Compression molding apparatus and compression molding method

Abstract

To provide a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method that enable a compact compression molding apparatus, improve the ease of maintenance of a sealing mold, reduce machine time, and improve productivity.SOLUTION: A compression molding apparatus 1 uses a sealing mold 202 having an upper mold 204 with a cavity 208 and a lower mold 206 having a workpiece holding portion 205 to seal a workpiece W with a sealing resin R and process it into a molded product Wp, and is equipped with a transport device 302 that transports the workpiece W and the sealing resin R into the sealing mold 202, and the transport device 302 is equipped with a workpiece hand 312 that holds the workpiece W and a resin hand 322 that holds the sealing resin R, and the workpiece hand 312 is configured to hold the workpiece W at a position directly below the sealing resin R held by the resin hand 322.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a resin sealing apparatus and a resin sealing method for sealing a work in which an electronic component is mounted on a base material with a sealing resin and processing it into a molded product, a compression molding method is known.

[0003] The compression molding method is a technique for resin sealing by supplying a predetermined amount of sealing resin to a sealing region (cavity) provided in a sealing mold including an upper mold and a lower mold, placing a work in the sealing region, and clamping with the upper mold and the lower mold (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2013-42017, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2019-145550).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the case of the compression molding method, since the sealing resin is supplied into the cavity of the sealing mold and the sealing resin is cured by the movement of the cavity in the thickness direction to perform resin sealing on the work, even if there is a space in the vertical direction between the work and the sealing resin when the mold is opened, they need to overlap.

[0006] As an example, Patent Document 1 describes a method for transporting a workpiece and sealing resin into a sealing mold of a compression molding die with a movable upper cavity and a cavity provided in the upper mold, which generally involves placing the sealing resin on top of the workpiece and then transporting and setting the workpiece together into the compression molding die.

[0007] As another example, in a compression molding die with a movable lower cavity and a cavity provided in the lower die, Patent Document 2 describes a method for transporting workpieces and sealing resin into the sealing die. In the type that mainly uses granular resin, in order to reduce molding defects caused by dust generated from the granular resin, the pre-molding workpiece is transported from the left side of the sealing die and the molded workpiece is removed, while the sealing resin is supplied from the right side of the sealing die. In this case, in order to quickly transport and remove the pre-molding and molded workpieces, Patent Document 2 describes a method in which a first hand (a hand for transporting the pre-molding workpiece) and a second hand (a hand for transporting the molded workpiece) are arranged one behind the other at two locations on the front end of a single loader. However, in such a supply method, since the first hand and the second hand are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction, there is a problem that the transport device becomes large in the front-to-back direction. In addition, there is a problem that the entire compression molding apparatus becomes large because it is necessary to provide space for the transport device to enter the front side of the apparatus relative to the sealing die. Furthermore, the distance from the front of the compression molding apparatus to the sealing die becomes long, resulting in poor maintainability of the sealing die. Furthermore, there was a problem in that the machine time was extended because the travel distance of the conveying device increased. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method that enable the miniaturization of the compression molding apparatus, improve the maintainability of the sealing mold, shorten machine time, and improve productivity.

[0009] The present invention solves the above problem by a solution described below as one embodiment.

[0010] A compression molding apparatus according to one embodiment is a compression molding apparatus that processes a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with a sealing resin using a sealing die comprising an upper die having a cavity and a lower die having a workpiece holding portion, and comprises a conveying device for conveying the workpiece and the sealing resin into the sealing die, wherein the conveying device comprises a workpiece hand for holding the workpiece and a resin hand for holding the sealing resin, and the workpiece hand is configured to hold the workpiece at a position directly below the sealing resin held by the resin hand.

[0011] According to the above embodiment, since the workpiece and sealing resin are held in a hierarchical manner in the vertical direction within the conveying device, the dimensions of the conveying device in the front-to-back direction can be reduced. Therefore, the compression molding device can be made more compact. In addition, since the distance from the front of the compression molding device to the sealing mold is shortened, the maintainability of the sealing mold can be improved. Furthermore, since the sealing resin can be continuously placed on the workpiece without moving the conveying device after the workpiece has been placed in the workpiece holding section, the machine time can be shortened and productivity can be improved.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the workpiece used is one having an electronic component mounted on a base material, and that the sealing resin used is a plate-shaped or block-shaped solid resin formed into a predetermined shape corresponding to the shape of the workpiece.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the work hand has a first holding portion that holds the work by gripping the lower or side surface of the work or by suction on the upper surface, and the resin hand has a second holding portion that holds the work by gripping the lower or side surface of the sealing resin or by suction on the upper surface.

[0014] Furthermore, it is preferable that the conveying device has a moving device that moves the holding position of the sealing resin in the second holding portion of the resin hand upward and downward relative to the holding position of the workpiece in the first holding portion of the work hand.

[0015] Furthermore, a compression molding method according to one embodiment is a compression molding method for processing a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with a sealing resin using a sealing die comprising an upper die having a cavity and a lower die having a workpiece holding portion, and is required to include a resin holding step of holding the sealing resin with a resin hand, a workpiece holding step of holding the workpiece with a workpiece hand at a position directly below the sealing resin after the resin holding step, a workpiece placing step of placing the workpiece on the workpiece holding portion provided on the lower die after the workpiece holding step, and a resin placing step of placing the sealing resin on the workpiece after the workpiece placing step. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to make the compression molding apparatus more compact, improve the maintainability of the sealing mold, shorten machine time, and improve productivity. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] [Figure 1] This is a plan view showing an example of a compression molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a side view showing an example of a press apparatus for a compression molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of a sealing die for a compression molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is an explanatory diagram of a compression molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is an explanatory diagram following Figure 4. [Figure 6] This is an explanatory diagram following Figure 5. [Figure 7] This is an explanatory diagram following Figure 6. [Figure 8]It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 7. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 8. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 9. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 10. [Figure 12] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 11. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 12. [Figure 14] FIG. 14A is an enlarged view of part XIV in FIG. 13. FIG. 14B is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 14A. [Figure 15] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 14B. [Figure 16] It is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 15. [Figure 17] It is a perspective view showing an example of a sealing resin used in a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 18] It is a perspective view showing another example of a sealing resin used in a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 19] It is a perspective view showing another example of a sealing resin used in a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] It is a perspective view showing another example of a sealing resin used in a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 21] It is a plan view showing an example of a compression molding apparatus according to a comparative example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a plan view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. For convenience of explanation, arrows in the figure indicate the left-right direction (X direction), front-back direction (Y direction), and up-down direction (Z direction) of the compression molding apparatus 1. In addition, in all figures used to explain each embodiment, components having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations may be omitted.

[0019] The compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus that performs resin sealing (compression molding) of a workpiece (molded product) W using a sealing mold 202 comprising an upper mold 204 and a lower mold 206. The lower mold 206 is provided with one or more workpiece holding sections 205 for holding the workpiece W. The upper mold 204 is provided with one or more cavities 208 depending on the shape and number of workpieces W. A release film (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "film") F is adsorbed and held within these cavities 208. However, the configuration is not limited to this.

[0020] First, the workpiece W to be sealed has a configuration in which electronic components Wb are mounted on a substrate Wa. More specifically, examples of substrate Wa include plate-shaped members such as resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, and wafers. Examples of electronic components Wb include semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive members, and spacers. The shape of the substrate Wa can be rectangular (strip-shaped), square, circular, etc. The number of electronic components Wb mounted on a single substrate Wa can be one or multiple (for example, in a matrix).

[0021] Examples of methods for mounting electronic components Wb onto a substrate Wa include wire bonding and flip-chip mounting. Alternatively, in configurations where the substrate (glass or metal carrier plate) Wa is peeled off the molded product Wp after resin encapsulation, the electronic components Wb can be attached using heat-release adhesive tape or UV-curable resin that hardens upon UV irradiation.

[0022] In this embodiment, the sealing resin R is a thermosetting resin (for example, an epoxy resin containing a filler, but not limited to this) and is a solid resin having a predetermined shape (details described later) whose overall shape corresponds to the shape of the workpiece W. Normally, one unit constitutes the "whole" amount required for sealing (one batch per workpiece W), but it may also be configured so that several units (for example, two or three units) constitute the "whole" amount required for sealing.

[0023] Furthermore, suitable examples of film F include film materials with excellent heat resistance, ease of peeling, flexibility, and stretchability, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, and polyvinylidine chloride.

[0024] Next, an overview of the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the compression molding apparatus 1 mainly comprises a work supply unit 100A for supplying workpieces W, a resin supply unit 100B for transporting sealing resin R, a press unit 100C for processing workpieces W into molded products Wp by resin sealing, and a storage unit 100D for storing molded products Wp. As an example, along the X direction in Figure 1, the work supply unit 100A, resin supply unit 100B, press unit 100C, press unit 100C, and storage unit 100D are arranged in that order. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and the equipment configuration within the units, the number of units (especially the number of press units), and the arrangement order of the units can be changed. It is also possible to have a configuration that includes units other than those shown above (none of which are shown).

[0025] Furthermore, the compression molding apparatus 1 has a control unit 150 located in the work supply unit 100A that controls the operation of each mechanism in each unit (it may also be configured to have the control unit located in another unit).

[0026] Furthermore, the compression molding apparatus 1 has guide rails 300 provided in a straight line spanning between each unit, and a transport device (first loader) 302 for transporting the workpiece W and sealing resin R, and a transport device (second loader) 304 for transporting the molded product Wp are provided to move along the guide rails 300 between predetermined units. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and a configuration with a common (single) transport device (loader) for transporting the workpiece W, sealing resin R, and molded product Wp is also possible (not shown). In this embodiment, two workpieces W are transported side by side in the X direction into the sealing mold 202, but for the sake of simplification of the figures, the following explanation will use one workpiece. Note that the number of workpieces is not limited to two.

[0027] Here, the inventors of the present invention have devised a compression molding apparatus 400 according to a comparative example in order to examine a conveying device for conveying the workpiece W and the sealing resin R (see Figure 21). Specifically, the compression molding apparatus 400 is configured to convey the workpiece W and the sealing resin R into the sealing mold 401 by a conveying device 402 in which a first hand (work hand for conveying the workpiece W) 412 and a second hand (resin hand for conveying the sealing resin R) 422 are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction.

[0028] However, the compression molding apparatus 400 in the comparative example, like the conventional compression molding apparatus described in Patent Document 2, has the first hand and the second hand arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction, which leads to the problem of the conveying device becoming large in the front-to-back direction. In addition, it is necessary to provide space in front of the apparatus to allow the conveying device to enter the front side of the compression molding apparatus with respect to the sealing mold, which leads to the problem of the entire compression molding apparatus becoming large. Furthermore, the distance from the front of the compression molding apparatus to the sealing mold becomes long, resulting in the problem of poor maintainability of the sealing mold.

[0029] To solve the above problems, the conveying device (first loader) 302 according to this embodiment has the following configuration. Specifically, as shown in Figure 1, the first loader 302 includes a loader body 302A that can move in the X direction within the compression molding apparatus 1, and a loader head 302B that is attached to the loader body 302A and can move in the Y and Z directions within the compression molding apparatus 1. The loader head 302B also has a work hand 312 that holds the workpiece W and a resin hand 322 that holds the sealing resin R, and the work hand 312 and the resin hand 322 are attached to the loader head 302B (specifically, the support part 310). In this embodiment, the work hand 312 is positioned to hold the workpiece W at a position directly below the sealing resin R held by the resin hand 322.

[0030] As a result, the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can solve the above-mentioned problems. Specifically, the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can hold the workpiece W and the sealing resin R in a hierarchical manner in the vertical direction in the loader head 302B. With this configuration, the dimensions of the conveying device (first loader) 302 in the front-rear direction can be reduced. Therefore, the compression molding apparatus 1 can be made more compact. In addition, since the distance from the front of the compression molding apparatus 1 to the sealing mold 202 is shortened, the maintainability of the sealing mold 202 can be improved.

[0031] In this embodiment, the work hand 312 includes a first holding part (for example, a chuck with holding claws at its tip) 314 for gripping the workpiece W, and a first moving device 316 that drives the chuck 314 to open and close in the X direction (see Figure 4). The first moving device 316 is provided on a chuck support part 318 that supports the chuck 314. With this configuration, the work hand 312 can hold the workpiece W by gripping its lower surface or side. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and other configurations such as one with a pivot axis for rotating the chuck 314, or a configuration that combines horizontal and rotational movement, may also be used (none of which are shown).

[0032] Furthermore, the resin hand 322 includes a second holding part (adsorption mechanism (configured to adsorb by having a suction hole communicating with a suction device)) 324 that holds the sealing resin R by adsorbing its upper surface, and a second moving device 326 that drives the adsorption mechanism 324 to move up and down (in the Z direction). The second moving device 326 is configured with a cylinder mechanism and is connected to the adsorption mechanism 324 via an arm support part 327 attached to the tip of a rod and an arm 328 supported by the arm support part 327. With this configuration, the resin hand 322 can move the holding position of the sealing resin R in the adsorption mechanism 324 upward and downward relative to the holding position of the workpiece W in the chuck 314 of the work hand 312. As a result, the sealing resin R held by the adsorption mechanism 324 can be placed in contact with the workpiece W (base material Wa) placed on the workpiece holding part 205, thereby preventing displacement of the sealing resin R. However, the second moving device 326 is not limited to this configuration, and may also be configured to move the suction mechanism 324 up and down using a combination of a servo motor and a linear guide, etc. (not shown).

[0033] Furthermore, the first holding portion of the work hand 312 may be a suction mechanism, and the second holding portion of the resin hand 322 may be a chuck. Alternatively, both may be chucks or suction mechanisms. In this embodiment, the second holding portion 324 of the resin hand 322 is positioned outside the first holding portion 314 using an arm 328 and is further moved up and down by a second moving device 326. However, a through hole may be provided in the center of the chuck support portion 318 to directly attach the second moving device 326 to the second holding portion 324. Other known holding mechanisms may also be used (none of which are shown).

[0034] Furthermore, although a compression molding apparatus 1 that transports the workpiece W and sealing resin R by moving the loader head 302B up and down (in the Z direction) was given as an example, the apparatus may also be configured to transport the workpiece W and sealing resin R by moving the chuck 314 up and down (in the Z direction), or it may be configured to have both.

[0035] (Work supply unit) Next, we will explain in detail the workpiece supply unit 100A provided by the compression molding apparatus 1.

[0036] The work supply unit 100A includes a work supply magazine 102 in which multiple workpieces W are stored. Here, a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like can be used for the work supply magazine 102. The work supply unit 100A also includes a work table 103 for transferring the workpieces W from the work supply magazine 102 to the first loader 302.

[0037] Furthermore, the work supply unit 100A may be configured to include a work stage or the like (not shown) on which the workpieces W taken out from the work supply magazine 102 are placed.

[0038] The workpiece W is held in the workpiece hand 312 of the first loader 302, which has previously held the sealing resin R in the resin hand 322 in the resin supply unit 100B (described later), and is transported to the press unit 100C and set in a predetermined position in the sealing mold 202. In this embodiment, the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece holding section 205 of the lower mold 206, and the sealing resin R is placed on top of the workpiece W placed on the workpiece holding section 205 (details of the process will be described later).

[0039] (Resin supply unit) Next, we will explain in detail the resin supply unit 100B provided by the compression molding apparatus 1.

[0040] The resin supply unit 100B includes a resin supply magazine 120 for supplying the sealing resin R. Here, the resin supply magazine 120 can be a known stack magazine, a slit magazine, or the like. The resin supply unit 100B also includes a resin table 121 for transferring the sealing resin R from the resin supply magazine 120 to the first loader 302.

[0041] Furthermore, the resin supply unit 100B may be configured to include a resin stage or the like (not shown) on which the sealing resin R taken out from the resin supply magazine 120 is placed.

[0042] The sealing resin R is held by the resin hand 322 of the first loader 302 and transported to the press unit 100C via the work supply unit 100A. In this embodiment, the work supply unit 100A and the resin supply unit 100B are arranged from left to right, but it is not necessary to arrange them in this order; the resin supply unit 100B and the work supply unit 100A may also be arranged from left to right.

[0043] (Press Unit) Next, we will explain in detail the press unit 100C provided in the compression molding apparatus 1.

[0044] The press unit 100C includes a sealing die 202 having a pair of dies that open and close (for example, a set of multiple die blocks, die plates, die pillars, and other components made of alloy tool steel). It also includes a press device 250 that drives the sealing die 202 to open and close to seal the workpiece W with resin. As an example, the unit is configured to have one press device 250, but it may also be configured to have multiple units (not shown). Figure 2 shows a side view (schematic diagram) of the press device 250 provided in the press unit 100C, and Figure 3 shows a front cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of the sealing die 202.

[0045] Here, as shown in Figure 2, the press device 250 is configured to include a pair of platens 254 and 256, a plurality of tie bars 252 on which the pair of platens 254 and 256 are mounted, and a drive device for moving (raising and lowering) the platen 256. Specifically, the drive device is configured to include a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or a toggle link mechanism) 262 (however, it is not limited to this). In this embodiment, the upper platen 254 in the vertical direction is set as a fixed platen (a platen fixed to the tie bar 252), and the lower platen 256 is set as a movable platen (a platen that is slidably held by the tie bar 252 and moves up and down). However, it is not limited to this, and the top and bottom may be reversed, that is, the upper side may be set as a movable platen and the lower side as a fixed platen, or both the upper and lower sides may be set as movable platens (none of which are shown).

[0046] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 3, the sealing die 202 is a pair of dies disposed between the pair of platens 254 and 256 in the press device 250, and comprises an upper die 204 on the upper side in the vertical direction and a lower die 206 on the lower side. That is, the upper die 204 is assembled to the upper platen (fixed platen 254 in this embodiment), and the lower die 206 is assembled to the lower platen (movable platen 256 in this embodiment). The die closes and opens as the upper die 204 and the lower die 206 move closer to and further apart from each other (the vertical direction (up and down direction) is the die opening and closing direction).

[0047] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as an example, a film supply mechanism 211 is provided for transporting (supplying) a roll-shaped film F into the sealing mold 202. Depending on the configuration of the workpiece W, the film F may be used in the form of strips instead of a roll.

[0048] Next, the upper die 204 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 3, the upper die 204 comprises an upper die chase 210 and a cavity piece 226, clamper 228, etc., held by it. The upper die chase 210 is fixed to the lower surface of the support plate 214 via a support pillar 212. A cavity 208 is provided on the lower surface of the upper die 204 (the surface on the lower die 206 side).

[0049] The clamper 228 is configured in an annular shape to surround the cavity piece 226 and is assembled to move vertically while floating apart from the lower surface of the support plate 214 via a push pin 222 and a clamper spring (for example, a biasing member exemplified by a coil spring) 224 (however, it is not limited to this assembly structure). The cavity piece 226 constitutes the back (bottom) of the cavity 208, and the clamper 228 constitutes the side of the cavity 208. The shape and number of cavities 208 provided in one upper die 204 are set appropriately according to the shape and number of workpieces W (one or more).

[0050] Furthermore, suction passages (holes, grooves, etc.) communicating with a suction device are provided on the lower surface of the clamper 228 and at the boundary between the clamper 228 and the cavity piece 226 (not shown). This allows the film F supplied from the film supply mechanism 211 to be adsorbed and held on the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208. In addition, degassing of the cavity 208 can be performed when closing the mold and performing resin sealing.

[0051] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an upper mold heating mechanism (not shown) is provided for heating the upper mold 204 to a predetermined temperature. This upper mold heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric heating wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power supply, etc., and the heating is controlled by the control unit 150. As an example, the heater is built into the upper mold chase 210 and is configured to apply heat to the entire upper mold 204 and the sealing resin R contained in the cavity 208. The upper mold 204 is heated by this heater to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C).

[0052] Next, the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Figure 3, the lower mold 206 includes a lower mold chase 240 and a lower plate 242 held therein.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a workpiece holding portion 205 is provided to hold the workpiece W in a predetermined position on the upper surface of the lower plate 242. This workpiece holding portion 205, as an example, has a workpiece guide pin (not shown) and a suction passage (hole or groove, etc.) that penetrates the lower plate 242 and communicates with a suction device (not shown). Specifically, one end of the suction passage is connected to the mold surface 206a of the lower mold 206, and the other end is connected to a suction device disposed outside the lower mold 206. This makes it possible to drive the suction device to suck the workpiece W from the suction passage and hold the workpiece W by suction to the mold surface 206a (in this case, the upper surface of the lower plate 242). Instead of the above suction holding mechanism, or together with the suction holding mechanism, a configuration may be provided with holding claws that grip the outer circumference of the workpiece W (not shown). The shape and number of workpiece holding portions 205 provided in one lower mold 206 are appropriately set according to the shape and number of workpieces W (one or more).

[0054] In this embodiment, a lower mold heating mechanism (not shown) is provided to heat the lower mold 206 to a predetermined temperature. This lower mold heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric heating wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power supply, etc., and the heating is controlled by the control unit 150. As an example, the heater is built into the lower mold chase 240 and is configured to apply heat to the entire lower mold 206 and the workpiece W held in the workpiece holding section 205. The heater heats the lower mold 206 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C).

[0055] (Storage unit) Next, we will explain in detail the storage unit 100D provided by the compression molding apparatus 1.

[0056] The molded product Wp is held by the second loader 304 and unloaded from the sealing mold 202, and transported to the storage unit 100D. The second loader 304 uses a known holding mechanism for the molded product Wp (for example, a configuration that grips with holding claws, a configuration that uses suction with suction holes communicating with a suction device, etc.) (not shown).

[0057] As a variation of the above conveying device, instead of the second loader 304 that moves in the X and Y directions, a separate conveying device (loader) that moves in the X direction to convey units between units and a separate conveying device (loader) that moves in the Y direction to unload units from the sealing mold 202 may be provided (not shown).

[0058] The storage unit 100D includes a storage magazine 104 for storing multiple molded products Wp. Here, known stack magazines, slit magazines, etc., can be used for the storage magazine 104. In addition, it is equipped with a molded product table 105 (alignment section) for temporarily placing the molded products Wp transported by the second loader 304, but this configuration can be omitted.

[0059] Furthermore, the storage unit 100D may be configured to include a molded product stage (not shown) on which the molded product Wp transported from the press unit 100C is placed.

[0060] (Resin encapsulation process) Next, the steps of the compression molding method according to this embodiment, which is carried out using the compression molding apparatus 1 described above, will be explained. Here, Figures 4 to 16 are explanatory diagrams of each step, and are shown as front cross-sectional views in the same direction as Figure 3.

[0061] First, as a preparation step, a heating step (upper mold heating step) is performed in which the upper mold 204 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100°C to 300°C) using the upper mold heating mechanism. Next, a heating step (lower mold heating step) is performed in which the lower mold 206 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100°C to 300°C) using the lower mold heating mechanism. Finally, a film supply step (upper mold film supply step) is performed in which a new film F is supplied by operating the film supply mechanism 211 and adsorbed to cover a predetermined area of ​​the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208 in the upper mold 204.

[0062] Next, a resin holding process is performed in which the sealing resin R is held in the resin hand 322 of the first loader 302. Specifically, the first loader 302 is moved to the resin supply unit 100B, and the loader head 302B is moved above the resin table 121 on which the sealing resin R supplied from the resin supply magazine 120 is placed (see Figure 4). Next, the loader head 302B is lowered, and the second moving device 326 is activated (downward) to lower the suction mechanism 324 until it contacts the upper surface of the sealing resin R, and the sealing resin R is held (adsorbed) (see Figure 5). Next, the second moving device 326 is activated (upward) to raise the suction mechanism 324, and the loader head 302B is raised (see Figure 6).

[0063] After the resin holding process, a workpiece holding process is performed in which the workpiece W is held in the work hand 312 of the first loader 302. Specifically, the first loader 302, with the sealing resin R held in the resin hand 322, is moved to the workpiece supply unit 100A, and the loader head 302B is moved above the work table 103 on which the workpiece W supplied from the workpiece supply magazine 102 is placed (see Figure 7). Next, the loader head 302B is lowered, and the first moving device 316 is activated to bring the chuck 314 closer to the workpiece W, and the workpiece W is held (gripped) at a position directly below the sealing resin R (see Figure 8). Next, the loader head 302B is raised (see Figure 9).

[0064] After the workpiece holding process, a workpiece placement process is performed in which the workpiece W is placed on the workpiece holding section 205 of the lower die 206. Specifically, the first loader 302, which is holding the workpiece W and the sealing resin R, is moved to the press unit 100C, and the loader head 302B is moved above the workpiece holding section 205 of the lower die 206 (see Figure 10). Next, the loader head 302B is lowered, and the first moving device 316 is activated to separate the chuck 314 from the workpiece W, and the workpiece W is placed (held) on the workpiece holding section 205 (see Figure 11).

[0065] After the workpiece placement process, a resin placement process is performed in which the sealing resin R is placed on the workpiece W placed on the workpiece holding section 205. Specifically, the second moving device 326 is activated to lower the suction mechanism 324, releasing the suction of the sealing resin R, and the sealing resin R is placed on the workpiece W placed on the workpiece holding section 205 (see Figure 12). Next, the second moving device 326 is activated to raise the suction mechanism 324, raise the loader head 302B, and then move the loader head 302B outside the sealing mold 202 (see Figure 13).

[0066] As mentioned above, in conventional compression molding methods, the first hand and the second hand are arranged side by side in the front-to-back direction, so in the workpiece placement process, the transport device had to be brought to the front side of the sealing mold. In contrast, in this embodiment, in the workpiece placement process, the loader head 302B only needs to be brought to the workpiece holding section 205, thus shortening the travel distance of the loader head 302B. Therefore, it is possible to shorten machine time and improve productivity.

[0067] Following the resin placement process, a resin sealing process is performed in which the workpiece W is sealed with sealing resin R to form a molded product Wp. Specifically, the sealing mold 202 is closed, and the cavity piece 226 is lowered relative to the workpiece W within the cavity 208, thereby performing a mold closing process in which the sealing resin R is heated and pressurized against the workpiece W. As a result, the sealing resin R is heat-cured and the resin sealing (compression molding) is completed (see Figure 15).

[0068] Here, for example, in a conventional compression molding apparatus with a cavity in the upper mold, for a workpiece W on which a strip-type wire-connected electronic component (semiconductor chip) Wb is mounted, there is a problem that resin sealing is difficult because, during the mold closing process, the wire portion of the workpiece held in the lower mold comes into contact with the sealing resin that has been previously transported into the cavity or onto the workpiece, causing deformation.

[0069] To address the above-mentioned problems, the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment employs a configuration in which a solid resin formed into a predetermined shape corresponding to the shape of the workpiece W is used as the sealing resin R, thereby solving these problems.

[0070] Specifically, the "predetermined shape" described above is a shape that does not come into contact with the electronic component Wb (including the wire if the electronic component Wb has a wire) when placed on the base material Wa of the workpiece W. As an example, as shown in Figure 14, a sealing resin R with a plate-shaped or block-shaped main body Ra and legs Rb intermittently (or continuously) erected on one surface of the main body Ra (the surface facing the electronic component Wb of the workpiece W) is preferred (however, it is not limited to this shape). The main body Ra is sized to fit inside the cavity 208 in a plan view, and considering resin flow, it is preferable that it be slightly smaller than the shape of the cavity 208 (especially the cavity piece 226). In addition, the legs Rb need to be at a height H (see Figure 14A) that does not come into contact with the electronic component Wb, but this does not exclude contact to the extent that the wire does not undergo plastic deformation. Furthermore, the legs Rb are positioned so as not to contact the electronic components Wb in a plan view of the main body Ra, and so as not to tilt the main body Ra when placed on the base material Wa of the workpiece W. In addition, it is preferable that the legs Rb be positioned between or around the electronic components Wb to minimize damage to the wiring (especially the wires) of the workpiece W during molding. The total amount of resin for the plate-shaped or block-shaped main body Ra and the legs Rb may be an amount that is neither too much nor too little, or a large amount of resin, so as not to be insufficient for a single compression molding. Details of specific configuration examples of the sealing resin R (Figures 17 to 20) will be described later.

[0071] According to the above configuration, during the mold closing process, the sealing resin R softens and melts as shown in Figure 14A to Figure 14B (Figures 14A and 14B are enlarged views of section XIV in Figure 13). At this time, the resin (specifically, the main body Ra) comes into uniform contact with all the wires (see Figure 14B). As a result, the effect of suppressing wire flow is obtained.

[0072] When the inventors of the present invention actually conducted experiments using the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, they confirmed that, compared to conventional compression molding apparatuses in which a workpiece is held in an upper mold, a cavity is provided in a lower mold, and sealing resin (specifically, granular resin) is supplied to the cavity, wire flow was suppressed and molding quality was improved.

[0073] Furthermore, because the sealing resin R is a solid resin, unlike conventional methods which are caused by granular resins, Sprinkling This method can also address issues such as uneven molding, residual gas, and dust generation during molding, as well as difficulties in handling. Furthermore, it can prevent the film F from becoming trapped in the molded product Wp, even when forming thick molded products with a thickness exceeding 1 mm.

[0074] Furthermore, the subsequent steps following the mold closing process described above are the same as those in conventional compression molding methods. In general, a mold opening process is performed in which the sealing mold 202 is opened to separate the molded product Wp from the used film F (see Figure 16). Next, a molded product removal process is performed in which the second loader 304 removes the molded product Wp from the sealing mold 202 and removes it to the storage unit 100D. In addition, after or in parallel with the molded product removal process, a film supply process is performed in which the film supply mechanism 211 is activated to remove the used film F from the sealing mold 202 and feed a new film F into the sealing mold 202 and set it in place.

[0075] The above outlines the main steps of the compression molding method performed using the compression molding apparatus 1. However, the above order of steps is just one example, and the order can be changed or the steps performed in parallel as long as there are no obstacles.

[0076] (Sealing resin) Next, Figures 17 to 20 show specific examples of the configuration of the sealing resin R used in the compression molding method by the compression molding apparatus 1 described above, and their respective characteristics will be explained.

[0077] First, as a configuration common to each example shown in Figures 17 to 20, the main body Ra is formed in a plate shape (however, other shapes such as a block shape with recesses or protrusions may also be used). The legs Rb are erected on the main body Ra so that when the sealing resin R is placed on the base material Wa of the workpiece W, it does not come into contact with the electronic component Wb of the workpiece W, and are formed to a height H (see Figure 14A) that ensures a distance that prevents the main body Ra from coming into contact with the electronic component Wb.

[0078] In the example of the sealing resin R shown in Figure 17, the legs Rb are formed as tapered convex bodies Rb1, which are arranged in a point-like manner (either entirely or partially). As an example of the convex bodies Rb1, they are arranged at multiple positions and are formed in a shape such that the ratio t of length L1 to width W1 in a plan view is 0.5 ≤ t ≤ 2. With this configuration, the columnar shape in which the legs Rb are arranged in a point-like manner can suppress the flow of the sealing resin R placed on the workpiece W during compression molding. Therefore, wire flow and other issues can be prevented, and molding quality can be improved.

[0079] In the example of the encapsulation resin R shown in FIG. 18, the leg portion Rb is formed as a convex body Rb2, a part of which (or all of it may be) is arranged linearly. As an example of the convex body Rb2, it is arranged at one position (or a plurality of positions may be), and in a plan view, the ratio t of the length L2 to the width W2 is, for example, t < 0.5 or 2 < t. According to this, resin flow is intentionally generated from the leg portion Rb (in this case, the convex body Rb2) having a dike-like configuration of a predetermined length, and filling of the encapsulation resin R into a narrow portion (for example, between the substrate Wa connected by flip chip and the electronic component Wb) in the workpiece W can be promoted. Therefore, it is possible to prevent gas from remaining in the molded product Wp and improve the molding quality.

[0080] In the example of the encapsulation resin R shown in FIG. 19, the leg portion Rb is formed as a convex body Rb3 that is arranged to intermittently (or continuously may be) surround the entire outer periphery (referring to the outer edge region) of the main body portion Ra. As an example of the convex body Rb3, a convex body having the same configuration as the above Rb2 is formed continuously in a circumferential shape while providing a gap L3 at a predetermined interval. Generally, the outer peripheral position of the encapsulation resin R in the molded product Wp is the position where it is cut by a dicing machine or the like when it is separated into individual pieces, and since there is no electronic component Wb, a larger amount of resin for encapsulation is required compared to the central position. Therefore, by providing the leg portion Rb (in this case, the convex body Rb3) arranged to surround the entire outer periphery as in this configuration, it is possible to supply a large amount of resin to the outer peripheral position while suppressing resin flow during compression molding. Furthermore, by providing the gap L3, the discharge of gas components such as air from the inside (central portion) to the outside is promoted.

[0081] On the other hand, the example of the sealing resin R shown in Figure 20 is a configuration example relating to the other surface of the main body Ra (the surface on which the leg portion Rb is not provided, i.e., the surface on which the workpiece W does not face the electronic component Wb). Specifically, on the other surface of the main body Ra, linear groove portions Rg are formed at the positions where dicing for individual piece formation is performed. This reduces wear on the dicing blade and reduces dust generated during dicing. As an example, the groove portions Rg are provided in a grid pattern that coincides with the dicing positions, but this is not the only example.

[0082] As explained above, the present invention makes it possible to make the compression molding apparatus more compact, improve the maintainability of the sealing mold, shorten machine time, and improve productivity.

[0083] Furthermore, since it becomes possible to perform compression molding using a sealing resin R with a shape having leg portions Rb as illustrated in Figures 17 to 19, the following effects can be obtained. Specifically, the flow of the sealing resin, Sprinkling This method prevents molding defects caused by unevenness and residual gases. It also facilitates the handling of the sealing resin and prevents the generation of dust from the sealing resin during molding. Furthermore, it can form not only thin molded products (thickness less than 1 mm) but also thick molded products (thickness of 1 mm or more). The upper limit of the thickness dimension depends on various setting conditions, but it is considered that it is possible to form up to about 10 mm. Moreover, by applying this to a configuration in which a cavity is provided in the upper mold, it is possible to solve the problem in configurations in which a cavity is provided in the lower mold, where it is difficult to hold thin or large workpieces in the upper mold, and they are prone to falling.

[0084] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope of the invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 1. Compression molding apparatus 202 Sealing mold 204 Upper mold 205 Workpiece holding section 206 Lower mold 208 Cavity 250 Pressing device 302 Conveying device (1st loader) 302A Loader main body 302B Loader Head 304 Conveyor device (second loader) 312 Workhand 314 First retaining part (chuck) 322 Resin Hand 324 Second holding part (adsorption mechanism) F Release Film R Sealing resin Double job Wa base material Wb electronic components Wp molded product

Claims

1. A compression molding apparatus that processes a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with a sealing resin using a sealing die comprising an upper mold having a cavity and a lower mold having a workpiece holding portion, The system includes a conveying device for transporting the workpiece and the sealing resin into the sealing mold. The conveying device comprises a work handle for holding the workpiece and a resin handle for holding the sealing resin. The work hand is configured to hold the workpiece at a position directly below the sealing resin held by the resin hand. A compression molding apparatus characterized by the following.

2. As the aforementioned workpiece, a workpiece having a configuration in which electronic components are mounted on a substrate is used. As the sealing resin, a plate-shaped or block-shaped solid resin is used, which is formed into a predetermined shape whose overall shape corresponds to the shape of the workpiece. The compression molding apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by the following:

3. The work hand has a first holding portion that holds the work by gripping the lower surface or side of the work or by suction on the upper surface, The resin hand has a second holding portion that holds the workpiece by gripping the lower or side surface of the sealing resin or by adsorption to the upper surface. A compression molding apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. The conveying device has a moving device that moves the holding position of the sealing resin in the second holding portion of the resin hand upward and downward relative to the holding position of the workpiece in the first holding portion of the work hand. The compression molding apparatus according to claim 3, characterized by the following:

5. A compression molding method for processing a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with a sealing resin using a sealing mold comprising an upper mold having a cavity and a lower mold having a workpiece holding portion, A resin holding step in which the sealing resin is held by a resin hand, Following the resin holding step, a workpiece holding step is performed in which the workpiece is held with a workpiece hand at a position directly below the sealing resin, After the workpiece holding step, a workpiece placement step is performed in which the workpiece is placed on the workpiece holding portion provided on the lower mold, Following the workpiece placement step, a resin placement step is performed in which the sealing resin is placed on the workpiece, To be prepared A compression molding method characterized by the following.

6. As the aforementioned workpiece, a workpiece having a configuration in which electronic components are mounted on a substrate is used. As the sealing resin, a plate-shaped or block-shaped solid resin is used, which is formed into a predetermined shape whose overall shape corresponds to the shape of the workpiece. The compression molding method according to claim 5, characterized by the above.

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