured by the electronic balance 117 becomes constant. This makes it possible to keep the amount of droplets of thermosetting resin dispensed by the dispenser 116 constant. The camera 118 is disposed above the calibration table facing downward. The camera 118 thereby captures an image of the thermosetting resin dispensed onto the calibration table.

[0020] Furthermore, the compression unit 26 is a unit for compressing the circuit board and includes a compression section 120. The compression section 120 includes a compression plate (see FIG. 9) 122, a rubber sheet (see FIG. 9) 124, and a cylinder (see FIG. 2) 126. The rubber sheet 124 is made of silicone rubber and has a sheet shape with a certain thickness. The compression plate 122 is made of steel and has a plate shape. The rubber sheet 124 is attached to the underside of the compression plate 122, and the operation of the cylinder 126 presses the compression plate 122 against the circuit board. As a result, the circuit board is compressed by the compression plate 122 via the rubber sheet 124. The force compressing the board can be controllably changed by controlling the operation of the cylinder 126.

[0021] Furthermore, mounting unit 27 is a unit that mounts electronic components on a circuit board, and has supply section 130 and mounting section 132. Supply section 130 has a plurality of tape feeders (see FIG. 2) 134 that feed taped electronic components one by one, and supplies the electronic components at a supply position. Note that supply section 130 is not limited to tape feeders 134, and may also be a tray-type supply device that picks up and supplies electronic components from a tray. Furthermore, supply section 130 may be configured to include both tape-type and tray-type supply devices, or other types of supply devices.

[0022] The mounting unit 132 has a mounting head 136 (see FIG. 2) and a moving device 138 (see FIG. 2). The mounting head 136 has a suction nozzle (not shown) for suctioning and holding electronic components. The suction nozzle sucks and holds the electronic components by air when negative pressure is supplied from a positive / negative pressure supply device (not shown). The positive / negative pressure supply device then supplies a slight positive pressure to the suction nozzle, which then releases the electronic components. The moving device 138 also moves the mounting head 136 between the position where the tape feeder 134 supplies electronic components and the board placed on the base 60. As a result, in the mounting unit 132, the electronic components supplied from the tape feeder 134 are held by the suction nozzle, and the electronic components held by the suction nozzle are mounted on the board.

[0023] 2, the control device 28 includes a controller 140, multiple drive circuits 142, and an image processing device 144. The multiple drive circuits 142 are connected to the electromagnetic motors 38 and 56, the holding device 62, the lifting device 64, the heater 66, the inkjet head 76, the infrared irradiation device 78, the inkjet head 88, the flattening device 90, the irradiation device 92, the dispenser 106, the dispenser 116, the cylinder 126, the tape feeder 134, the mounting head 136, and the moving device 138. The controller 140 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is primarily a computer. The controller 140 is connected to the multiple drive circuits 142. As a result, the controller 140 controls the operations of the conveyance device 20, the first modeling unit 22, the second modeling unit 23, the third modeling unit 24, the fourth modeling unit 25, the compression unit 26, and the mounting unit 27. The controller 140 is also connected to the image processing device 144. The image processing device 144 processes the image data obtained by the camera 118, and the controller 140 obtains various information from the image data.

[0024] In the circuit forming apparatus 10, a resin laminate is formed on the base 60 with the above-described configuration, and wiring is formed on the upper surface of the resin laminate. Then, electrodes of electronic components are electrically connected to the wiring via the conductive resin paste, and the electronic components are fixed with resin, thereby forming a circuit board.

[0025] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3 , a heat-sensitive release film 150 is first laid on the upper surface of the base 60 of the stage 52. The heat-sensitive release film 150 is adhesive and therefore adheres appropriately to the upper surface of the base 60. A circuit board is then formed on the heat-sensitive release film 150, and the adhesion of the heat-sensitive release film 150 to the base 60 prevents the circuit board from shifting during circuit formation. Note that the adhesiveness of the heat-sensitive release film 150 decreases when heated. Therefore, after the circuit board is formed on the heat-sensitive release film 150, by heating the heat-sensitive release film 150, the heat-sensitive release film 150 can be easily peeled off from the base 60 together with the circuit board formed on it.

[0026] Once the heat-sensitive peeling film 150 is laid on the base 60, the stage 52 is moved to below the second modeling unit 23. Then, in the second modeling unit 23, a resin laminate 152 is formed on the heat-sensitive peeling film 150, as shown in Fig. 4. The resin laminate 152 has a cavity 154, and is formed by repeatedly discharging an ultraviolet curable resin from the inkjet head 88 and irradiating the discharged ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light by the irradiation device 92.

[0027] More specifically, in the second printing unit 84 of the second modeling unit 23, the inkjet head 88 ejects a thin film of ultraviolet curable resin onto the upper surface of the heat-sensitive release film 150. Then, after the ultraviolet curable resin has been ejected in a thin film, the ultraviolet curable resin is flattened by a flattening device 90 in the curing unit 86 so that the film thickness of the ultraviolet curable resin becomes uniform. Then, the irradiation device 92 irradiates the thin film of ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays. As a result, a thin film resin layer 155 is formed on the heat-sensitive release film 150.

[0028] Next, the inkjet head 88 ejects a thin film of ultraviolet curable resin onto the thin film resin layer 155. Then, the thin film of ultraviolet curable resin is flattened by the flattening device 90, and the irradiation device 92 irradiates the ejected thin film of ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light, thereby laminating a thin film of resin layer 155 on top of the thin film of resin layer 155. In this way, the ejection of ultraviolet curable resin onto the thin film of resin layer 155 and the irradiation of ultraviolet light are repeated, and a plurality of resin layers 155 are laminated, thereby forming a first laminate 156.

[0029] Next, the inkjet head 88 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin so that a predetermined portion of the upper surface of the first laminate 156 is exposed. Subsequently, once the ultraviolet curable resin has been ejected in the form of a thin film, the ultraviolet curable resin is flattened in the curing unit 86 so that the film thickness of the ultraviolet curable resin becomes uniform. Then, the irradiation device 92 irradiates the thin film of ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light. As a result, a thin resin layer 157 is formed on the first laminate 156.

[0030] Next, the inkjet head 88 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin in a thin film only onto the thin film layer 157. That is, the inkjet head 88 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin in a thin film onto the thin film layer 157 so that a predetermined portion of the top surface of the first laminate 156 is exposed. The thin film of ultraviolet curable resin is then flattened by the planarization device 90, and the irradiation device 92 irradiates the ejected ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet light, thereby laminating thin film layers 157 on top of each other. In this manner, the ejection of the ultraviolet curable resin onto the thin film layer 157 and the irradiation with ultraviolet light are repeated, laminating multiple thin film layers 157, thereby forming the second laminate 158. As a result, the second laminate 158 is formed on the first laminate 156, and a resin laminate 152 is formed in which the step between the first laminate 156 and the second laminate 158 functions as a cavity 154.

[0031] Once the resin laminate 152 is formed by the above-described procedure, the stage 52 is moved below the first modeling unit 22. Then, in the first printing unit 72 of the first modeling unit 22, the inkjet head 76 ejects metal ink 160 in a line shape according to the circuit pattern onto the cavity 154 of the resin laminate 152, i.e., onto the upper surface of the first laminate 156, as shown in FIG. 5. Next, in the baking unit 74 of the first modeling unit 22, the infrared irradiation device 78 irradiates infrared rays onto the metal ink 160 ejected according to the circuit pattern. This bakes the metal ink 160, and wiring 162 is formed in the cavity 154. Note that in FIG. 5, two wirings 162 are formed.

[0032] Next, when the wiring 162 is formed in the cavity 154 of the resin laminate 152, the stage 52 is moved below the third modeling unit 24. Then, in the third printing part 100 of the third modeling unit 24, the dispenser 106 dispenses conductive resin paste 166 onto the opposing ends of the two wirings 162, as shown in FIG.

[0033] Once the conductive resin paste 166 has been dispensed onto the end of the wiring 162, the stage 52 is moved below the mounting unit 27. Then, in the mounting unit 27, an electronic component 172 (see FIG. 7) is supplied by the tape feeder 134, and the electronic component 172 is held by the suction nozzle of the mounting head 136. The electronic component 172 is composed of a component body 176 and two electrodes 178 disposed on the underside of the component body 176. Then, the mounting head 136 is moved by the moving device 138, and the electronic component 172 held by the suction nozzle is mounted on the upper surface of the resin laminate 152, as shown in FIG. 7. At this time, the electronic component 172 is mounted so that the electrodes 178 come into contact with the conductive resin paste 166 dispensed onto the wiring 162. Then, the resin laminate 152 is heated by the heater 66 built into the base 60. As a result, conductive resin paste 166 is heated via resin laminate 152 and hardens, thereby exhibiting conductivity. In this way, conductive resin paste 166 exhibits conductivity, and electronic component 172 is electrically connected to wiring 162 via conductive resin paste 166. Furthermore, electronic component 172 is fixed to resin laminate 152 by being fixed to wiring 162 due to the adhesive force of conductive resin paste 166.

[0034] Next, the stage 52 is moved to below the fourth modeling unit 25. Then, in the fourth printing section 110 of the fourth modeling unit 25, the dispenser 116 dispenses the thermosetting resin 180 between the lower surface of the component body 176 of the electronic component 172 and the upper surface of the resin laminate 152, as shown in FIG. 8 . This seals the thermosetting resin 180 between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component body 176 of the electronic component 172. In other words, the thermosetting resin 180 is injected between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component body 176. The dispenser 116 also dispenses the thermosetting resin 180 around the electronic component 172 so as to cover the side surfaces of the component body 176 of the electronic component 172. Then, the resin laminate 152 is heated to 70°C for 30 minutes by the heater 66 built into the base 60. As a result, the thermosetting resin 180 is heated through the resin laminate 152 and hardens. Note that the thermosetting resin 180 does not completely harden even when heated at 70 degrees for 30 minutes. Therefore, the thermosetting resin 180 is in a semi-hardened state at this point. Note that the semi-hardened thermosetting resin is a thermosetting resin in a state between an unhardened thermosetting resin and a completely hardened thermosetting resin, and is, for example, a gel-like thermosetting resin.

[0035] Once the thermosetting resin 180 injected between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component main body 176 and the thermosetting resin 180 covering the side surfaces of the electronic component 172 have semi-cured, the stage 52 is moved below the compression unit 26. Then, in the compression section 120 of the compression unit 26, as shown in FIG. 9 , the electronic component 172 attached to the resin laminate 152 is compressed from above to below by the compression plate 122 via the rubber sheet 124. The electronic component 172 is attached to the cavity 154 of the resin laminate 152, but the depth of the cavity 154 is smaller than the height of the electronic component 172. Therefore, the upper surface of the electronic component 172 extends above the cavity 154, allowing the electronic component 172 to be compressed from above to below by the compression plate 122. In addition, since a rubber sheet 124 is attached to the underside of the compression plate 122, when the electronic component 172 is compressed, the rubber sheet 124 elastically deforms, thereby allowing the entire electronic component 172 to be appropriately compressed toward the resin laminate 152.

[0036] Furthermore, while the electronic component 172 is being compressed in the compression unit 26, the heater 66 built into the base 60 heats the resin laminate 152 at 85°C for 45 minutes. This heats and hardens the thermosetting resin 180 via the resin laminate 152. The thermosetting resin 180 is completely hardened by being heated at 85°C for 45 minutes. Therefore, the thermosetting resin 180 is sealed between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component main body 176, and hardens while covering the side surfaces of the electronic component 172. This fixes the electronic component 172 attached to the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 with the hardened resin.

[0037] In this way, the electronic components 172 mounted on the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 are fixed by the cured resin, and the circuit board is formed on the heat-sensitive release film 150 on the upper surface of the base 60. Then, in order to peel the heat-sensitive release film 150 from the formed circuit board, the heat-sensitive release film 150 is heated by the heater 66 built into the base 60. This reduces the adhesiveness of the heat-sensitive release film 150, and the circuit board can be easily peeled off from the base 60 together with the heat-sensitive release film 150. Then, the heat-sensitive release film 150 is peeled off from the circuit board, completing the formation of the circuit board.

[0038] In this way, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, the thermosetting resin injected between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component body 176 and the thermosetting resin covering the side surfaces of the electronic component 172 are semi-cured, and then the electronic component is compressed while being fully cured. This prevents the thermosetting resin from spilling out from between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component body 176, and allows the electronic component and the thermosetting resin to be properly adhered to each other. More specifically, for example, if the thermosetting resin is cured while the electronic component is compressed without being semi-cured, the viscosity of the unsemi-cured thermosetting resin is low, and therefore the thermosetting resin spills out from between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component body 176 as the electronic component is compressed. On the other hand, even if the electronic component is compressed after the thermosetting resin is fully cured, the fully cured thermosetting resin is difficult to deform, and therefore the electronic component and the thermosetting resin cannot be properly adhered to each other. For this reason, in the circuit forming device 10, the thermosetting resin injected between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the component body 176 and the thermosetting resin covering the side surface of the electronic component 172 are semi-cured, and then the electronic component is compressed and completely cured.

[0039] However, because the conditions for semi-curing a thermosetting resin vary depending on the viscosity of the uncured thermosetting resin, there is a risk that the thermosetting resin may not be properly semi-cured. That is, for example, as described above, even if the thermosetting resin is heated at 70°C for 30 minutes, it will not completely cure but will only semi-cure. However, for example, if the viscosity of the uncured thermosetting resin is high, the thermosetting resin may semi-cure but may only harden to a certain extent when heated at 70°C for 30 minutes. In such a case, when the electronic component is compressed and cured, the thermosetting resin may not deform significantly, preventing proper adhesion between the electronic component and the thermosetting resin. On the other hand, if the viscosity of the uncured thermosetting resin is low, even if the thermosetting resin is heated at 70°C for 30 minutes, it may semi-cure to a certain extent but may not increase its viscosity significantly. In such a case, when the electronic component is compressed and cured, the thermosetting resin protrudes from between the upper surface of resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of component body 176. As such, it is difficult to stabilize the quality of the semi-cured thermosetting resin.

[0040] In particular, the viscosity of uncured thermosetting resin is unstable, making it difficult to stabilize the quality of semi-cured thermosetting resin. Specifically, during the production of thermosetting resin, the viscosity of the uncured thermosetting resin varies within a tolerance range, resulting in an unstable viscosity. Furthermore, the viscosity of the uncured thermosetting resin increases over time, resulting in an unstable viscosity. For this reason, for example, an operator may measure the viscosity of the thermosetting resin and adjust the conditions for semi-curing the thermosetting resin (hereinafter referred to as "semi-curing conditions") based on the measured viscosity. However, measuring the viscosity of the thermosetting resin manually in this manner places a burden on the operator. Furthermore, considering that the viscosity of the thermosetting resin increases over time, it is desirable for the operator to measure the viscosity of the thermosetting resin immediately before the thermosetting resin is injected onto the underside of an electronic component, etc., but imposing such a time constraint on the operator also places a burden on the operator.

[0041] In consideration of this, the fourth modeling unit 25 dispenses a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin onto a calibration table immediately before the thermosetting resin is injected onto the underside of the electronic component, and the camera 118 captures an image of the dispensed thermosetting resin, thereby automatically calculating the viscosity of the thermosetting resin. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7 , when the electronic component 172 is placed on the resin laminate 152, the dispenser 116 dispenses a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin onto the calibration table in the fourth modeling unit 25. As described above, the fourth modeling unit 25 measures the weight of the thermosetting resin dispensed onto the calibration table using the electronic component 172, and adjusts the inner diameter, pressure, and dispensing time of the needle of the dispenser 116 when dispensing the thermosetting resin so that the measured weight of the thermosetting resin is constant. Therefore, the dispenser 116 can dispense a constant weight of thermosetting resin.

[0042] When a certain weight of thermosetting resin is dispensed onto the calibration table in this manner, a predetermined time after the thermosetting resin is dispensed is passed, and the dispensed thermosetting resin is imaged by camera 118. The image data obtained by the image capture is then analyzed by controller 140, and the outer diameter (hereinafter referred to as the "application diameter") of the thermosetting resin dispensed onto the calibration table is calculated. The application diameter decreases as the viscosity of the thermosetting resin increases, and increases as the viscosity of the thermosetting resin decreases. That is, when the viscosity of the thermosetting resin is low, the resin easily wets and spreads, resulting in a larger application diameter. On the other hand, when the viscosity of the thermosetting resin is high, the resin does not easily wet and spread, resulting in a smaller application diameter. For this reason, map data shown in FIG. 10 is stored in controller 140. This map data indicates the relationship between the viscosity of the thermosetting resin and the application diameter when the thermosetting resin is dispensed onto the calibration table, and is preset. Therefore, controller 140 refers to the map data to identify the viscosity of the thermosetting resin corresponding to the calculated application diameter. This allows the viscosity of the thermosetting resin immediately before it is injected onto the underside of the electronic component, etc. to be automatically calculated.

[0043] In this way, when the viscosity of the thermosetting resin is automatically calculated in the controller 140, the semi-curing conditions for the thermosetting resin are corrected based on the calculated viscosity of the thermosetting resin. Specifically, for example, when semi-curing conditions are set based on a thermosetting resin with a viscosity X, if the automatically calculated viscosity of the thermosetting resin is higher than X, the semi-curing conditions are corrected so that the heating time is shorter and the heating temperature is lower than the standard semi-curing conditions. Also, if the automatically calculated viscosity of the thermosetting resin is lower than X, the semi-curing conditions are corrected so that the heating time is longer and the heating temperature is higher than the standard semi-curing conditions.

[0044] When the semi-curing conditions are corrected in this way, as shown in FIG. 8 , thermosetting resin 180 is injected between resin laminate 152 and electronic component 172 and is also dispensed around electronic component 172. Then, thermosetting resin 180 is heated by heater 66 according to the corrected semi-curing conditions. This makes it possible to heat the thermosetting resin under semi-curing conditions that correspond to the viscosity of the thermosetting resin, thereby stabilizing the quality of the thermosetting resin in the semi-cured state. Furthermore, because the viscosity of the thermosetting resin is calculated automatically, it is possible to stabilize the quality of the thermosetting resin in the semi-cured state without placing a burden on the operator.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 2 , the controller 140 of the control device 28 includes a viscosity calculation unit 200, a condition calculation unit 202, a resin layer formation unit 204, a wiring formation unit 206, a disposing unit 208, an injection unit 210, and a resin curing unit 212. The viscosity calculation unit 200 is a functional unit for calculating the viscosity of the thermosetting resin based on the application diameter. The condition calculation unit 202 is a functional unit for calculating the semi-curing conditions of the thermosetting resin based on the viscosity of the thermosetting resin. The resin layer formation unit 204 is a functional unit for forming the resin laminate 152. The wiring formation unit 206 is a functional unit for forming the wiring 162. The disposing unit 208 is a functional unit for disposing the electronic component 172 so as to be electrically connected to the wiring 162. The injection unit 210 is a functional unit for injecting the thermosetting resin between the upper surface of the resin laminate 152 and the lower surface of the electronic component 172. The resin curing unit 212 is a functional unit for semi-curing the thermosetting resin according to the corrected semi-curing conditions, and then curing the electrical components while compressing them.

[0046] In the above embodiment, the circuit forming apparatus 10 is an example of a circuit forming apparatus. The first modeling unit 22 is an example of a wiring forming apparatus. The second modeling unit 23 is an example of a resin layer forming apparatus. The fourth modeling unit 25 is an example of an injection apparatus. The mounting unit 27 is an example of an arrangement apparatus. The heater 66 is an example of a resin curing apparatus. The controller 140 is an example of a viscosity calculation device and a condition calculation device. The resin laminate 152 is an example of a resin layer. The wiring 162 is an example of a wiring. The electronic component 172 is an example of an electronic component. Furthermore, the process performed by the viscosity calculation unit 200 is an example of a viscosity calculation process. The process performed by the condition calculation unit 202 is an example of a condition calculation process. The process performed by the resin layer forming unit 204 is an example of a resin layer forming process. The process performed by the wiring forming unit 206 is an example of a wiring forming process. The process performed by the arrangement unit 208 is an example of an arrangement process. The process performed by the injection unit 210 is an example of an injection process. The process performed by the resin curing unit 212 is an example of a resin curing process.

[0047] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, in the above-described embodiment, a constant weight of thermosetting resin is dispensed onto the calibration table, and the viscosity of the thermosetting resin is calculated based on the application diameter of the thermosetting resin. However, a constant volume of thermosetting resin may be dispensed onto the calibration table, and the viscosity of the thermosetting resin may be calculated based on the application diameter of the thermosetting resin.

[0048] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the image of the dispensed thermosetting resin is captured by the camera 118 after a certain time has elapsed since the thermosetting resin was dispensed onto the calibration table, but the image of the dispensed thermosetting resin may be captured by the camera 118 after any time has elapsed. However, if the image of the dispensed thermosetting resin is captured by the camera 118 after any time has elapsed, it is necessary to calculate the viscosity of the thermosetting resin based on the elapsed time and the application diameter.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the viscosity of the thermosetting resin according to the application diameter is calculated using map data, but the viscosity of the thermosetting resin may also be calculated using an arithmetic formula that uses the application diameter as a parameter.

[0050] In addition, in the above embodiment, the heating time and heating temperature are corrected based on the standard semi-curing conditions, but the heating time and heating temperature of the semi-curing conditions may also be calculated based on an arithmetic formula using the viscosity of the thermosetting resin as a parameter. [Explanation of symbols]

[0051] 10: Circuit formation device 22: First modeling unit (wiring formation device) 23: Second modeling unit (resin layer formation device) 25: Fourth modeling unit (injection device) 27: Mounting unit (disposition device) 66: Heater (resin curing device) 140: Controller (viscosity calculation device) (condition calculation device) 152: Resin laminate (resin layer) 162: Wiring 172: Electronic component 200: Viscosity calculation unit (viscosity calculation process) 202: Condition calculation unit (condition calculation process) 204: Resin layer formation unit (resin layer formation process) 206: Wiring formation unit (wiring formation process) 208: Disposition unit (disposition process) 210: Injection unit (injection process) 212: Resin curing unit (resin curing process)

Claims

1. a viscosity calculation step of discharging a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin and calculating the viscosity of the thermosetting resin based on the diameter of the discharged thermosetting resin; an injection step of injecting a thermosetting resin between the resin layer and the electronic component; a resin curing step of curing the thermosetting resin injected in the injection step by using the viscosity of the thermosetting resin calculated in the viscosity calculation step; A circuit forming method comprising:

2. a condition calculation step of calculating conditions for semi-curing the thermosetting resin based on the viscosity of the thermosetting resin calculated in the viscosity calculation step; a resin curing step of semi-curing the thermosetting resin injected in the injection step in accordance with the conditions calculated in the condition calculation step; The circuit forming method according to claim 1 , comprising:

3. 3. The circuit forming method according to claim 2, further comprising the step of semi-curing the thermosetting resin injected in the injection step in accordance with the conditions calculated in the condition calculation step, and then curing the thermosetting resin while pressing the electronic component against the resin layer.

4. a resin layer forming step of forming the resin layer using an ultraviolet curable resin; a wiring forming step of forming wiring on the resin layer using a conductive fluid; an arrangement step of arranging the electronic component so as to be electrically connected to the wiring; the injection step of injecting a thermosetting resin between the resin layer and the electronic component; a resin curing step of curing the thermosetting resin injected in the injection step by utilizing the viscosity of the thermosetting resin calculated in the viscosity calculation step; 4. The circuit forming method according to claim 1, further comprising:

5. a viscosity calculation device that discharges a predetermined amount of thermosetting resin and calculates the viscosity of the thermosetting resin based on the diameter of the discharged thermosetting resin; a condition calculation device that calculates conditions for semi-curing the thermosetting resin based on the viscosity of the thermosetting resin calculated by the viscosity calculation device; and a resin layer forming device that ejects ultraviolet curable resin to form a resin layer; a wiring forming device that discharges a conductive fluid onto the resin layer to form wiring; a placement device that places electronic components so as to be electrically connected to the wiring; an injection device that injects a thermosetting resin between the resin layer and the electronic component; a resin curing device that semi-cures the thermosetting resin injected by the injection device in accordance with the conditions calculated by the condition calculation device, and then hardens the thermosetting resin while pressing the electronic component against the resin layer; A circuit forming device comprising:

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