Molding mold, resin molding apparatus, and method for manufacturing resin molded products

Abstract

To provide a mold, a resin molding device, and a method for producing a resin molded article, which hardly cause wrinkles in a release film during resin molding and prevent the release film from being caught in hardened resin.SOLUTION: A mold C is provided with a first mold LM in which an object to be molded Sa is disposed and a second mold UM that is disposed facing the first mold LM and holds a release film F on a facing surface 33 that faces the first mold LM. A cavity MC and excess resin storage cavities 11a and 12 are formed in at least one of the first mold LM and the second mold UM. The second mold UM has: a movable member 14a capable of advancing movement from a cavity inner surface 12b into the excess resin storage cavities 11a and 12 and withdrawing movement of withdrawing from the inside of the excess resin storage cavities 11a and 12; and a protruding part 15a formed on at least a part of the periphery of the movable member 14a and protruding from the cavity inner surface 12b toward the inside of the excess resin storage cavities 11a and 12.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a molding die, a resin molding apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a resin molded product.

Background Art

[0002] Substrates or the like with semiconductor chips fixed thereon are generally used as electronic components by resin encapsulation. Conventionally, a resin molding apparatus equipped with a molding die for resin encapsulating substrates or the like is known (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a transfer molding apparatus (mold apparatus in Patent Document 1) configured such that a molten resin is filled into a cavity (product part in Patent Document 1) and a resin reservoir by an extrusion plunger, and then an increment plunger is lowered to increase the volume of the resin reservoir. In this transfer molding apparatus, when the increment plunger is lowered to flow the resin from the cavity to the resin reservoir, the air bubbles in the cavity are configured to move to the resin reservoir together with the resin.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] In the transfer molding apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, no release film is placed between the mold and the resin. However, in resin molding apparatuses, including transfer molding apparatuses, release films are generally used to prevent resin from adhering to the mold. When a release film is placed in the resin reservoir as disclosed in Patent Document 1, if the volume of the resin reservoir changes due to the pressure of the incoming resin or the rise of the volume-increasing plunger, the release film placed in that area may sag and wrinkle. When wrinkles occur in the release film, resin can get into the wrinkles, and if the resin hardens in that state, the release film may become trapped in the hardened resin, and there is a risk that the resin trapped in the release film (unwanted resin) cannot be properly removed.

[0006] Therefore, there is a need for a mold, a resin molding apparatus, and a method for manufacturing resin molded products that are less prone to wrinkles forming in the release film during resin molding and that prevent the release film from becoming trapped in the hardened resin. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the molding die according to the present invention comprises a first mold on which an object to be molded is placed, and a second mold positioned opposite the first mold and holding a release film on the opposing surface facing the first mold, wherein at least one of the first mold and the second mold has a cavity that houses the object to be molded and is supplied with molten resin material from a pot, and an excess resin storage cavity that stores excess resin material that flows out of the cavity after being supplied to the cavity, and the second mold has a movable member that can move forward from the inner surface of the cavity toward the excess resin storage cavity and backward from the excess resin storage cavity, and a protrusion formed on at least a part of the inner surface of the cavity around the movable member and projecting toward the excess resin storage cavity from the inner surface of the cavity.

[0008] One embodiment of the resin molding apparatus according to the present invention comprises the above-described mold, a mold clamping mechanism for clamping and unclamping the mold, an unclamping mechanism for unclamping the resin molded product and the unnecessary resin portion of the resin material, which are separated from each other by the unclamping of the mold after resin molding, to the outside of the mold, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the apparatus.

[0009] One embodiment of the method for manufacturing a resin molded product according to the present invention is a method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus described above, comprising: a supply step of supplying the object to be molded and the resin material to the mold; a clamping step of clamping the mold with the clamping mechanism; and a molding step of performing resin molding of the object to be molded by supplying the molten resin material from the pot to the cavity, and in which the movable member moves backward toward the inner surface of the cavity due to the pressure of the excess resin material stored in the excess resin storage cavity. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to provide a mold, a resin molding apparatus, and a method for manufacturing resin molded products that are less likely to wrinkle the release film during resin molding and that prevent the release film from becoming trapped in the cured resin. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic plan view of a resin molding apparatus. [Figure 2] This is a schematic front view of the molding die. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view showing the molding process. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing the molding process. [Figure 5] This is a cross-sectional view showing the molding process. [Figure 6] This is a cross-sectional view showing the molding process. [Figure 7] This is a flowchart illustrating the mold opening operation during the molding process. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The following describes embodiments of the mold, resin molding apparatus, and method for manufacturing resin molded products according to the present invention, based on the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0013] A substrate (molded object) on which semiconductor chips and the like are fixed is used as an electronic component by resin encapsulation. Techniques for resin encapsulation of molded objects include the transfer method. One transfer method involves placing the molded object on the lower mold of the mold, placing a release film on the upper mold of the mold, supplying a resin tablet made of solidified powdered resin to the pot of the mold, heating and melting it, and then supplying the molten resin to the cavity to resin-molde the molded object.

[0014] Resin tablets are formed from solid resin created by compressing granular resin, and melt upon heating to become liquid molten resin. Resin tablets may be made of either thermoplastic or thermosetting resin. Thermosetting resins decrease in viscosity when heated, and further heating causes polymerization and hardening to become cured resins. As explained below, it is desirable to use thermosetting resin when resin molding and sealing a pre-molded substrate on which semiconductor chips are fixed.

[0015] [Configuration of the resin molding machine] Hereinafter, the resin molding apparatus 30 of the transfer method will be described as an example. FIG. 1 shows a schematic plan view of the resin molding apparatus 30 in the present embodiment. The resin molding apparatus 30 includes a housing module 2, a molding module 3, a supply module 4, a control unit 6, a loader 41, and an unloader 42 (an example of a carry-out mechanism). The molding module 3 is a part that resin-seals the molding object and has a mold C that holds a pre-molding substrate Sa (an example of a molding object). The mold C has an upper mold UM (an example of a second mold) and a lower mold LM (an example of a first mold). The resin molding apparatus 30 in the present embodiment is an apparatus that resin-molds a pre-molding substrate Sa to which a semiconductor chip 48 (see FIG. 2) or the like is fixed.

[0016] The supply module 4 is for supplying the pre-molding substrate Sa and the resin tablet T (an example of a resin material) to the molding module 3, and includes a substrate supply mechanism 43 and a resin supply mechanism 45. The substrate supply mechanism 43 stores the pre-molding substrate Sa and arranges the pre-molding substrate Sa in a state suitable for conveyance. A plurality of semiconductor chips 48 are aligned and fixed to the pre-molding substrate Sa in the vertical direction and / or the horizontal direction. The resin supply mechanism 45 stores the resin tablet T and arranges the resin tablet T in a state suitable for conveyance. Note that the pre-molding substrate Sa may have one semiconductor chip 48 fixed thereto.

[0017] The loader 41 waits in the supply module 4. The loader 41 receives the pre-molding substrate Sa from the substrate supply mechanism 43 and the resin tablet T from the resin supply mechanism 45 in the supply module 4, and moves from the supply module 4 to the molding module 3 on a rail (not shown) disposed on the back side (the upper side in FIG. 1). Then, the pre-molding substrate Sa and the resin tablet T are delivered to the lower mold LM of the molding module 3. Thereafter, the loader 41 moves back to the supply module 4 on the rail again.

[0018] The molding module 3 uses a mold C to resin-seal the substrate Sa before molding to form a molded substrate Sb (an example of a resin molded product). In this embodiment, one molding module 3 is provided, but two or more may be provided. In the case of two or more, each molding module 3 can be independently attached or detached.

[0019] The housing module 2 has a substrate housing portion 46. The unloader 42 waits within the housing module 2 and moves from the housing module 2 to the molding module 3 along a rail (not shown) disposed on the back side (the upper side in FIG. 1) across the molding module 3 to take out the molded substrate Sb from the molding module 3, and then moves back along the rail to the housing module 2 to house the molded substrate Sb in the substrate housing portion 46. In the molded substrate Sb, the semiconductor chip 48 and the like are sealed with a cured resin in which the molten resin Ta (an example of a resin material, see FIG. 2) has solidified.

[0020] The control unit 6 includes a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 6 controls the operation of the resin molding apparatus 30 by executing a control program stored in the storage device with the processor. The operation of the resin molding apparatus 30 described below is performed based on the operation command of the control unit 6 unless otherwise specified. In the following description, the operation command of the control unit 6 is omitted in principle, and the operation command of the control unit 6 will be described as necessary.

[0021] 〔Configuration of Mold〕 Hereinafter, the mold C of the molding module 3 will be described in detail.

[0022] As shown in Figure 2, the mold C comprises an upper mold UM in which an upper mold cavity MC (an example of a cavity) is formed to which molten resin Ta, which is heated and melted from a resin tablet T, is supplied; a lower mold LM positioned opposite the upper mold UM and provided with a pot block 71 that forms a resin channel for supplying molten resin Ta to the upper mold cavity MC; and a mold clamping mechanism 5 for clamping the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM. In this embodiment, the mold C is configured to have one pre-molded substrate Sa on each side of the pot block 71 of the lower mold LM, and two pre-molded substrates Sa are resin-molded in one resin molding operation. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a configuration in which one pre-molded substrate Sa is resin-molded in one resin molding operation is also possible. The operation of the mold clamping mechanism 5 is controlled by the control unit 6. The pre-molded substrate Sa is transported between the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM by the loader 41 and then placed on the lower mold LM. In this embodiment, the shape of the substrate Sa before molding is rectangular, and accordingly, the planar shape of the upper mold cavity MC is also rectangular.

[0023] The lower mold LM is held in the lower mold holder 32, which is fixed to a movable platen 34 that moves up and down by the mold clamping mechanism 5. In this embodiment, the mold clamping mechanism 5 can be, for example, a combination of a servo motor and a ball screw mechanism, or a combination of an air cylinder or hydraulic cylinder and a rod.

[0024] The upper mold UM includes an upper mold base plate 31. A release film F is placed on the surface 33 (an example of the opposing surface) of the upper mold UM, which is the mold surface facing the lower mold LM. The release film F is supplied by a release film supply mechanism (not shown). The release film F is adsorbed onto the surface 33 of the upper mold UM by a vacuum pump 37 drawing air from a second channel 31b (an example of a suction hole) and a third channel 31c (an example of a suction hole) formed in the upper mold UM. Furthermore, the release film F is adsorbed onto the surface 33 of the upper mold UM by a vacuum pump 37 drawing air from a fourth channel (not shown) formed on the outer edge of the upper mold UM. Note that the paths for drawing air from the second channel 31b and the third channel 31c by the vacuum pump 37 and the paths for drawing air from the fourth channel by the vacuum pump 37 are separate paths. As the material for the release film F, a resin material having properties such as heat resistance, release properties, flexibility, and extensibility is used. For example, PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (ethylene / tetrafluoroethylene copolymer), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), FEP (tetrafluoroethylene / hexafluoropropylene copolymer), polypropylene, polystyrene, polyvinylidene chloride, etc. are used.

[0025] Next, the molten resin supply mechanism 7 will be described. The molten resin supply mechanism 7 comprises a pot block 71 in which a pot 71a for containing resin tablets T is formed, and a transfer mechanism 72 having a plunger 72a provided inside the pot 71a. The pot 71a is formed, for example, by a cylindrical member 73. This cylindrical member 73 is fitted into a through hole formed in the pot block 71.

[0026] A first protruding portion 71e is formed at the upper end of the pot block 71, extending outwards onto the surface of the lower mold LM, which is the mold surface. This first protruding portion 71e protrudes so as to be able to press against the pot-side end of the unmolded substrate Sa when the unmolded substrate Sa is placed on the lower mold LM. Furthermore, a cull portion 71b, a runner 71c, and a first lower gate 71d are formed on the upper surface of the pot block 71, which serve as resin channels for introducing molten resin Ta supplied from the pot 71a into the upper mold cavity MC. When the upper mold UM and lower mold LM are clamped together, a portion of the upper surface of the first protruding portion 71e contacts the upper mold UM, while its lower surface sandwiches the unmolded substrate Sa between itself and the surface of the lower mold LM. At this time, the first lower gate 71d, which constitutes the resin supply gate, is located inward (closer to the semiconductor chip 48) than the outer edge of the unmolded substrate Sa on the side closer to the pot block 71. In the following manner, the unmolded substrate Sa placed on the lower mold LM is clamped between the lower mold LM and the first protruding portion 71e of the pot block 71 to perform resin molding. In this method, the molten resin Ta supplied from the pot 71a is supplied to the upper mold cavity MC of the upper mold UM, passing inside the outer edge of the unmolded substrate Sa. This method is sometimes referred to as the edge gate method.

[0027] The transfer mechanism 72 supplies molten resin Ta from the pot 71a to the upper mold cavity MC by moving the plunger 72a while the upper mold UM and lower mold LM are clamped together. This transfer mechanism 72 includes a plunger 72a for pumping the molten resin Ta, a fixing block 72b to which the plunger 72a is fixed, and a plunger drive mechanism 72c that moves the plunger 72a via the fixing block 72b. The operation of the plunger drive mechanism 72c is controlled by the control unit 6.

[0028] The fixing block 72b has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape, and multiple plungers 72a are fixed in a straight line on one of its rectangular surfaces (top surface). The arrangement of the multiple plungers 72a corresponds to the arrangement of the multiple pots 71a, which will be described later. The multiple plungers 72a are fixed to the fixing block 72b by means of fixing screws, for example. The fixing block 72b may also be provided with an isobaric mechanism using an elastic member or the like to equalize the pressure at which each plunger 72a injects the molten resin Ta.

[0029] The plunger drive mechanism 72c moves the fixed block 72b up and down relative to the lower mold LM, thereby moving multiple plungers 72a simultaneously with the same amount of movement relative to multiple pots 71a. In this embodiment, the plunger drive mechanism 72c is provided on the lower side of the fixed block 72b. As this plunger drive mechanism 72c, for example, a combination of a servo motor and a ball screw mechanism, or a combination of an air cylinder or hydraulic cylinder and a rod can be used.

[0030] The upper mold UM has an upper mold cavity MC formed in which the semiconductor chip 48 of the substrate Sa before molding is housed and molten resin Ta is supplied. The upper mold UM also has a concave space 35 and a first upper gate 35a formed in which the cal portion 71b, runner 71c, and first lower gate 71d of the pot block 71 are connected to the upper mold cavity MC.

[0031] When the upper mold UM and lower mold LM are clamped by the clamping mechanism 5, a resin flow path consisting of the cal portion 71b, runner 71c, first lower gate 71d, concave space 35, and first upper gate 35a connects the multiple pots 71a to the upper mold cavity MC. As the upper mold UM and lower mold LM are clamped, the first lower gate 71d and the first upper gate 35a form a resin supply gate, and the molten resin Ta from the pots 71a is supplied to the upper mold cavity MC through this resin supply gate. As described above, the resin supply gate (the gap between the first lower gate 71d and the first upper gate 35a) is located inside the outer edge of the substrate Sa before molding on the side closer to the pot block 71. In this state, when the plunger 72a is raised by the plunger drive mechanism 72c and the molten resin Ta is supplied to the upper mold cavity MC, the semiconductor chips 48 and the like on the substrate Sa before molding are resin-encapsulated. Alternatively, the runner 71c may be omitted, and the cal section 71b and the upper mold cavity MC may be directly connected via the first lower gate 71d and the first upper gate 35a.

[0032] Next, the excess resin storage mechanism 10 will be described. The excess resin storage mechanism 10 consists of an excess resin storage block 11, a second excess resin storage cavity 12 (an example of an excess resin storage cavity), a movable mechanism 14, and a protruding portion 15a. The excess resin storage block 11 is located in the lower mold LM on the side opposite to the pot block 71 with respect to the location where the unmolded substrate Sa is placed. The second excess resin storage cavity 12 is formed in the upper mold UM on the side opposite to the concave space 35 with respect to the upper mold cavity MC. In the lower mold LM, an air vent (not shown) is formed on the side opposite to the pot block 71 with respect to the excess resin storage block 11.

[0033] The excess resin storage block 11 has a first excess resin storage cavity 11a (an example of an excess resin storage cavity), a second lower gate 11b, and a second protruding portion 11c. The first excess resin storage cavity 11a is formed in the excess resin storage block 11 at the location facing the upper mold UM. The second lower gate 11b is formed at the end of the second protruding portion 11c closest to the unmolded substrate Sa in the excess resin storage block 11.

[0034] A second upper gate 12a is formed in the second excess resin storage cavity 12, closest to the most concave space 35. When the upper mold UM and lower mold LM are clamped together by the mold clamping mechanism 5, the excess resin storage block 11 enters the second excess resin storage cavity 12. As a result, the first excess resin storage cavity 11a and the second excess resin storage cavity 12 form an excess resin storage space 13 (see Figure 3). In addition, the second lower gate 11b and the second upper gate 12a constitute a resin discharge gate. The resin discharge gate is located inside the outer edge of the unmolded substrate Sa (closer to the semiconductor chip 48) and is an edge gate type gate. At this time, when the upper mold UM and lower mold LM are clamped together, the lower surface of the second protruding portion 11c sandwiches the unmolded substrate Sa between itself and the surface of the lower mold LM.

[0035] The upper mold UM and the lower mold LM are clamped together, and the molten resin Ta from the pot 71a is supplied to the upper mold cavity MC. After the upper mold cavity MC is filled with molten resin Ta, if more molten resin Ta is supplied to the upper mold cavity MC, excess resin Tb (an example of resin material) is discharged from the upper mold cavity MC to the excess resin storage space 13 through the resin discharge gate, which is composed of the second lower gate 11b and the second upper gate 12a. Excess resin Tb refers to the molten resin Ta that has been discharged from the upper mold cavity MC to the excess resin storage space 13.

[0036] The movable mechanism 14 consists of a movable member 14a, a drive unit 14b, and a compression spring 14c. The movable member 14a is composed of a cylindrical portion and a flange portion extending radially outward from one end of the cylindrical portion. The cylindrical portion of the movable member 14a penetrates the upper mold UM and the upper mold base plate 31. The movable member 14a can perform forward and backward movements to protrude into the second excess resin storage cavity 12, and backward movements to exit from the second excess resin storage cavity 12. In other words, the movable member 14a is configured to perform forward movements, which are movements toward the lower mold LM, and backward movements, which are movements toward the lower mold LM, relative to the inner surface 12b (an example of the cavity inner surface) located within the second excess resin storage cavity 12 on the surface 33 of the upper mold UM. In other words, the inner surface 12b is the surface portion within the second excess resin storage cavity 12 of the upper mold UM. The flange portion of the movable member 14a is located on the upper side (outside) of the upper mold base plate 31. The drive unit 14b is a power source that makes the movable member 14a movable, and is, for example, a servo motor or an air cylinder. The compression spring 14c is connected to the upper mold base plate 31 and the flange portion of the movable member 14a, and when the movable member 14a moves forward, it applies the elastic force of the spring to the movable member 14a in the direction away from the lower mold LM (in the direction of backward movement).

[0037] The protruding portion 15a is a portion that protrudes from the inner surface 12b of the second excess resin storage cavity 12 toward the lower mold LM. In this embodiment, the protruding portion 15a corresponds to the end of the cylindrical protruding member 15 on the lower mold LM side. The protruding member 15 has a fixing portion 15b that extends slightly radially outward at the end opposite to the protruding portion 15a. The protruding member 15 is fixed by press-fitting the fixing portion 15b into the upper mold UM or the like. At this time, the end facing the lower mold LM protrudes as the protruding portion 15a from the inner surface 12b toward the lower mold LM. A movable member 14a is arranged in the space inside the protruding member 15, and the movable member 14a slides along the inner circumferential surface of the protruding member 15. That is, the protruding member 15 is in contact with the side surface (outer circumferential surface) of the movable member 14a.

[0038] A groove-shaped first channel 31a through which air flows is formed on the surface of the upper mold base plate 31 that is in contact with the upper mold UM. The first channel 31a is connected to a second channel 31b and a third channel 31c formed in the upper mold UM. The second channel 31b is a through hole that penetrates the upper mold UM from the first channel 31a toward the lower mold LM. In this embodiment, the end of the second channel 31b opposite to the end connected to the first channel 31a is located at least in the concave space 35 and the upper mold cavity MC. The third channel 31c is the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the protruding member 15 and the outer circumferential surface of the movable member 14a, and the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the protruding member 15 and the inner circumferential surface of the upper mold UM. That is, the end of the protruding member 15 on the side of the fixed portion 15b is connected to the first channel 31a.

[0039] The first channel 31a is connected to a vacuum pump 37. The vacuum pump 37 has the function of drawing in and supplying air. By drawing in the air in the first channel 31a, the second channel 31b, and the third channel 31c with the vacuum pump 37, the release film F can be adsorbed onto the surface 33 of the upper mold UM.

[0040] [Method for manufacturing resin molded products] Next, a method for manufacturing a resin molded product (molded substrate Sb) will be explained using Figures 1 to 7. The method for manufacturing a resin molded product (molded substrate Sb) includes a supply step of supplying a release film F to the upper mold UM and supplying a substrate Sa and resin tablets T to the lower mold LM; a mold clamping step of clamping the mold C with a mold clamping mechanism 5; and a molding step of performing resin molding of the substrate Sa by supplying molten resin Ta from the pot 71a to the upper mold cavity MC, and in which the movable member 14a moves backward toward the inner surface 12b of the upper mold cavity MC due to the pressure of the excess resin Tb stored in the excess resin storage space 13.

[0041] The molding process is a process in which the resin molding apparatus 30 resin-moldes the unmolded substrate Sa from the time the unmolded substrate Sa is loaded into the molding module 3 until the molded substrate Sb is unloaded from the molding module 3. In the molding process in this embodiment, molten resin Ta is supplied to the upper surface of the unmolded substrate Sa by supplying molten resin Ta to the upper mold cavity MC, thereby molding and producing the molded substrate Sb. Note that in Figures 3 to 6, only one side (the left side in Figure 2) of the mold C with respect to the molten resin supply mechanism 7 is shown. The configuration of the unshown parts (the right side in Figure 2) is the same as the configuration of the shown parts.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, the loader 41 is preheated with the resin tablet T housing space insulated, and the mold C is also heated. Then, the unmolded substrate Sa taken from the substrate supply mechanism 43 is placed on the loader 41. The resin tablets T, aligned by the resin supply mechanism 45, are then placed in the resin tablet T housing space of the loader 41. The loader 41 then transports the unmolded substrate Sa and resin tablets T to the molding module 3. The loader 41 is positioned between the upper mold UM and lower mold LM of the mold C, and places the unmolded substrate Sa and resin tablets T on the lower mold LM. After that, the loader 41 moves from between the upper mold UM and lower mold LM to the outside of the mold C and returns to the supply module 4. The resin tablets T are housed in the pot 71a and heated by a heater (not shown) built into the lower mold LM to become molten resin Ta. Figure 2 shows the state after the unmolded substrate Sa and resin tablets T have been placed on the lower mold LM.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, a release film supply mechanism (not shown) supplies a release film F before use between the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM. Then, by operating the vacuum pump 37 and sucking air in the first channel 31a, second channel 31b, third channel 31c, and fourth channel (not shown), the release film F is adsorbed and fixed to the surface 33 of the upper mold UM. At this time, i.e., in the initial state, the tip 14d of the cylindrical part of the movable member 14a protrudes below (towards the lower mold LM) the tip (lowest end) of the protruding part 15a. The initial state means that no pressure from the excess resin Tb is acting on the tip 14d of the movable member 14a.

[0044] Next, the clamping mechanism 5, whose driving force is controlled by the control unit 6, moves the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM closer together and clamps them together. At this time, the clamping mechanism 5 raises the lower mold LM and the pot block 71, and the rise of the pot block 71 stops when the upper surface of the pot block 71 contacts the upper mold UM. Then, the clamping mechanism 5 raises the lower mold LM further, bringing the pot block 71 closer to the lower mold LM, and the lower surface of the first protruding portion 71e contacts the end of the unmolded substrate Sa that is closer to the pot block 71. At this time, the lower surface of the second protruding portion 11c of the excess resin storage block 11 contacts the end of the unmolded substrate Sa that is farther from the pot block 71 (clamping process). As a result, the lower surfaces of the first protruding portion 71e and the second protruding portion 11c sandwich the unmolded substrate Sa between themselves and the surface of the lower mold LM, and the unmolded substrate Sa is fixed to the lower mold LM.

[0045] Next, as the plunger 72a of the transfer mechanism 72, whose driving force is controlled by the control unit 6, rises, the molten resin Ta, which has been melted from the resin tablet T housed in the lower mold LM, passes through the resin supply gate (the gap between the first upper gate 35a and the first lower gate 71d) and is supplied to the upper mold cavity MC. As described above, the resin supply gate is located on the side of the unmolded substrate Sa closest to the pot block 71 (closer to the semiconductor chip 48).

[0046] Even after the upper mold cavity MC is filled with molten resin Ta, the plunger 72a rises. As a result, the molten resin Ta passes through the resin discharge gate (the gap between the second upper gate 12a and the second lower gate 11b) and is stored (discharged) into the excess resin storage space 13 formed by the first excess resin storage cavity 11a and the second excess resin storage cavity 12, becoming excess resin Tb. At this time, air that was present under the semiconductor chip 48 fixed to the substrate Sa before molding is discharged into the excess resin storage space 13 together with the molten resin Ta.

[0047] After the excess resin Tb is filled into the excess resin storage space 13, the driving force of the drive unit 14b of the movable mechanism 14 is appropriately controlled to raise (retract) the movable member 14a so that the tip 14d of the movable member 14a becomes flush with the tip of the protruding part 15a. As a result, the volume of the excess resin storage space 13 increases, and more excess resin Tb moves from the upper mold cavity MC to the excess resin storage space 13. At this time, air that was still lingering under the semiconductor chip 48 and air contained in the molten resin Ta in the upper mold cavity MC also moves from the upper mold cavity MC to the excess resin storage space 13. As a result, there are no voids or unfilled areas in the molded substrate Sb after the molten resin Ta has hardened.

[0048] As the movable member 14a rises in this manner, a portion of the release film F also rises along with the movable member 14a. Specifically, the portion of the release film F that is adhering to the protruding portion 15a remains stationary, while the portion that is in close contact with the tip portion 14d of the movable member 14a comes into close contact with the inner circumferential surface of the protruding portion 15. Therefore, even if the movable member 14a moves backward due to the pressure of the excess resin Tb, the tension of the release film F is maintained and it does not sag, and wrinkles are less likely to occur.

[0049] In this manner, with the release film F in close contact with the tip portion 14d of the movable member 14a and the inner circumferential surface of the protruding member 15, the resin containing the molten resin Ta and excess resin Tb is cured to form the pre-molded substrate Sa (molding process). This yields the molded substrate Sb. As described above, no wrinkles are generated in the release film F, so the release film F does not get stuck even after the excess resin Tb has cured.

[0050] After the resin has hardened, the mold clamping mechanism 5 moves the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM apart relative to each other, thereby opening the molds. At this time, the control unit 6 appropriately controls the driving force of the drive unit 14b of the movable mechanism 14, taking into account the elastic force of the compression spring 14c, to move the movable member 14a toward the lower mold LM in synchronization with the downward movement of the lower mold LM. Specifically, the downward movement speed of the lower mold LM and the forward movement speed of the movable member 14a are made the same. As a result, the mold is opened with the release film F sandwiched between the movable member 14a and the hardened excess resin Tb. Hereinafter, the hardened excess resin Tb will also be referred to as hardened excess resin Tc (an example of resin material and unnecessary resin portion).

[0051] While the lower mold LM and the movable member 14a are lowered, air is injected from the vacuum pump 37 into at least the third channel 31c connected to the excess resin storage space 13 and the second channel 31b connected to the upper mold cavity MC. The release film F is fixed to the upper mold UM by a fourth channel (not shown) formed on the outer edge of the upper mold UM, so the release film becomes like an inflated balloon. This reduces the adhesion between the release film F and the cured excess resin Tc (Step #01 in Figure 7). After injecting air from the vacuum pump 37 into the third channel 31c for a predetermined time, the air in the third channel 31c is again sucked out by the vacuum pump 37 to adsorb the release film F onto the surface 33 of the upper mold UM (Step #02 in Figure 7). At this time, the lower mold LM and the movable member 14a continue to lower. This further reduces the adhesion between the release film F and the cured excess resin Tc. Furthermore, air may be injected not only into the excess resin storage space 13 and the upper mold cavity MC, but also into the concave space 35.

[0052] Subsequently, with the release film F sandwiched between them, the lower mold LM and the movable member 14a are lowered further until, as shown in Figure 5, the tip 14d of the movable member 14a becomes flush with the tip of the protruding portion 15a. Then, the lower mold LM is lowered further until the movable member 14a reaches a predetermined position or the limit of its extension movement, at which point the extension (downward movement) of the movable member 14a is terminated (#03 in Figure 7). After that, the movable member 14a does not descend, and only the lower mold LM descends (#04 in Figure 7). At this point, the adhesion between the release film F and the cured excess resin Tc has sufficiently decreased, so the cured excess resin Tc separates from the release film F and descends together with the lower mold LM while in close contact with the first excess resin storage cavity 11a.

[0053] After the mold opening is complete, an operation (gate break operation) is performed to separate the excess resin portion remaining in the pot block 71b, runner 71c, and first lower gate 71d, etc., and the excess cured resin Tc from the molded substrate Sb, thereby separating the molded substrate Sb from the excess resin. Since the gate break operation in an edge gate type transfer molding apparatus is well known (for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-62857), a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0054] Subsequently, as shown in Figure 6, an unloader 42 is inserted between the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM, and the unloader 42 removes the unwanted resin, excess cured resin Tc, and molded substrate Sb from the mold C (lower mold LM). The removed unwanted resin and excess cured resin Tc are discarded in a resin storage section (not shown). The removed molded substrate Sb is stored in the substrate storage section 46 of the storage module 2 (see Figure 1). The package substrate (molded substrate Sb) manufactured by this resin molding apparatus 30 is then cut to remove unwanted parts and into individual pieces using a cutting device, and the individual pieces are used as electronic components after undergoing quality inspection.

[0055] As described above, the resin molding apparatus 30 of this embodiment is equipped with an excess resin storage mechanism 10, and the upper mold UM is equipped with a movable member 14a and a protruding portion 15a. Therefore, even when the release film F is adsorbed onto the upper mold UM and the movable member 14a moves backward due to the pressure of the excess resin Tb, the release film F adheres closely to the inner circumferential surface of the protruding portion 15, so the tension of the release film F is maintained and it does not sag, and wrinkles are unlikely to occur. Consequently, even after the excess resin Tb has hardened, the release film F does not get caught in the excess resin Tb (hardened excess resin Tc). As a result, when the mold is opened after resin molding, the hardened excess resin Tc is separated from the release film F and remains on the lower mold LM side together with the molded substrate Sb, so that the hardened excess resin Tc can be properly removed and resin molding can be performed.

[0056] [Another embodiment] The following describes another embodiment of the above embodiment. For ease of understanding, components similar to those in the above embodiment will be described using the same terminology and reference numerals.

[0057] <1> In the above embodiment, the protrusion 15a was formed around the entire circumference of the movable member 14a, but it may also be formed only around a part of the periphery of the movable member 14a.

[0058] <2> In the above embodiment, the protrusion 15a was formed by press-fitting the protruding member 15, but the protrusion 15a may also be formed directly on the upper mold UM. Alternatively, the protruding member 15 may be fixed to the upper mold UM by welding or other methods.

[0059] <3> In the above embodiment, the supply of molten resin Ta from the pot 71a to the unmolded substrate Sa was performed by an edge gate method, where the molten resin Ta was supplied to the upper mold cavity MC of the upper mold UM by passing inside the outer edge of the unmolded substrate Sa. However, the invention is not limited to this. For example, the supply of molten resin Ta from the pot 71a may be performed by passing the outer edge of the unmolded substrate Sa to the upper mold cavity MC of the upper mold UM (sometimes called a side gate method). In this case, the discharge of excess resin Tb from the upper mold cavity MC to the excess resin storage space 13 may be by an edge gate method or a side gate method.

[0060] <4> In the above embodiment, the pot block 71 and the excess resin storage block 11 were formed in the lower mold LM, but the invention is not limited to this. The pot block 71 and the excess resin storage block 11 may be formed in an intermediate mold separate from the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM, and arranged between the upper mold UM and the lower mold LM. In this case, the mold C consists of three molds: the upper mold UM, the intermediate mold, and the lower mold LM.

[0061] <5> In the above embodiment, in the initial state when no pressure from excess resin Tb is acting on the movable member 14a, the tip 14d of the cylindrical portion of the movable member 14a protrudes below (towards the lower mold LM) the tip (lowest end) of the protruding portion 15a, but it is not limited to this. In the initial state, as shown in Figure 3, the tip 14d of the movable member 14a may be configured to be flush with the tip of the protruding portion 15a or to be set back from the tip of the protruding portion 15a. In this case, the amount of protrusion from the inner surface 12b of the protruding portion 15a will be greater than or equal to the amount of protrusion of the movable member 14a from the inner surface 12b when the release film F is held in the upper mold UM. With such a configuration, when the movable member 14a moves backward, the release film F stretches and adheres closely to the inner circumferential surface of the protruding member 15. Furthermore, the amount of protrusion of the tip 14d of the cylindrical portion of the movable member 14a into the excess resin storage space 13 in the initial state may be determined by the type of object to be molded.

[0062] <6> In the above embodiment, the excess resin storage space 13 was formed by the first excess resin storage cavity 11a and the second excess resin storage cavity 12, but it is not limited to this. The excess resin storage space 13 may be formed by the first excess resin storage cavity 11a alone or by the second excess resin storage cavity 12 alone.

[0063] <7> The pre-molded substrate Sa that is resin-molded in the resin molding apparatus 30 in the above embodiment is, for example, a semiconductor substrate (such as a silicon wafer), a metal substrate (such as a lead frame), a glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, a resin substrate, or a wiring substrate.

[0064] <8> In the embodiment described above, all controls #01 to #03 in Figure 7 may be omitted, or the control of air injection #01 and the control of re-adhesion of the release film #02 in Figure 7 may be omitted, or only the control of the downward movement of the movable member in #01 to #03 in Figure 7 may be omitted.

[0065] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following describes the outline of the mold (C), resin molding apparatus (30), and method for manufacturing the resin molded product (Sb) as described in the above embodiment.

[0066] (1) The characteristic configuration of the mold (C) according to this embodiment includes a first mold (LM) on which the object to be molded (Sa) is placed, and a second mold (UM) positioned opposite the first mold (LM) and holding a release film (F) on the opposing surface (33) facing the first mold (LM), wherein at least one of the first mold (LM) and the second mold (UM) has a cavity (MC) that houses the object to be molded (Sa) inside and is supplied with molten resin material (Ta) from a pot (71a), and an excess cavity where excess resin material (Tb) that has been supplied to the cavity (MC) and has flowed out of the cavity (MC) is stored. The second type (UM) is formed with resin storage cavities (11a, 12) and a movable member (14a) that can move forward from the inner surface (12b) of the excess resin storage cavity (12) toward the excess resin storage cavity (11a, 12) and backward from within the excess resin storage cavity (11a, 12), and a protrusion (15a) formed on at least a portion of the inner surface (12b) of the cavity surrounding the movable member (14a) and projecting toward the excess resin storage cavity (11a, 12) from the inner surface (12b).

[0067] The mold (C) according to this characteristic configuration has a protrusion (15a) on at least a portion of the periphery of the movable member (14a) on the second mold (UM). Therefore, even when the release film (F) is adsorbed onto the second mold (UM) and the movable member (14a) moves backward due to the pressure of the resin material (Tb), the release film (F) adheres tightly to the protrusion (15a), so the tension of the release film (F) is maintained and it does not sag, and wrinkles are unlikely to occur. Consequently, even after the excess resin material (Tb) has hardened, the release film (F) does not get caught in the hardened excess resin material (Tc). As a result, when the mold is opened after resin molding, the hardened excess resin material (Tc) is separated from the release film (F) and remains on the first mold (LM) side together with the pre-molded substrate (Sa) after resin molding, so that the hardened excess resin material (Tc) can be properly removed and resin molding can be performed.

[0068] (2) In the mold (C) described in (1) above, it is preferable that the protruding portion (15a) is formed around the entire circumference of the movable member (14a).

[0069] With this configuration, since the protrusion (15a) is formed around the entire perimeter of the movable member (14a), the tension of the release film (F) is uniform over the entire perimeter of the movable member (14a), making it difficult for localized sagging or wrinkles to occur.

[0070] (3) In the mold (C) described in (1) or (2) above, it is preferable that the amount of protrusion of the protruding portion (15a) from the inner surface (12b) of the cavity is greater than or equal to the amount of protrusion of the movable member (14a) from the inner surface (12b) of the cavity when the release film (F) is held in the second mold (UM).

[0071] According to this, the slack in the release film (F) is reduced, making it less likely for wrinkles to occur.

[0072] (4) In the mold (C) described in any one of (1) to (3) above, when the resin material (Ta) is supplied from the pot (71a) to the cavity (MC), it is preferable that the resin material (Ta) passes inside the outer edge of the object to be molded (Sa).

[0073] According to this, resin material (Ta) can be supplied only to the necessary parts of the object to be molded (Sa).

[0074] (5) The characteristic configuration of the resin molding apparatus (30) according to this embodiment is a mold (C) described in any one of (1) to (4) above, a mold clamping mechanism (5) for clamping and opening the mold (C), and opening the mold (C) after resin molding. Subsequent separation The device includes an unloading mechanism (42) for unloading the resin molded product (Sb) and the unwanted resin portion (Tc) of the resin material, which are separated from each other after resin molding, to the outside of the mold (C), and a control unit (6) for controlling the operation of the device.

[0075] With the resin molding apparatus (30) according to this characteristic configuration, the mold (C) described in any one of (1) to (4) above is clamped by the mold clamping mechanism (5) to manufacture the resin molded product (Sb). As a result, even after the resin material (Tb) has hardened, the release film (F) will not get caught in the unwanted resin portion (Tc), which is the hardened resin material. Consequently, when the mold clamping mechanism (5) is opened after resin molding, the unwanted resin portion (Tc) is separated from the release film (F) and remains on the side of the first mold (LM) together with the pre-molded substrate (Sa) after resin molding. Therefore, the unwanted resin portion (Tc) can be properly removed and resin molding can be performed. The resin molded product (Sb) and the unwanted resin portion (Tc) of the resin material can then be properly discharged to the outside of the mold (C) by the discharge mechanism (42).

[0076] (6) In the resin molding apparatus (30) described in (5) above, when the control unit (6) moves the first mold (LM) and the second mold (UM) relative to each other to open the mold (C), it is preferable that the control unit (6) moves the movable member (14a) into the excess resin storage cavity (11a, 12) in synchronization with the relative movement.

[0077] According to this, when the mold (C) is opened by moving the first mold (LM) and the second mold (UM) relative to each other, the movable member (14a) is synchronized to move into the excess resin storage cavity (11a, 12). This allows the mold to be opened while the release film (F) is held between the movable member (14a) and the excess resin portion (Tc) of the resin material, so there is no risk of the release film (F) tearing.

[0078] (7) In the resin molding apparatus (30) described in (5) or (6) above, when the control unit (6) moves the first mold (LM) and the second mold (UM) relative to each other to open the mold (C), it is preferable that the control unit (6) injects air from the suction holes (31b, 31c) of the second mold (UM), which suck in air to adsorb and hold the release film (F), toward the cavity (MC) and the excess resin storage cavity (11a, 12) to separate a part of the release film (F) from the opposing surface (33).

[0079] According to this, when the mold (C) is opened, the adhesion between the release film (F) and the unwanted resin portion (Tc) of the resin material can be reduced.

[0080] (8) In the resin molding apparatus (30) described in (7) above, the control unit (6) preferably sprays air from the suction holes (31b, 31c) and then sucks air again to re-adhere the release film (F) to the opposing surface (33) of the second mold (UM).

[0081] According to this, the adhesion between the release film (F) and the unwanted resin portion (Tc) of the resin material can be further reduced.

[0082] (9) The characteristics of the method for manufacturing a resin molded product (Sb) using the resin molding apparatus (30) described in any one of (5) to (8) above are that it includes a supply step of supplying an object to be molded (Sa) and resin material (T) to a mold (C), a mold clamping step of clamping the mold (C) with a mold clamping mechanism (5), and a molding step of performing resin molding of the object to be molded (Sa) by supplying molten resin material (Ta) from a pot (71a) to a cavity (MC), and in which the movable member (14a) moves backward toward the inner surface (12b) of the cavity due to the pressure of the excess resin material (Tb) stored in the excess resin storage cavities (11a, 12).

[0083] In the method for manufacturing a resin molded product (Sb) having the above characteristics, the resin molding apparatus (30) described in any one of (5) to (8) above is used, so that the release film (F) does not get caught in the hardened resin material (Tc) even after the resin material (Tb) has hardened. As a result, when the mold clamping mechanism (5) is opened after resin molding, the hardened resin material (Tc) is separated from the release film (F) and remains on the side of the first mold (LM) together with the pre-molded substrate (Sa) after resin molding, so that the hardened resin material (Tc) can be properly removed and the resin molded product (Sb) can be manufactured. [Industrial applicability]

[0084] The present invention can be used for molding dies, resin molding apparatus, and methods for manufacturing resin molded products. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0085] 5: Clamping mechanism 6: Control Unit 11: Excess resin storage block 11a: First excess resin storage cavity (excess resin storage cavity) 12: Second excess resin storage cavity (excess resin storage cavity) 12b: Inner surface (inner surface of the cavity) 14a: Movable member 15a:Protrusion 31b: Second channel (suction port) 31c: Third flow path (suction hole) 33:Surface (opposite surface) 42: Unloader (unloading mechanism) 71a: Pot C: Molding mold F: Release film LM: Lower mold (1st mold) MC: Upper Cavity (Cavity) Sa: Pre-molding substrate (object to be molded) Sb: Pre-molded substrate (resin molded product) T: Resin tablet (resin material) Ta: Molten resin (resin material) Tb: Excess resin (resin material) Tc: Excess cured resin (resin material, unnecessary resin portion) UM: Upper mold (2nd mold)

Claims

1. The first mold in which the object to be molded is placed, The system comprises a second mold positioned opposite the first mold and holding a release film on the opposing surface facing the first mold, At least one of the first type and the second type includes: A cavity containing the object to be molded and supplied with molten resin material from a pot, An excess resin storage cavity is formed in which excess resin material that flows out of the cavity after being supplied to the cavity is stored. The aforementioned Type 2 is, A movable member capable of moving forward from the inner surface of the excess resin storage cavity toward the excess resin storage cavity, and moving backward from the excess resin storage cavity toward the excess resin storage cavity, A mold having a projection formed on at least a portion of the inner surface of the cavity around the movable member, and projecting from the inner surface of the cavity toward the excess resin storage cavity.

2. The molding die according to claim 1, wherein the protruding portion is formed on the entire circumference of the movable member.

3. The molding die according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the amount of the protruding portion protruding from the inner surface of the cavity is greater than or equal to the amount of the movable member protruding from the inner surface of the cavity when the release film is held in the second mold.

4. The mold according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when the resin material is supplied from the pot to the cavity, the resin material passes inside the outer edge of the object to be molded.

5. A mold according to claim 1 or 2, A mold clamping mechanism for clamping and unclamping the mold, A discharge mechanism for transporting the resin molded product and the unnecessary resin portion of the resin material, which are separated from each other by the separation operation after the mold opening of the mold after resin molding, to the outside of the mold, A resin molding apparatus comprising a control unit that controls the operation of the apparatus.

6. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the control unit moves the first mold and the second mold relative to each other to open the mold, and moves the movable member into the excess resin storage cavity in synchronization with the relative movement.

7. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the control unit moves the first mold and the second mold relative to each other to open the mold, it injects air from the suction hole of the second mold, which sucks in air to adsorb and hold the release film, toward the cavity and the excess resin storage cavity, thereby separating a part of the release film from the opposing surface.

8. The resin molding apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control unit sprays air from the suction hole and then sucks air again to cause the release film to be re-adhered to the opposing surface of the second mold.

9. A method for manufacturing a resin molded product using the resin molding apparatus described in claim 5, A supply step of supplying the object to be molded and the resin material to the molded die, A mold clamping step in which the mold is clamped by the mold clamping mechanism, A method for manufacturing a resin molded product, comprising: a molding step of performing resin molding of the object to be molded by supplying the molten resin material from the pot to the cavity, and a molding step of moving the movable member backward toward the inner surface of the cavity due to the pressure of the excess resin material stored in the excess resin storage cavity.

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