Molding method and molding apparatus

Abstract

Provided are a shaping method and a shaping device with which it is possible to reduce the effect an expanded part in a semi-cured layer has on a top layer.　In this shaping method, a first discharging step, a first flattening step, and a first curing step are repeatedly performed, thereby forming a first flattened layer on a stage. Additionally, in this shaping method, a second discharging step and a semi-curing step are repeatedly performed, thereby forming a semi-cured layer on the stage. Additionally, in this shaping method, the semi-cured layer which has been flattened is cured, thereby forming a smooth layer. Furthermore, the shaping method includes: a third discharging step in which a first curable viscous fluid is discharged onto the smooth layer; a third flattening step in which a flattening member is positioned at a height corresponding to the height of an expanded part formed in the smooth layer, a number of flattening passes by the flattening member is increased relative to the first flattening step, and the first curable viscous fluid discharged in the third discharging step is flattened using the flattening member; and a third curing step in which the first curable viscous fluid flattened by means of the third flattening step is cured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a modeling method and a modeling apparatus for performing modeling using a curable viscous fluid.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, technologies related to a modeling method for modeling an object using a curable viscous fluid such as an ultraviolet curable resin have been developed. Specifically, in this modeling method, for example, a curable viscous fluid is discharged by a discharge device, and the discharged curable viscous fluid is cured by irradiating it with ultraviolet rays, and a desired object is modeled with the cured cured layer. In Patent Document 1 below, the first unit layer in which the ultraviolet curable resin is discharged is irradiated with ultraviolet rays to be semi-cured, and the first unit layer is flattened by a flattening roller unit.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described semi-curing step of the ultraviolet curable resin, local enlarged portions may be formed due to the surface tension of the ultraviolet curable resin. For example, the end portion of the object or the central portion of an object having a small width of several millimeters or less may become higher than the target height on the design data due to surface tension. As a result, there has been a risk that the shape of the upper layer and the shape of the finished object are affected by the local enlarged portion.

[0005] In view of such circumstances, the present disclosure has been made, and an object thereof is to provide a modeling method and a modeling apparatus capable of reducing the influence of the enlarged portion of the semi-cured layer on the upper layer.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] To solve the above problems, the molding method of the present disclosure includes: a first discharge step of dischargeing a first curable viscous fluid from above a stage; a first flattening step of flattening the first curable viscous fluid discharged in the first discharge step with a flattening member; a first curing step of curing the first curable viscous fluid flattened in the first flattening step; a first flattening layer forming step of repeatedly performing the first discharge step, the first flattening step, and the first curing step to form a first flattening layer on the stage; a second discharge step of dischargeing a second curable viscous fluid from above the stage; a semi-curing step of semi-curing the second curable viscous fluid discharged in the second discharge step; a semi-cured layer forming step of repeatedly performing the second discharge step and the semi-curing step to form a semi-cured layer on the stage; and the semi-cured layer A molding method comprising: a second flattening step of flattening with a flattening member; a second curing step of curing the semi-cured layer flattened in the second flattening step to form a smooth layer; a third discharge step of discharging the first curable viscous fluid onto the smooth layer cured in the second curing step; a third flattening step of arranging the flattening member at a height corresponding to the height of the increased portion formed in the smooth layer, increasing the number of scans of flattening by the flattening member compared to the first flattening step, and flattening the first curable viscous fluid discharged in the third discharge step with the flattening member; a third curing step of curing the first curable viscous fluid flattened in the third flattening step; and a second flattening layer formation step of repeatedly executing the third discharge step, the third flattening step, and the third curing step to form a second flattening layer on the smooth layer.

[0007] Furthermore, the contents of this disclosure are not limited to implementation as a molding method, but are also extremely effective when implemented as a molding apparatus comprising an extrusion device, a roller, a curing device, and a control device. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the manufacturing method and apparatus of this disclosure, when flattening the first curable viscous fluid discharged onto a smooth layer, a flattening member is positioned at a height corresponding to the height of the enlarged portion of the smooth layer. While avoiding interference between the enlarged portion and the flattening member, the flattening member can be brought into contact with the first curable viscous fluid discharged onto the enlarged portion for flattening. Furthermore, by increasing the number of flattening scans, the total contact time between the first curable viscous fluid discharged onto the enlarged portion and the flattening member can be increased, and the enlargement of the enlarged portion can be suppressed by removing excess first curable viscous fluid. As a result, the influence of the enlarged portion of the smooth layer, which has cured the semi-cured layer, on the upper layer can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram showing the molding apparatus in this embodiment. [Figure 2] A block diagram showing the control unit. [Figure 3] A flowchart illustrating the details of the molding process. [Figure 4] A flowchart illustrating the details of the molding process. [Figure 5] A schematic diagram showing the process of ejecting UV-curing resin from an inkjet head. [Figure 6] A schematic diagram showing the process of flattening UV-curing resin using a planarization device. [Figure 7] A schematic diagram showing the state in which a flattened UV-curable resin is cured by the curing section to form the first flattened layer. [Figure 8] A schematic diagram showing the first flattened layer with a planarized surface. [Figure 9] A schematic diagram showing a semi-hardened layer with a smoothed surface. [Figure 10] A schematic diagram illustrating the enlarged portion. [Figure 11] Schematic diagram of the first leveling process. [Figure 12] Schematic diagram of the second leveling process. [Figure 13] A schematic diagram showing the process of ejecting metallic ink. [Figure 14] A schematic diagram showing the formation of metal wiring. [Figure 15] Schematic diagram showing the state of the third planarization process and the third curing process. [Figure 16] Schematic diagram of the shaped object.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0010] (1. Configuration of the shaping apparatus 10) Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the shaping method and shaping apparatus of the present disclosure are embodied will be described. FIG. 1 shows the shaping apparatus 10 of this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the shaping apparatus 10 includes a transport device 20, a shaping unit 22, a mounting unit 23, an inspection unit 24, and a control device 26 (see FIG. 2). The transport device 20, the shaping unit 22, the mounting unit 23, and the inspection unit 24 are arranged on the base 28 of the shaping apparatus 10. The base 28 generally has a rectangular shape. In the following description, the longitudinal direction of the base 28 will be referred to as the X-axis direction, the short-side direction of the base 28 will be referred to as the Y-axis direction, and the direction orthogonal to both the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction will be referred to as the Z-axis direction.

[0011] The transport device 20 includes an X-axis slide mechanism 30 and a Y-axis slide mechanism 32. The X-axis slide mechanism 30 has an X-axis slide rail 34 and an X-axis slider 36. The X-axis slide rail 34 is disposed on the base 28 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. Further, the X-axis slide mechanism 30 has an electromagnetic motor 38 (see FIG. 2), and by driving the electromagnetic motor 38, the X-axis slider 36 is moved to an arbitrary position in the X-axis direction.

[0012] Further, the Y-axis slide mechanism 32 includes a Y-axis slide rail 50 and a stage 52. The Y-axis slide rail 50 is disposed on the base 28 so as to extend in the Y-axis direction. One end of the Y-axis slide rail 50 in the Y-axis direction is connected to the X-axis slider 36. Thus, the Y-axis slide rail 50 is movable in the X-axis direction as the X-axis slider 36 slides. The stage 52 is held slidably in the Y-axis direction by the Y-axis slide rail 50. Further, the Y-axis slide mechanism 32 has an electromagnetic motor 56 (see FIG. 2), and drives the electromagnetic motor 56 to move the stage 52 to an arbitrary position in the Y-axis direction. Thus, the stage 52 can be moved to an arbitrary position in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction on the base 28 by driving the X-axis slide mechanism 30 and the Y-axis slide mechanism 32.

[0013] The stage 52 includes a base 60, a holding device 62, and a lifting device 64. The base 60 is formed in a flat plate shape, and a base member 70 (see FIG. 5) is placed on the upper surface. The base member 70 is, for example, a metal plate such as iron or stainless steel. The holding device 62 is provided on both sides of the base 60 in the X-axis direction. The base member 70 is placed on the base 60 and is fixedly held to the base 60 by sandwiching both edge portions in the X-axis direction by the holding device 62. Further, the lifting device 64 is disposed below the base 60 and raises and lowers the base 60 in the Z-axis direction.

[0014] The shaping unit 22 is a unit that shapes a structure on the base member 70 placed on the base 60 of the stage 52, and includes a printing unit 72 and a curing unit 74. As shown in FIG. 5, the printing unit 72 has an inkjet head 75 and discharges a fluid in a thin film shape on the base member 70 placed on the base 60. As the fluid discharged by the inkjet head 75, an ultraviolet curable resin 76 (see FIG. 5) that is cured by ultraviolet rays can be adopted. The ultraviolet curable resin 76 is an example of the first and second curable viscous fluids of the present disclosure. In addition to the ultraviolet curable resin, other viscous fluids such as thermosetting resins can be adopted as the curable viscous fluid.

[0015] Furthermore, the inkjet head 75 is capable of ejecting, for example, a metallic ink 77 (see Figure 13) in addition to the ultraviolet-curing resin 76. The metallic ink 77 is an example of a fluid containing metal particles according to this disclosure. The metallic ink 77 is, for example, a dispersion of nanometer-sized metal (such as silver) fine particles in a solvent, which hardens when heated. The surface of the metal fine particles is coated with, for example, a dispersant to suppress aggregation in the solvent.

[0016] When the inkjet head 75 ejects ultraviolet-curable resin 76, it ejects the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 from multiple nozzles, for example, by a piezoelectric method using a piezoelectric element. Alternatively, the inkjet head 75 may eject the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 from multiple nozzles by a thermal method, which involves heating the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 to generate bubbles and eject it from the nozzles. Furthermore, when the inkjet head 75 ejects metallic ink 77, it ejects the metallic ink 77 from multiple nozzles, for example, by a piezoelectric method using a piezoelectric element. Note that the ejection device is not limited to the inkjet head 75 with multiple nozzles; for example, a dispenser with one nozzle may also be used. In addition, the inkjet head 75 may have separate nozzles for ejecting metallic ink 77 and nozzles for ejecting ultraviolet-curable resin 76, or it may share nozzles for ejecting the two viscous fluids. In the following description, when referring to ultraviolet-curable resin 76 and metallic ink 77 collectively, they may be referred to as viscous fluids.

[0017] As shown in Figure 2, the curing unit 74 includes a planarizing device 78, an irradiation device 81, and a heater 82. The planarizing device 78 is a device that flattens the upper surface of the ultraviolet curing resin 76 or metal ink 77 ejected onto the base member 70 by the inkjet head 75. The planarizing device 78 includes a roller 79 and a recovery unit 80 (see Figure 6). The roller 79 is, for example, cylindrical in shape and rotates in contact with the flowable viscous fluid (ultraviolet curing resin 76 or metal ink 77) based on the control of the planarizing device 78, flattening the surface while transferring excess viscous fluid. The recovery unit 80 has, for example, a blade that protrudes toward the surface of the roller 79, scrapes off the viscous fluid transferred to the roller 79 with the blade, stores the scraped-off viscous fluid, and discharges it. The recovery unit 80 discharges the recovered viscous fluid into a waste liquid tank. The planarization device 78 flattens the surface of the viscous fluid by leveling the surface of the viscous fluid and scraping off any excess viscous fluid.

[0018] Furthermore, the flattening device 78 is not limited to a configuration that performs flattening using rollers 79. For example, the flattening device 78 may be configured to perform flattening by applying a plate-shaped member such as a squeegee to the surface of the viscous fluid. Alternatively, the flattening device 78 may be configured to smooth the surface of the viscous fluid using brushes or rakes. In addition, the recovery unit 80 may return the recovered viscous fluid back to the supply tank. Moreover, flattening by the flattening device 78 does not have to be performed every time the viscous fluid is discharged. For example, flattening may be performed only when a specific layer is formed.

[0019] Furthermore, the irradiation device 81 irradiates ultraviolet light onto the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 extruded onto the base member 70, for example. The ultraviolet-curable resin 76 hardens upon irradiation with ultraviolet light, forming a thin insulating layer (such as the first planarization layer 86 in Figure 7). The heater 82 is a device that heats the extruded metal ink 77. The metal ink 77 is fired by the heat applied from the heater 82, forming metal wiring. The firing of the metal ink 77 is a phenomenon in which, for example, by applying energy, the solvent vaporizes, a protective film of the metal nanoparticles is formed, i.e., the dispersant is decomposed, and the metal nanoparticles come into contact or fuse together, increasing the conductivity. By firing the metal ink, metal wiring can be formed. Details of the molding method will be described later. Note that the device for heating the metal ink 77 is not limited to the heater 82. For example, the molding apparatus 10 may include a laser irradiation device that irradiates the metal ink 77 with laser light as a device for heating the metal ink 77, or an atmosphere furnace that heats the first planarization layer 86 into which the metal ink 77 has been ejected.

[0020] Furthermore, the mounting unit 23 shown in Figure 1 is a unit for mounting various electronic components that are connected to metal wiring fabricated by the molding unit 22, and comprises a mounting section 83 and a supply section 84. The mounting section 83 has, for example, a suction nozzle (not shown) for picking up electronic components, and mounts the electronic components held by the suction nozzle onto the metal wiring. The supply section 84 has, for example, multiple tape feeders that feed out taped electronic components one by one, and supplies electronic components to the mounting section 83. Note that the supply section 84 is not limited to a configuration with tape feeders, but may also be a tray-type supply device that picks up and supplies electronic components from a tray.

[0021] For example, when the base member 70 moves to a position below the mounting unit 83 as the stage 52 moves, the mounting unit 23 moves the mounting unit 83 to the component supply position of the supply unit 84 and drives the supply unit 84 to supply the necessary components. The mounting unit 83 then uses a suction nozzle to attract and hold the electronic components from the component supply position of the supply unit 84 and mounts them onto the metal wiring etc. formed on the base member 70.

[0022] The inspection unit 24 is a unit that inspects the structure manufactured by the molding unit 22 and the mounting unit 23. The inspection unit 24 is equipped with an imaging device such as a camera. The control device 26 can determine whether or not the electronic components are properly mounted based on the image data captured by the inspection unit 24. The molding apparatus 10 may also be equipped with a laser microscope or the like to inspect the shape of the molded object (such as the unevenness of the smooth surface 93, which will be described later).

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the control device 26 comprises a controller 102, a plurality of drive circuits 104, and a storage device 106. The plurality of drive circuits 104 are connected to the electromagnetic motors 38, 56, holding device 62, lifting device 64, inkjet head 75, planarizing device 78, irradiation device 81, heater 82, mounting unit 83, supply unit 84, and inspection unit 24. The controller 102 is a computer-based device equipped with a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is connected to the plurality of drive circuits 104. The storage device 106 is equipped with RAM, ROM, hard disk, etc., and stores a control program 107 that controls the molding device 10. The controller 102 can control the operation of the transport device 20, molding unit 22, etc. by executing the control program 107 with its CPU.

[0024] In this embodiment, the molding apparatus 10, with the configuration described above, forms an insulating first planarization layer 86 (see Figure 7), a smoothing layer 151 (see Figure 13), a second planarization layer 153 (see Figure 15), and conductive metal wiring 95 (see Figure 14) by curing ultraviolet-curable resin 76 or metal ink 77 as a viscous fluid. The molding apparatus 10 can fabricate structures of any shape by changing the shapes of the first planarization layer 86, the smoothing layer 151, the second planarization layer 153, and the metal wiring 95. The molding apparatus 10 may also mount electronic components using a mounting unit 23 during the fabrication process. For example, the control program 107 contains three-dimensional data for each layer sliced ​​from the structure. The controller 102 forms the structure by discharging and curing the viscous fluid based on the data from the control program 107. Furthermore, the controller 102 detects information such as the layer and position where the electronic components are placed based on the data from the control program 107, and mounts the electronic components based on the detected information.

[0025] (2. Operation of the molding device 10) Next, as an example of the operation of the molding apparatus 10, a molding process in which metal wiring 95 is molded on a smooth layer 151 will be described. Figures 3 and 4 are flowcharts showing the contents of the molding process. When the control device 26 receives an instruction to start molding, for example, it executes a predetermined program of the control program 107 and starts the molding process shown in Figures 3 and 4. In the following description, the controller 102 executing the control program 107 to control each device may be simply referred to by the "device name". For example, "the controller 102 moves the base 60" means "the controller 102 executes the control program 107 and controls the operation of the transport device 20 via the drive circuit 104, causing the base 60 to move through the operation of the transport device 20". Figures 5 to 9 and 13 to 15 schematically show each step of the molding process. The directions shown in Figures 5 to 9 and 13 to 15 (such as the X-axis direction) are examples.

[0026] First, the base member 70 is set on the base 60 of the stage 52. The setting of the base member 70 may be done by a person or automatically by the molding device 10. The controller 102 controls the transport device 20 to move the stage 52 with the base member 70 set on it below the molding unit 22. In the first ejection process shown in S11 of Figure 3, the controller 102 moves the stage 52 in the X-axis direction, for example as shown in Figure 5, and controls the inkjet head 75 of the printing unit 72 to eject the ultraviolet curing resin 76 onto the base member 70. The inkjet head 75 ejects the ultraviolet curing resin 76 onto the base member 70 in a thin film. The controller 102 may perform the ejection by the inkjet head 75 in S11 with only one scan (1 pass) along the X-axis direction, for example, or with multiple scans.

[0027] Next, in the first planarization process of S13, the controller 102 rotates the roller 79 of the planarization device 78 on the upper surface of the thin film-like ultraviolet-curable resin 76 to perform planarization. As shown by the arrow in Figure 6, the controller 102 moves the base member 70 (stage 52) in a movement direction 133 that is opposite to the rotation direction 131 of the roller 79, and plans the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 discharged in the first discharge process with the roller 79. For example, the controller 102 rotates the roller 79 in a counterclockwise rotation direction 131 in Figure 6 around a rotation axis parallel to the Y-axis direction. The controller 102 also moves the stage 52 in a movement direction 133 (direction toward the back in Figure 6) that is along the X-axis direction and opposite to the rotation direction 131. The opposite direction to the rotation direction 131 here means, for example, parallel to the upper surface of the stage 52, tangential to the roller 79, and opposite to the rotation direction 131. In this embodiment, the roller 79 is fixed in position in the XYZ axis directions. The controller 102 uses the lifting device 64 to raise the stage 52 to a position where the roller 79 contacts the ultraviolet curing resin 76 discharged onto the base member 70, thereby performing flattening. The controller 102 also increases (makes faster) the rotational speed of the roller 79 in the rotational direction 131 compared to the movement speed of the stage 52 in the movement direction 133.

[0028] The roller 79 comes into contact with the UV-curing resin 76 in a flowable state, transfers the UV-curing resin 76 to the roller 79, scrapes it up, and collects it with the recovery unit 80, while flattening the surface of the UV-curing resin 76. Note that the operating directions of the base member 70 and the roller 79 described above are just examples. For example, the roller 79 may be configured to move in the X-axis direction, and the controller 102 may move the roller 79 in the movement direction 133 or the opposite direction to the movement direction 133 while rotating it in the rotation direction 131 to perform the flattening.

[0029] Next, in the first curing treatment of S15, the controller 102 irradiates the planarized ultraviolet-curable resin 76 with ultraviolet light using the irradiation device 81. As shown in Figure 7, the irradiation device 81 cures the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 by irradiating the thin film-like spread ultraviolet-curable resin 76 (see Figure 6) with ultraviolet light, forming an insulating first planarization layer 86. This forms a first planarization layer 86 having a planarized first planarization surface 86A on its surface.

[0030] Next, the controller 102 determines whether or not a first planarization layer 86 of a predetermined thickness has been formed (S17). The controller 102 makes a negative determination in S17 until the thickness reaches a value specified by, for example, a setting in the control program 107 or an external input (S17: NO). The controller 102 can determine the thickness of the formed first planarization layer 86 based on, for example, the size of the droplets of ultraviolet curing resin 76 ejected from the inkjet head 75, the number of times S11 to S15 have been repeatedly executed, etc. The controller 102 laminates an insulating layer by repeatedly executing the processes of S11 to S15, forming a first planarization layer 86 having a first planarization surface 86A on its surface and having a predetermined thickness. Note that the controller 102 does not have to execute the first planarization process in S13 every time S11 is executed. For example, the controller 102 may execute the first planarization process in S13 every time S11 and S15 are executed multiple times.

[0031] If the controller 102 determines in S17 that it has formed a first planarization layer 86 of a predetermined thickness (S17: YES), then in the second ejection process in S19, it ejects ultraviolet curing resin 76 onto the first planarization surface 86A in order to smooth the first planarization surface 86A of the first planarization layer 86. By repeatedly executing S11 to S15, a planarized first planarization surface 86A can be formed on the surface of the first planarization layer 86. Figure 8 schematically shows the first planarization layer 86 with a planarized surface. As shown in Figure 8, fine irregularities 91 are formed on the first planarization surface 86A of the planarized first planarization layer 86 due to, for example, differences in the amount of ultraviolet curing resin 76 ejected from the nozzle of the inkjet head 75 or the size of the droplets of ultraviolet curing resin 76. The height of these irregularities 91 may be, for example, ±10 μm, which is extremely small compared to the size of the roller 79. Therefore, even if the first planarized surface 86A of the first planarized layer 86 is planarized with the roller 79, it is difficult to planarize down to the fine irregularities 91. In this disclosure, a surface on which these fine irregularities 91 are formed is defined as a planarized surface. Furthermore, a surface on which these fine irregularities 91 are reduced, or on which the surface irregularities become ±1 μm or less (it can be assumed that the original irregularities 91 have disappeared), is defined as a smoothed surface.

[0032] When irregularities 91 are formed on the first planarized surface 86A, variations in the thickness of the metal wiring occur when metal wiring is formed on this first planarized surface 86A. Alternatively, the metal wiring may not be completely fired in areas with greater thickness (metal particles may not come into contact or fuse), which may reduce the conductivity of the metal wiring. As a result, the resistance value of the metal wiring becomes uniform, making it difficult to obtain the desired high-frequency characteristics.

[0033] Therefore, the controller 102 performs smoothing by again dispensing ultraviolet-curable resin 76 onto the first flattened surface 86A of the flattened first flattening layer 86 to reduce or eliminate the irregularities 91. In the second dispensing process of S19 in Figure 3, the controller 102 uses the inkjet head 75 to dispensing ultraviolet-curable resin 76 onto the first flattened surface 86A. In the following description, when distinguishing between the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 of the first dispensing process of S11 and the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 of the second dispensing process of S19, the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 of S19 will be referred to as the second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A. The controller 102 sets the amount of the second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A dispensed in S19 to an amount corresponding to the size of the irregularities 91. For example, if the height of the formed irregularities 91 is high (the grooves are deep), the controller 102 performs a process to increase the dispensing amount of the inkjet head 75. Furthermore, the controller 102 may dispense the second ultraviolet curing resin 76A at a constant discharge rate regardless of the size of the irregularities 91.

[0034] Next, the controller 102 performs a semi-curing treatment on the second UV-curable resin 76A extruded in S19 (S23). The controller 102 irradiates the second UV-curable resin 76A with ultraviolet light from the irradiation device 81 to semi-cure it (see Figure 7). The semi-cured state refers to a state in which viscosity has decreased and fluidity has improved, but the physical properties are not yet completely stable. The semi-cured state is, for example, a state in which, when a new layer of the second UV-curable resin 76A is extruded on top of a layer of semi-cured second UV-curable resin 76A, the extruded second UV-curable resin 76A does not mix with the layer, but is cured to the extent that it sits on top of the semi-cured layer. The controller 102 semi-cures the second UV-curable resin 76A by, for example, reducing the intensity of the ultraviolet light irradiated onto the second UV-curable resin 76A (light intensity), the scanning speed of the ultraviolet light scanning, the number of scans, the irradiation time, and the number of irradiations compared to a normal curing treatment (such as the first curing treatment in S15).

[0035] The controller 102, similar to S17 described above, repeatedly performs the processes S19 to S23 until a semi-cured layer of a predetermined thickness is formed (S25:NO), thereby laminating the semi-cured second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A. As shown in Figure 9, a semi-cured layer 92 is formed on the first planarization layer 86 by laminating the semi-cured second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A. The semi-cured second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A spreads and smooths out the fine irregularities 91 of the first planarization surface 86A due to the leveling effect, forming a smooth surface 93. The leveling effect here refers to the phenomenon in which the surface area of ​​the liquid is minimized due to surface tension. Although it also depends on the viscosity of the liquid, over time the thin film formed by the second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A changes to a flatter (more uniform) film thickness. The second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A spreads out when dispensed onto the first planarization surface 86A, filling in the irregularities 91.

[0036] When the controller 102 forms a semi-cured layer 92 of a predetermined thickness (S25:YES), it performs a second planarization process (S27). Here, during the formation of the semi-cured layer 92 in S19 to S25, or during subsequent curing, localized enlargements are formed due to the surface tension of the second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A. In detail, Figure 10 is a schematic diagram illustrating the enlargement 135. As shown in Figure 10, for example, when a small-width object 139 is fabricated with a width 137 in the X-axis direction of a few millimeters or less, an enlargement 135 that bulges upward in the Z-axis direction is formed in the semi-cured layer 92 due to the surface tension of the second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A. Also, for example, when an object 141 is fabricated with a width in the X-axis direction or Y-axis direction of a certain width (e.g., 3 mm) or more, an enlargement 135 that bulges upward is formed at the ends of the object 141 in the X-axis direction or Y-axis direction. Each of the fabricated objects 139 and 141 has an enlarged portion 135 that protrudes above a predetermined height 143. This predetermined height 143 is a target height defined, for example, by the three-dimensional data of the control program 107, and is the height at which the smooth surface 93 is formed.

[0037] Furthermore, if molding is continued on the semi-cured layer 92, for example, the UV-curing resin extruded onto the augmented portion 135 will have a stronger adhesion force to the substrate (augmented portion 135) due to surface tension compared to UV-curing resin printed on a flat surface such as the smooth surface 93. Therefore, if the same amount of UV-curing resin is extruded onto the augmented portion 135 and the smooth surface 93, and the same planarization process is performed, the augmented portion 135 will remain in the molded object. As a result, the thickness and molding accuracy of the finished molded object will be reduced. In addition, there is a risk that the augmented portion 135 and the roller 79 may come into contact during the planarization process, causing damage to part of the molded object, or that fragments of the molded object may be collected in the recovery unit 80.

[0038] Therefore, the controller 102 executes the second flattening process in S27 to reduce the size of the enlarged portion 135 (suppress the enlargement). The controller 102 moves the stage 52 to the position of the flattening device 78 and adjusts the height of the stage 52 so that the lower end of the roller 79 is positioned on the smooth surface 93, i.e., at a predetermined height 143, as shown in Figure 10. As described above, in this embodiment, the position of the roller 79 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions is fixed. Then, with this position fixed, the roller 79 rotates and performs flattening by the roller 79 by aligning the position where it contacts the semi-cured layer 92 with the position of the upper surface (smooth surface 93) of the semi-cured layer 92 in the design data. This allows the second ultraviolet curing resin 76A contained in the enlarged portion 135 protruding from the smooth surface 93 to be transferred to and collected by the roller 79, thereby reducing the size of the enlarged portion 135 and flattening it. The second flattening process may also be performed while moving the roller 79 without fixing its position. Additionally, the position of the roller 79 may be slightly above or below the smooth surface 93.

[0039] Furthermore, the method for aligning the position of the roller 79 with the position of the upper surface of the semi-cured layer 92 is not particularly limited. Based on the three-dimensional data of the control program 107, the position of the lower end of the roller 79 may be aligned with the target height for creating the smooth surface 93. Alternatively, the height of the upper surface of the semi-cured layer 92 may be measured by experimentally creating a molded object, and the position of the roller 79 may be adjusted. Or, before executing S27 in the actual molding process, the height of the upper surface of the molded semi-cured layer 92 may be measured using a sensor or the like, and the position of the roller 79 may be adjusted. Alternatively, the position of the stage 52 may be fixed, and the position of the roller 79 in the Z-axis direction may be adjusted to align with the position of the upper surface of the semi-cured layer 92. Alternatively, both the stage 52 and the roller 79 may be moved in the Z-axis direction for adjustment.

[0040] Furthermore, unlike the first planarization process in S13, the controller 102 moves the stage 52 in a movement direction 145 which is the same direction as the rotation direction 131 of the roller 79, as shown in Figure 9, to planarize the semi-cured layer 92 with the roller 79. Here, the same direction as the rotation direction 131 means, for example, that it is parallel to the upper surface of the stage 52, tangential to the roller 79, and in the same direction as the rotation direction 131. As described above, the position of the roller 79 is fixed, so the roller 79 rotates while its position in the movement direction 145 of the stage 52, for example, in the X-axis direction, is fixed. Here, Figure 11 is a schematic diagram of the first planarization process. In the first planarization process in S13, for example, planarization is performed after one first discharge process (S11). For this reason, the UV-curing resin 76 targeted in the first planarization process has smaller individual droplets compared to the state in which multiple layers of the semi-cured second UV-curing resin 76A are stacked, as in the second planarization process. The intermolecular forces between the UV-curing resin 76 droplet itself and between the droplet and the cured film (the already cured portion of the first planarization layer 86) are weak (see arrow in Figure 11). In such cases, by reversing the rotation direction 131 and the movement direction 133, force is applied from the roller 79 to the UV-curing resin 76 in the direction of arrow 147 shown in Figure 11, and the excess UV-curing resin 76 is transferred to the roller 79, allowing for quick and efficient planarization. As a result, the molding time can be reduced.

[0041] On the other hand, Figure 12 is a schematic diagram of the second planarization process. In the second planarization process in S27, for example, the cycles S19 to S23 are executed multiple times to fill in the irregularities 91, and the semi-cured second UV-curing resin 76A is laminated. Therefore, even if one tries to transfer and recover it quickly as in the first planarization process, the liquid film formed by droplets of the second UV-curing resin 76A is large, and the intermolecular forces between the droplets themselves and between the droplets and the first planarization layer 86 are strong (see arrows in Figure 12). Consequently, if planarization is performed with the movement direction 133 and rotation direction 131 reversed as in the first planarization process, there is a risk that the second UV-curing resin 76A may not be sufficiently recovered (transferred). Therefore, by making the rotation direction 131 of the roller 79 and the movement direction 145 of the stage 52 the same direction, the time for the second ultraviolet curing resin 76A to move onto the surface of the roller 79, i.e., the transfer time, can be increased, allowing the excess second ultraviolet curing resin 76A to be more reliably transferred to the roller 79, recovered, and flattened. The enlarged portion 135 can be made smaller more reliably.

[0042] Furthermore, as described above, the controller 102 increases (speeds up) the rotation speed of the roller 79 in the rotation direction 131 compared to the movement speed of the stage 52 in the movement direction 133 during the first planarization process. For example, the controller 102 sets the rotation speed of the roller 79 to several times the movement speed of the stage 52. This allows the roller 79 to rotate faster during the first planarization process, where intermolecular forces are weaker and droplets are easier to transfer compared to the second planarization process, thereby increasing the amount transferred to the roller 79 per unit time and shortening the time required for the first planarization process. As a result, the molding time can be shortened.

[0043] Furthermore, in the second planarization process, the controller 102 makes the movement speed of the stage 52 in the movement direction 145 the same as the rotation speed of the roller 79 in the rotation direction 131. This eliminates the difference in relative movement speed between the roller 79 and the second UV-curing resin 76A on the stage 52, creating a state where the roller 79 appears to be pressing down on the second UV-curing resin 76A from above. In the second planarization process, where intermolecular forces are stronger and droplet transfer is more difficult than in the first planarization process, eliminating the relative movement between the roller 79 and the second UV-curing resin 76A allows for more reliable transfer of excess second UV-curing resin 76A to the roller 79.

[0044] When controller 102 executes S27, it performs a second curing treatment to cure the semi-cured layer 92 (S29). Controller 102 moves stage 52 to irradiation device 81 and irradiates the semi-cured layer 92 that has undergone the second planarization treatment with ultraviolet light. The second ultraviolet curing resin 76A hardens as its viscosity increases due to the irradiation with ultraviolet light, filling in the irregularities 91. A smooth layer 151 formed by curing the semi-cured layer 92 is formed on the first planarization layer 86 (see Figure 13). The smooth surface 93 formed on the upper surface of the smooth layer 151 becomes a surface with reduced or no irregularities 91 due to the leveling effect described above. In addition, the smooth surface 93 becomes a surface with reduced or no increased portions 135 due to the second planarization treatment.

[0045] Next, the controller 102 forms metal wiring at predetermined locations on the smooth surface 93 based on the three-dimensional data of the control program 107. More specifically, in the metal fluid ejection process of S31 in Figure 4, the controller 102 controls the inkjet head 75 to eject a thin film of metal ink 77 onto the smooth surface 93 of the smooth layer 151 (see Figure 13). In the conductor formation process of S33, the controller 102 heats and bakes the metal ink 77 ejected onto the smooth surface 93 using the heater 82 (see Figure 14). In S35, the controller 102 determines whether or not it has been able to form metal wiring 95 of the desired thickness and shape. For example, the controller 102 makes a negative determination in S35 up to a predetermined number of times (S35: NO), and repeatedly executes S31 and S33 to form the desired metal wiring 95 on the smooth surface 93. The desired metal wiring 95 here refers to metal wiring 95 that satisfies the required thickness, shape, position, and electrical characteristics. The controller 102 repeatedly executes S31 and S33 up to a preset number of times, then makes a positive determination in S35 (S35: YES), and executes S38. This makes it possible to fabricate the first planarization layer 86 (wiring substrate) with the metal wiring 95 formed on the smooth surface 93.

[0046] In this case, when metal ink 77 is ejected and cured onto the first flattened surface 86A on which irregularities 91 are formed to form metal wiring 95, the thickness of the metal wiring 95 becomes uneven due to the irregularities 91. This may lead to problems such as increased resistance of the metal wiring 95, disconnection, and a decrease in high-frequency characteristics. In contrast, the molding apparatus 10 of this embodiment reduces the fine irregularities 91 and increased portions 135 of the first flattened surface 86A, and by ejecting the metal ink 77 onto the reduced smooth surface 93, it is possible to form metal wiring 95 with a more uniform thickness. As a result, the resistance of the metal wiring 95 can be reduced to a desired value, and the occurrence of disconnection can be suppressed.

[0047] Next, the controller 102 determines whether or not to form two or more smoothing layers 151 and the uppermost second planarization layer 153A (see Figure 16), which will be described later (S38). At this point, only one smoothing layer 151 has been formed, so the controller 102 makes a negative determination (S38: NO) and executes S39. Details regarding the formation of multiple smoothing layers 151 and the uppermost second planarization layer 153A will be described later.

[0048] Next, the third extrusion process (S39) and the third planarization process (S41) are performed. If the enlarged portion 135 is not completely planarized and remains solidified as a result of the planarization process in S27 described above, there is a risk that the shape of the enlarged portion 135 will remain in the upper layer if further molding is continued on the smooth layer 151 having the enlarged portion 135. This is because, as described above, the ultraviolet curing resin extruded onto the enlarged portion 135 adheres to the enlarged portion 135 (substrate) more strongly due to surface tension compared to ultraviolet curing resin printed on a flat surface such as the smooth surface 93.

[0049] Therefore, the controller 102 ejects ultraviolet-curable resin 76 onto the smooth layer 151 and performs a third planarization process corresponding to the height of the augmented portion 135. More specifically, in S39, the controller ejects ultraviolet-curable resin 76 onto the smooth surface 93 using the inkjet head 75. In the following description, when distinguishing between the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 of the first ejection process in S11 and the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 of the third ejection process in S39, the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 of S39 will be referred to as the third ultraviolet-curable resin 76B. Also, the order and content of the processes shown in Figures 3 and 4 are examples, and for example, if metal wiring 95 is to be further fabricated on another part of the smooth surface 93 after performing S35, the processes from S31 to S35 may be repeated.

[0050] Next, in the third planarization process in S41, the controller 102 planarizes the discharged third ultraviolet curing resin 76B with the roller 79. After planarization in S41, the controller 102 irradiates the planarized third ultraviolet curing resin 76B with ultraviolet light using the irradiation device 81 to form a thin insulating layer (S43). Next, the controller 102 determines whether or not a second planarization layer 153 of a predetermined thickness set by the control program 107 has been formed (S45). The controller 102 repeatedly executes S39, S41, and S43 until a second planarization layer 153 of a predetermined thickness can be formed (S45:NO), thereby laminating the insulating layer and forming a second planarization layer 153 having a predetermined thickness. Note that the controller 102 does not need to execute the third planarization process in S41 every time S39 is executed.

[0051] Figure 15 shows the state in which the first layer 155 and the second layer 156, which are included in the second planarization layer 153, are formed. Note that the metal wiring 95 is not shown in Figure 15. The first layer 155 is the bottommost of the multiple insulating layers included in the second planarization layer 153. The second layer 156 is the insulating layer one level above the first layer 155. That is, the first layer 155 is an insulating layer formed in the first cycle of S39, S41, and S43, and the second layer 156 is an insulating layer formed in the second cycle.

[0052] In S41, the controller 102 positions the roller 79 at a height corresponding to the height of the augmented portion 135 formed in the smooth layer 151, and increases the number of scanning passes by the roller 79 compared to the first flattening process in S13 to perform flattening. The augmented portion 135 formed in the smooth layer 151 referred to here is the augmented portion 135 that was formed (remained) even after the second flattening process in S27 described above. The controller 102 uses a height 157 (see the top diagram in Figure 15) as the height corresponding to the height of the augmented portion 135, such that the roller 79 does not come into contact with the augmented portion 135 formed in the smooth layer 151, and the roller 79 comes into contact with the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B discharged onto the augmented portion 135 in the third discharge process in S39.

[0053] In Figure 15, S41A and S43A respectively show the first third planarization treatment and third curing treatment, while S41B and S43B respectively show the second third planarization treatment and third curing treatment. In S41A, the controller 102 adjusts the height of the stage 52 and positions the roller 79 at a location that does not contact the augmented portion 135 of the smooth layer 151, but contacts the third UV-curing resin 76B that was extruded in the first third extrusion treatment, i.e., extruded onto the augmented portion 135. This avoids interference between the roller 79 and the augmented portion 135, suppressing damage to the molded object. Some or all of the third UV-curing resin 76B extruded onto the augmented portion 135 is recovered by the roller 79 or deposited on the smooth surface 93 which is recessed compared to the augmented portion 135. This allows more of the third UV-curing resin 76B to be deposited on the smooth surface 93 compared to the augmented portion 135. The controller 102 performs the third flattening process in S41A, and then the third curing process in S43A. As a result, if the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B is laminated on the augmented portion 135, a convex portion 158 will be formed on the augmented portion 135 that is higher than the other parts. However, the height difference 159 between the apex of the convex portion 158 and the other parts can be made smaller than when the height of the roller 79 is not adjusted (for example, when the lower end of the roller 79 is aligned with the position of the smooth surface 93). In other words, the protrusion caused by the augmented portion 135 can be suppressed by the upper layer, and the influence of the augmented portion 135 on the shape of the upper layer can be reduced. Preferably, the first layer 155 is flattened at the height of the apex of the augmented portion 135. In other words, preferably, the first layer 155 forms a flat surface in which no convex portion 158 is formed.

[0054] If the raised portion 135 cannot be flattened by performing the S39-S43 process in just one cycle, it is effective to perform multiple cycles. When the controller 102 fabricates the second layer 156 in the next cycle, in the third planarization process (S41B), it adjusts the height of the stage 52 and positions the roller 79 at a height corresponding to the height of the raised portion 135. The controller 102 positions the roller 79 at a height 160 such that the roller 79 does not contact the convex portion 158 laminated on the raised portion 135, but the roller 79 contacts the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B extruded onto the convex portion 158, thereby planarizing the layer. As a result, the second layer 156 cured in S43B preferably forms a flat surface on its upper surface. Alternatively, the height difference 163 between the apex of the convex portion 161 that is laminated on the convex portion 158 and other parts of the second layer 156 becomes even smaller. In other words, the raised portion can be made smaller.

[0055] Furthermore, the method of positioning the roller 79 at a height corresponding to the height of the enlarged portion 135 and the protrusion 158 is not particularly limited. The controller 102 may adjust the height of the stage 52 based on a setting value pre-set in the control program 107. Alternatively, the height of the stage 52 (roller 79) may be determined by experimentally fabricating an object and measuring the height of the enlarged portion 135 and the protrusion 158, 161. Or, before executing S41 in the actual fabrication process, the height of the fabricated enlarged portion 135 and the protrusion 158 may be measured using a sensor or the like and the height of the roller 79 may be adjusted. Alternatively, the position of the stage 52 may be fixed, and the position of the roller 79 in the Z-axis direction may be adjusted, or both the stage 52 and the roller 79 may be moved in the Z-axis direction and adjusted.

[0056] Furthermore, in the third planarization process (S41A) for forming the first layer 155, the controller 102 performs planarization with the distance between the smooth surface 93 (upper surface) of the smooth layer 151 and the roller 79 in the Z-axis direction set to the first distance 165. In the third planarization process (S41B) for forming the second layer 156 of the next cycle, the controller 102 performs planarization with the distance between the upper surface of the first layer 155 and the roller 79 in the Z-axis direction set to the second distance 166. The controller 102 makes the second distance 166 shorter than the first distance 165. This is because, as described above, by repeatedly performing the third extrusion process, the third planarization process, and the third hardening process, the height difference 159,163 can be gradually reduced, making it possible to gradually bring the roller 79 closer to the upper surface of the molded object (the flat surface excluding the protrusions 158,161). Therefore, the difference between the second distance 166 and the first distance 165 is preferably the difference between the distance between the apex of the enlarged portion 135 and the smooth surface 93, and the distance between the upper surface of the first layer 155 and the apex of the convex portion 158. In other words, the roller 79 can be brought closer to the flat surface (upper surface) by the distance by which the protrusion of the enlarged portion 135 can be suppressed by the molding of the first layer 155. By making the second distance 166 shorter than the first distance 165, the roller 79 can be brought closer to the convex portion 158 and flattening can be performed more effectively.

[0057] Furthermore, when the controller 102 executes the S39, S41, and S43 cycles multiple times, it may gradually shorten the distance between the top surface of the insulating layer cured in the previous cycle and the roller 79 as the cycle progresses, that is, as it moves to higher layers. That is, when stacking the first layer 155, the second layer 156, the third layer (not shown), etc., the distance between the top surface of each layer and the roller 79 may be gradually shortened. This allows the roller 79 to be brought relatively closer to the top surface of the molded object as the height difference 159,163 decreases, thereby flattening the protrusions 158,161 further.

[0058] Furthermore, the controller 102 increases the number of scans of the roller 79 in the third planarization process compared to the first planarization process in S13. Here, as shown in Figure 11, in the first planarization process, ultraviolet curing resin 76 is discharged onto the surface where the augmented portion 135 is not formed to flatten it. As a result, there are droplets of ultraviolet curing resin 76 on the flat substrate, and excess droplets can be transferred to the roller 79, for example, by scraping them off with a squeegee. Therefore, it is easy to transfer the ultraviolet curing resin 76 to the roller 79.

[0059] On the other hand, in the third planarization process, as shown in S41A and S41B in Figure 15, droplets of the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B are present on curved surfaces such as the augmented portion 135 and the convex portion 158, making it impossible to collect the droplets with the roller 79 as if scraping a flat surface with a squeegee. Furthermore, due to the curved shape, the contact time between the droplets on the augmented portion 135 and the convex portion 158 and the roller 79 is short, which may make transfer difficult in a single scan. Therefore, the controller 102 increases the number of scans in the third planarization process. For example, if the controller 102 considers moving the stage 52 once in the X-axis direction relative to the roller 79 as one scan, it increases the number of scans in S41 by several times compared to the number of scans in S13. This increases the number of scans, increases the time for the droplets to transfer to the roller 79, and allows for more reliable collection of droplets on the augmented portion 135 and the convex portions 158 and 161. As a result, the increase in the stacked protrusions 158 and 161 can be suppressed, and consequently, the surface can be made flatter.

[0060] Similar to the first planarization process in S13, the controller 102 moves the stage 52 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction 131 of the roller 79 during the third planarization process in S41 to perform planarization (see Figure 15). This allows force to be applied from the roller 79 to the UV-curing resin 76 in the direction of the arrow 147 shown in Figure 11, similar to the first planarization process, transferring the excess UV-curing resin 76 to the roller 79 and enabling quick and efficient planarization.

[0061] Furthermore, in the third planarization process in S41, similar to the first planarization process, the controller 102 increases the rotation speed of the rollers compared to the movement speed of the stage 52. For example, the controller 102 sets the rotation speed of the rollers 79 to several times the movement speed of the stage 52. This allows the rollers 79 to rotate faster in the third planarization process, where intermolecular forces are weaker and droplets are easier to transfer compared to the second planarization process. This increases the amount transferred to the rollers 79 per unit time, thereby shortening the time required for the third planarization process. As a result, the molding time can be reduced.

[0062] Next, in S45, the controller 102 determines that the formation of the second planarization layer 153 of a predetermined thickness is complete (S45:YES), and then determines whether to further stack the smooth layer 151 or whether multiple smooth layers 151 have already been stacked (S47). If the controller 102 decides to further form the smooth layer 151 or metal wiring 95 on the second planarization layer 153, or if two or more smooth layers 151 have already been formed (S47:YES), it executes S19 to create the smooth layer 151, create the metal wiring 95, etc. On the other hand, if the controller 102 decides to form only one smooth layer 151 and does not decide to form multiple smooth layers 151 (S47:NO), it forms the first planarization layer 86 on the second planarization layer 153 (S51) and terminates the fabrication process.

[0063] If two or more smooth layers 151 are stacked, the controller 102, in the subsequent S38, determines whether or not to form the uppermost second planarization layer 153A (see Figure 16), which is the other condition, because two or more smooth layers 151 have been formed and the first condition of S38 has been met. The uppermost second planarization layer 153A is the layer formed as the uppermost second planarization layer 153 when multiple combinations of smooth layers 151 and second planarization layers 153 are stacked. If the controller 102 decides not to form the uppermost second planarization layer 153A, that is, to continue forming the second planarization layer 153 and smooth layers 151 (S38: NO), it executes S39 onwards. This allows S39 to S45 to be executed on the enlarged portion 135 formed by the second and subsequent smooth layers 151 to achieve planarization.

[0064] The controller 102 repeatedly executes steps S19 to S35 and S39 to S45 to repeatedly form and stack the smooth layer 151 and the second planarization layer 153. Figure 16 shows an example of a completed object, an object 171 in which four layers of the second planarization layer 153 (including the topmost second planarization layer 153A) and the smooth layer 151 are stacked. Note that the metal wiring 95 is not shown in Figure 16. If a positive judgment is made in S47 (S47: YES) and steps S19 to S45 are repeatedly executed, the controller 102 will create an object 171 in which the smooth layer 151 and the second planarization layer 153 are alternately formed and stacked, as shown in Figure 16. Although the enlargement of the enlarged portion 135 and the protrusions 158 and 161 is suppressed by the third flattening process (S41), if fine protrusions 158 and 161 remain on each second flattening layer 153, they may accumulate and be stacked. Therefore, when the uppermost second flattening layer 153A is fabricated after stacking two or more smooth layers 151, the controller 102 fabricates the uppermost second flattening layer 153A which is thicker than the lower second flattening layer 153 to flatten the bulges of the accumulated protrusions 158 and 161.

[0065] After the controller 102 alternately forms and stacks the smoothing layer 151 and the second planarization layer 153, when it reaches the stage of forming the uppermost second planarization layer 153A, it makes an affirmative decision in S38 (S38: YES) and forms the uppermost second planarization layer 153A (S49). In the steps S19 to S29, which precede the execution of S49, the uppermost smoothing layer 151A shown in Figure 16 is formed. In S49, the controller 102 repeatedly performs the same process as for forming the second planarization layer 153 (the same process as in S39, S41, and S43) to form the planarization layer. Furthermore, the controller 102 increases the number of times steps S39, S41, and S43 are repeated compared to the number of times steps S39, S41, and S43 were repeated when forming other second flattening layers 153 (such as the first and second second flattening layers 153 shown in Figure 16) that are below the uppermost second flattening layer 153A. This increases the thickness of the uppermost second flattening layer 153A in the Z-axis direction compared to the second flattening layer 153. If the increased portion 135 cannot be sufficiently flattened even after stacking multiple second flattening layers 153, the uppermost second flattening layer 153A is made thicker, and the number of times the accumulated increased portion 135 is flattened is increased, allowing the accumulated irregularities to be flattened all at once. Note that the conditions for forming the uppermost second flattening layer 153A are not limited to the condition of forming two or more smoothing layers 151, but may also be the condition of forming smoothing layers 151 in a predetermined number of layers or more. Furthermore, the controller 102 may perform the mounting of electronic components by the mounting unit 23 after the object has been fabricated. For example, the controller 102 may eject metallic ink 77 from the inkjet head 75 onto the metal wiring 95 and control the mounting unit 23 to position the electronic components so that the ejected ink and the terminals of the electronic components make contact. The controller 102 may also connect the electronic components to the metal wiring 95 (circuit) by firing the metallic ink 77 with a heater 82.

[0066] According to the above-described embodiment, the following effects are achieved. The controller 102 of the molding apparatus 10 performs a first extrusion process (S11) in which ultraviolet curing resin 76 is extruded from above the stage 52, a first flattening process (S13) in which the ultraviolet curing resin 76 extruded in S11 is flattened by a roller 79, and a first curing process (S15) in which the ultraviolet curing resin 76 flattened in S13 is cured. The controller 102 repeatedly performs S11, S13, and S15 until a predetermined thickness is reached (S17:NO) to form a first flattened layer 86. The controller 102 also performs a second extrusion process (S19) in which second ultraviolet curing resin 76A is extruded from above the stage 52, and a semi-curing process (S23) in which the second ultraviolet curing resin 76A extruded in S19 is partially cured. The controller 102 repeatedly performs S19 and S23 until a predetermined thickness is reached (S25:NO) to form a semi-cured layer 92 on the stage 52. Furthermore, the controller 102 performs a second planarization process (S27) in which the semi-cured layer 92 is flattened by the roller 79, a second curing process (S29) in which the semi-cured layer 92 flattened in S27 is cured to form a smooth layer 151, and a third discharge process (S39) in which the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B is discharged onto the smooth layer 151 cured in S29. In the third planarization process (S41) in which the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B discharged in S39 is flattened by the roller 79, the controller 102 positions the roller 79 at a height corresponding to the height 157 of the augmented portion 135 formed in the smooth layer 151, and increases the number of scans for planarization by the roller 79 compared to S13. The controller 102 then cures the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B that was flattened in S41 (S43). The controller 102 repeatedly executes steps S39, S41, and S43 until a predetermined thickness is reached (S45:NO) to form a second planarization layer 153 on top of the smooth layer 151.

[0067] According to this method, when flattening the third UV-curing resin 76B extruded onto the smooth layer 151, the roller 79 is positioned at a height corresponding to the height of the augmented portion 135 of the smooth layer 151 for flattening. While avoiding interference between the augmented portion 135 and the roller 79, the roller 79 can be brought into contact with the third UV-curing resin 76B extruded onto the augmented portion 135 for flattening. Furthermore, by increasing the number of flattening scans, the total contact time between the third UV-curing resin 76B extruded onto the augmented portion 135 and the roller 79 can be increased, and the augmentation of the augmented portion 135 can be suppressed by transferring and removing the excess third UV-curing resin 76B to the roller 79. As a result, the influence of the augmented portion 135 on the upper layer can be reduced.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the controller 102 of the control device 26 includes a first discharge unit 110, a first flattening unit 111, a first hardening unit 112, a first flattening layer forming unit 113, a second discharge unit 115, a semi-hardening unit 116, a semi-hardened layer forming unit 117, a second flattening unit 118, a second hardening unit 119, a third discharge unit 120, a third flattening unit 121, a third hardening unit 122, and a second flattening layer forming unit 123. The first discharge unit 110, etc., are processing modules realized, for example, by executing a control program 107 in the CPU of the controller 102. However, the first discharge unit 110, etc., may be configured in hardware instead of software.

[0069] The first discharge unit 110 is a functional unit that discharges ultraviolet-curable resin 76 from an inkjet head 75 above the stage 52. The first planarization unit 111 is a functional unit that planarizes the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 discharged by the first discharge unit 110 using a roller 79. The first curing unit 112 is a functional unit that cures the ultraviolet-curable resin 76 planarized by the first planarization unit 111 using a curing unit 74. The first planarization layer forming unit 113 is a functional unit that repeatedly performs steps S11, S13, and S15 to form a first planarization layer 86 on the stage 52. The second discharge unit 115 is a functional unit that discharges a second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A onto the stage 52 from an inkjet head 75. The semi-curing unit 116 is a functional unit that semi-cures the second ultraviolet-curable resin 76A discharged by the second discharge unit 115 using a curing unit 74. The semi-cured layer forming section 117 is a functional section that repeatedly executes S19 and S23 to form a semi-cured layer 92 on the stage 52. The second flattening section 118 is a functional section that flattens the semi-cured layer 92 with a roller 79. The second curing section 119 is a functional section that cures the semi-cured layer 92 flattened by the second flattening section 118 to form a smooth layer 151. The third discharge section 120 is a functional section that discharges the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B onto the smooth layer 151 cured by the second curing section 119. The third flattening section 121 is a functional section that positions the roller 79 at a height 157 corresponding to the height of the augmented portion 135 formed in the smooth layer 151, increases the number of scans by the roller 79 compared to the first flattening process, and flattens the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B discharged by the third discharge section 120 with the roller 79. The third curing section 122 is a functional section that cures the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B that has been flattened by the third planarization section 121. The second planarization layer forming section 123 is a functional section that repeatedly performs steps S39, S41, and S43 to form the second planarization layer 153 on the smooth layer 151.

[0070] Incidentally, in the above embodiment, the curing unit 74 is an example of a curing device. The inkjet head 75 is an example of an ejection device. The ultraviolet curing resin 76 and the third ultraviolet curing resin 76B are examples of the first curable viscous fluid. The metal ink 77 is an example of a fluid containing metal particles. The second ultraviolet curing resin 76A is an example of the second curable viscous fluid. The roller 79 is an example of a planarizing member. The metal wiring 95 is an example of a conductor. S11 is an example of the first ejection process and the first planarization layer formation process. S13 is an example of the first planarization process and the first planarization layer formation process. S15 is an example of the first curing process and the first planarization layer formation process. S19 is an example of the second ejection process and the semi-cured layer formation process. S23 is an example of the semi-curing process and the semi-cured layer formation process. S27 is an example of the second planarization process. S29 is an example of the second curing process. S31 is an example of a metal fluid discharge process. S33 is an example of a conductor formation process. S39 is an example of a third discharge process and a second planarization layer formation process. S41 is an example of a third planarization process and a second planarization layer formation process. S43 is an example of a third hardening process and a second planarization layer formation process.

[0071] (3. Others) Furthermore, this disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented in various forms with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, the contents and order of each step in the manufacturing process shown in Figures 3 and 4 are just examples. For example, in the manufacturing process shown in Figures 3 and 4, a first planarization layer 86 is fabricated on the base member 70 of the stage 52, and a smoothing layer 151 is fabricated on the first planarization layer 86, but this is not the only option. For example, a semi-hardened layer 92 (smoothing layer 151) may be fabricated on the base member 70, a first planarization layer 86 may be fabricated on the smoothing layer 151, and then another smoothing layer 151 may be fabricated on the first planarization layer 86. Furthermore, in S41, the controller 102 may position the height of the roller 79 to contact the augmented portion 135. Therefore, the height corresponding to the height of the augmented portion 135 in this disclosure can be appropriately changed depending on the size, shape, etc. of the augmented portion 135. Furthermore, while the controller 102 shortens the distance between the upper surface of the second layer 156 and the roller 79 compared to the first layer 155, it may be the same or longer. Furthermore, the controller 102 does not need to increase the number of cycles S39, S41, and S43 when forming the uppermost second flattening layer 153A.

[0072] Furthermore, the controller 102 does not have to move the stage 52 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction 131 of the roller 79 in at least one of S13 and S41. For example, the controller 102 may perform flattening by moving the stage 52 in the same direction as the rotation direction 131. Furthermore, in S27, the controller 102 may move the stage 52 in the opposite direction to the rotation direction 131. Furthermore, the controller 102 may set the rotation speed of the roller 79 to be the same as, or less than, the movement speed of the stage 52, in at least one of S13 and S41. Furthermore, in S27, the controller 102 may set the movement speed of the stage 52 to be greater than or less than the rotation speed of the roller 79. Furthermore, the controller 102 does not need to form metal wiring 95. Although the molding apparatus 10 had the roller 79 in a fixed position, it may also be configured in a way that it is not fixed. The molding apparatus 10 may perform planarization by moving the roller 79 in each of the XYZ axes during each planarization step (process). Furthermore, the controller 102 does not require the mounting of electronic components.

[0073] The first curable viscous fluid and the second curable viscous fluid in this disclosure are not limited to the ultraviolet-curable resin 76, but can be various curable viscous fluids that harden by light, heat, etc. Therefore, the method for hardening the first curable viscous fluid and the second curable viscous fluid is not limited to ultraviolet light. The first curable viscous fluid and the second curable viscous fluid may be different types of curable viscous fluids. The fluid containing metal particles in this disclosure is not limited to the silver-containing metal ink 77, but can also be a fluid containing other metals. In the above embodiment, a molding apparatus 10 for manufacturing a wiring board was used as the molding apparatus of the present disclosure, but it is not limited to this. Various manufacturing apparatuses that perform molding using a first curable viscous fluid and a second curable viscous fluid can be used as the manufacturing apparatus of the present disclosure. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0074] 10 Molding device, 26 Control device, 52 Stage, 74 Curing unit (curing device), 75 Inkjet head (ejector), 76 UV-curable resin (first curable viscous fluid), 76A Second UV-curable resin (second curable viscous fluid), 76B Third UV-curable resin (first curable viscous fluid), 77 Metal ink (fluid containing metal particles), 79 Roller (planarizing member), 86 First planarizing layer, 92 Semi-cured layer, 93 Smooth surface, 95 Metal wiring (conductor), 110 First ejector unit, 111 Planarizing unit, 112 First curing unit, 113 First planarizing layer forming unit, 115 Second ejector unit, 116 Semi-cured unit, 117 Semi-cured layer forming unit, 118 Second planarizing unit, 119 Second curing unit, 120 Third ejector unit, 121 Third planarizing unit, 122 Third hardening section, 123 Second flattening layer forming section, 131 Rotation direction, 135 Enlargement section, 151 Smooth layer, 153 Second flattening layer, 153A Uppermost second flattening layer, 155 First layer, 156 Second layer, 157 Height, 165 First distance, 166 Second distance.

Claims

1. A first discharge step in which a first curable viscous fluid is discharged from above the stage, A first planarization step in which the first curable viscous fluid discharged in the first discharge step is planarized by a planarization member, A first curing step is performed to cure the first curable viscous fluid that has been flattened by the first planarization step, A first planar layer formation step is performed by repeatedly executing the first discharge step, the first planar step, and the first curing step to form a first planar layer on the stage, A second discharge step in which a second curable viscous fluid is discharged from above the stage, A semi-curing step in which the second curable viscous fluid discharged in the second discharge step is partially cured, A semi-hardened layer formation step is performed by repeatedly carrying out the second discharge step and the semi-hardening step to form a semi-hardened layer on the stage, A second planarization step in which the semi-hardened layer is planarized using the planarizing member, A second curing step in which the semi-cured layer flattened in the second planarization step is cured to form a smooth layer, A third discharge step in which the first curable viscous fluid is discharged onto the smooth layer cured in the second curing step, A third flattening step is performed in which the flattening member is positioned at a height corresponding to the height of the increased portion formed in the smooth layer, and the number of scanning operations by the flattening member is increased compared to the first flattening step, thereby flattening the first curable viscous fluid discharged in the third discharge step with the flattening member. A third curing step in which the first curable viscous fluid, which has been flattened by the third planarization step, A second planar layer formation step is performed by repeatedly carrying out the third discharge step, the third planar step, and the third curing step to form a second planar layer on the smooth layer, A molding method that includes this.

2. In the second discharge step, The second curable viscous fluid is discharged onto the first planarization layer. In the aforementioned semi-hardened layer formation step, The molding method according to claim 1, comprising repeatedly performing the second dispensing step and the semi-curing step to form the semi-cured layer on the first planarized layer.

3. In the above 3 planarization process, The molding method according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the height used is such that the flattening member does not come into contact with the augmented portion, and the flattening member comes into contact with the first curable viscous fluid discharged onto the augmented portion in the third discharge step, corresponding to the height of the augmented portion.

4. The second planarization layer formation step forms the second planarization layer having a first layer on the smooth layer and a second layer on the first layer. In the third planarization step of forming the first layer, the planarization is performed with the distance between the upper surface of the smooth layer and the planarization member set as the first distance. In the third planarization step of forming the second layer, the distance between the upper surface of the first layer and the planarization member is set to a second distance and planarization is performed. The second distance is The molding method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the distance is made shorter than the first distance.

5. A molding method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the smooth layer and the second planarized layer are alternately formed and stacked, and in the second planarized layer forming step, the uppermost second planarized layer which is the uppermost second planarized layer among the stacked plurality of second planarized layers, the number of times the third discharge step, the third planarization step, and the third curing step are repeated is increased compared to the number of times the second planarized layer forming step is repeated to form other second planarized layers which are the layers below the uppermost second planarized layer, thereby increasing the thickness of the second planarized layer.

6. The flattening member is It's Laura, In the first planarization step and the third planarization step, The first curable viscous fluid is flattened by the roller, and the stage is moved in the opposite direction to the rotation direction of the roller to flatten it further. In the aforementioned second planarization step, The molding method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the semi-hardened layer is flattened by the roller and the stage is moved in the same direction as the rotation direction of the roller to flatten it.

7. In the first planarization step and the third planarization step, The rotational speed of the roller is increased compared to the moving speed of the stage. In the aforementioned second planarization step, The molding method according to claim 6, wherein the moving speed of the stage and the rotation speed of the roller are made the same.

8. A metal fluid discharge step in which a fluid containing metal particles is discharged onto the smooth surface of the smooth layer, A conductor forming step involves curing the fluid containing the metal particles discharged in the metal fluid discharge step to form a metallic conductor on the smooth surface, A molding method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, including the following:

9. Discharge device and A flattening member and Curing device and Control device and Equipped with, The control device is A first discharge unit that discharges a first curable viscous fluid from above the stage by the discharge device, A first flattening unit that flattens the first curable viscous fluid discharged by the first discharge unit using the flattening member, A first curing unit that cures the first curable viscous fluid, which has been flattened by the first flattening unit, using the curing device, A first flattening layer forming unit that repeatedly performs the processing by the first discharge unit, the first flattening unit, and the first hardening unit to form a first flattening layer on the stage, A second discharge unit that discharges a second curable viscous fluid from above the stage by the discharge device, A semi-curing section in which the second curable viscous fluid discharged in the second discharge section is partially cured by the curing device, A semi-hardened layer forming unit that repeatedly performs the processing by the second discharge unit and the semi-hardened unit to form a semi-hardened layer on the stage, A second flattening section that flattens the semi-hardened layer using the flattening member, A second curing section, which cures the semi-cured layer flattened in the second flattening section using the curing device to form a smooth layer, A third discharge unit discharges the first curable viscous fluid onto the smooth layer cured in the second curing unit using the discharge device, The flattening member is positioned at a height corresponding to the height of the increased portion formed in the smooth layer, and the number of scanning operations by the flattening member is increased compared to the first flattening unit, thereby flattening the first curable viscous fluid discharged by the third discharge unit using the flattening member. A third curing section, which cures the first curable viscous fluid flattened by the third flattening section using the curing device, A second flattening layer forming unit that repeatedly performs the processing by the third discharge unit, the third flattening unit, and the third hardening unit to form a second flattening layer on the smooth layer, A molding device equipped with the following features.

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