Resin encapsulation apparatus and resin encapsulation method

Abstract

To provide a resin sealing device and a resin sealing method which can highly accurately remove a gate part and can achieve reduction in size and high density mounting of a molded article.SOLUTION: A resin sealing method includes a resin sealing step of charging a tablet-like resin R to a pot 240, pressing the resin R by a plunger 242, pressure-feeding the resin R from a cull 246 through a runner 247 to a cavity 208, and sealing workpiece W with the resin R, and a degate step of taking out a molded article Wp after the resin sealing step from a sealing mold 202, and removing an unnecessary resin part in the molded article Wp, wherein the degate step performs a runner brake step of removing a cull part Rc and a runner part Rr that are unnecessary resin parts formed at the positions of the cull 246 and the runner 247, and then performs a gate cut step of removing a gate part Rg that is an unnecessary resin part formed at a position of a gate 248 between the runner 247 and the cavity 208.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a resin sealing device and a resin sealing method.

Background Art

[0002] As an example of a resin sealing device and a resin sealing method for sealing a work in which an electronic component is mounted on a base material with a sealing resin (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "resin") and processing it into a molded product, a transfer molding method is known.

[0003] The transfer molding method is provided with a pot for supplying a predetermined amount of resin to a pair of sealing regions (cavities) provided in a sealing mold configured with an upper mold and a lower mold, and workpieces are respectively arranged at positions corresponding to the respective sealing regions and clamped by the upper mold and the lower mold, and resin sealing is performed by an operation of pouring resin from the pot into the cavity.

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 conventional resin sealing method of the transfer molding method, in the gate cutting process of removing unnecessary resin portions from the resin-sealed molded product, it was common to remove the unnecessary resin portions collectively (at once) for each molded product. As an example, a method of removing by rotating a predetermined amount around the vicinity of the gate of the molded product (see Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-231030), and as another example, a method of forming a abutting portion at a predetermined location during resin sealing and removing the abutting portion by piercing it with a pin (see Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-184351) etc. are known.

[0006] Here, taking the example of a "molded product" being a frame (a workpiece in which multiple electronic components are mounted in a matrix on a continuous substrate of a predetermined shape) sealed with resin, it was necessary to remove the excess resin portion while ensuring a predetermined gap (margin) with respect to the product portion, taking into account various factors such as the size of the frame (vertical and horizontal dimensions), the frame temperature during the degate process, and the positioning accuracy. Therefore, in conventional degate processes, there were limitations in reducing the amount of excess resin portion (gate residue) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "gate portion") formed at the gate position adjacent to the cavity for breaking off.

[0007] Against this backdrop, in recent years, there has been further progress in miniaturizing and increasing the precision (high-density mounting) of products, and there is a growing demand for more precise removal of the gate portion (i.e., reducing the residual dimensions). However, the runner portion formed in the resin encapsulation process causes warping of the frame, and this warping has been a factor that hinders the precise removal of the gate portion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a resin encapsulation apparatus and resin encapsulation method that can remove the gate portion with higher precision and realize miniaturization and high-density mounting of molded products.

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

[0010] The resin sealing method according to the present invention is a resin sealing method for processing a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with resin using a sealing mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, comprising a resin sealing step in which tablet-shaped resin is placed in a pot provided in the sealing mold and pressed by a plunger, and the resin is pumped from the cals provided in the sealing mold through the runner to the cavity to seal the workpiece with the resin, and the molded product after the resin sealing step is removed from the sealing mold, Using Runner Break Punch and Gate Cut Punch The process includes a deduction step to remove unwanted resin portions from the molded product, and the deduction step is For each component unit set in the molded product, by the runner break punch Runner break process to remove the unwanted resin parts, namely the cal portion and the runner portion, formed at the positions of the cal and the runner. The process involves sequentially transporting the molded product at a predetermined transport distance, positioning the surface of the molded product from which the unnecessary resin portion has been punched out by the runner break process facing the gate cut punch, and positioning each of the constituent units, and for each of the constituent units, using the gate cut punch. A gate cutting process to remove the gate portion, which is the unwanted resin part formed at the gate position between the runner and the cavity. and, This requires that the following be implemented.

[0011] According to this method, the caliber and runner sections can be removed in the preceding process, allowing the gate section to be removed in a later process with the frame's warping eliminated (or reduced). Therefore, it becomes possible to remove the gate section with high precision, i.e., reduce the residual dimensions, making it possible to form a higher-precision product than before.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the gate cutting process includes a step of removing the gate portion while sequentially transporting the molded product, in the state where the runner portion has been removed in the runner break process, over a predetermined transport distance. For example, the predetermined transport distance is set to the distance between the centers of the pots and cals, which are arranged in pairs in the sealing mold. This makes it possible to perform the gate cutting process in block units within the frame. Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the effects of warping and other factors that occur in the frame due to the heat during resin sealing, thereby enabling more precise removal of the gate portion, that is, reducing the residual size of the gate portion even further.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the gate cutting step includes a step of inserting a guide pin into a guide hole pre-formed in the base material of the workpiece to position it and then transport the molded product. In conventional resin encapsulation methods, it was common to position the molded product by bringing a guide into contact with the outer circumference of the molded product. As a result, it was susceptible to the effects of warping and other factors in the molded product, making it difficult to remove the gate portion with high precision. In contrast, with the above configuration, positioning can be performed by inserting a guide pin into a guide hole pre-formed in the base material of the workpiece, which significantly improves positioning accuracy and makes it possible to remove the gate portion with high precision.

[0014] Furthermore, the resin sealing apparatus according to the present invention is a resin sealing apparatus that processes a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with resin using a sealing mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, comprising: a pot provided in the lower mold into which tablet-shaped resin is introduced; a calf provided in the upper mold against which the resin is pressed; a runner and a cavity provided in at least one of the upper mold and the lower mold through which the resin is pumped from the calf; and a dedate mechanism for removing excess resin from the molded product sealed with the resin, wherein the dedate mechanism is For each component set in the molded product, The unnecessary resin parts, namely the cal portion and the runner portion, are formed at the positions of the cal and the runner. , punched out from one side of the molded product The runner break punch to be removed, and the molded product in the state from which the cal portion and the runner portion have been removed. For each component set in the molded product, The gate portion, which is the unnecessary resin part, is formed at the gate position between the runner and the cavity. , punching out from the same side as the aforementioned one surface of the molded product It is required to have a gate-cutting punch for removal.

[0015] Further, a plurality of pairs of the upper and lower pots and the cans are arranged side by side in the sealing die, and it is preferable that the gate cut punch has a punch blade formed in a shape for removing the gate portion formed corresponding to one pair of the pots and the cans at once. According to this, since the gate cut process can be performed in units of blocks within the frame, it becomes possible to miniaturize the gate cut punch and thus miniaturize the degating mechanism.

Advantages of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the gate portion can be removed with higher precision compared to the conventional method. Therefore, it becomes possible to miniaturize the molded product, that is, the product, and achieve high-density mounting.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a plan view showing an example of a resin sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a side cross-sectional view showing an example of a press device of the resin sealing device in FIG. 1. [Figure 3] It is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of a sealing die of the resin sealing device in FIG. 1. [Figure 4] It is a front view (partial cross-sectional view) showing an example of a degating mechanism of the resin sealing device in FIG. 1. [Figure 5] FIG. 5A is a plan view showing an example of a molded product formed in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5B is an enlarged view showing an example of an unnecessary resin portion in the molded product. [Figure 6] FIG. 6A is a plan view showing another example of a molded product formed in an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 6B is an enlarged view showing an example of an unnecessary resin portion in the molded product. [Figure 7] It is a reference drawing (plan view) for explaining an example of the configuration and process of a device and a molded product (frame) in a gate cut process using a resin sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8]This is a reference drawing (plan view) for explaining another example of the apparatus - molded product (frame) configuration and process in the gate cutting process using the resin sealing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] (Overall Configuration) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view (schematic view) showing an example of a resin sealing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. For the sake of convenience in explanation, in the figure, the front - rear, left - right, and up - down directions in the resin sealing apparatus 1 etc. may be explained by arrows. Also, in all the drawings for explaining each embodiment, members having the same function are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof may be omitted.

[0019] The resin sealing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment is an apparatus for resin - sealing a work (molded product) W using a sealing die 202 including an upper die 204 and a lower die 206. Hereinafter, as the resin sealing apparatus 1, an example of a transfer molding - type resin sealing apparatus will be described, in which the work W is held by the lower die 206, the cavity 208 (including a part of the die surface 204a) provided in the upper die 204 in a corresponding arrangement is covered with a release film (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as "film") Fm, the clamping operation between the upper die 204 and the lower die 206 is performed, and the work W is sealed with the resin R. In the present embodiment, two cavities 208 are provided in one upper die 204, and two works W (for example, strip - shaped works exemplified in the aforementioned frame F) are arranged in one lower die 206 and resin - sealed collectively to obtain a molded product Wp. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and a plurality of sets of the above - described configuration may be arranged side by side (not shown). The film Fm is not an essential component, and the cavity 208 may be provided in either one or both of the upper die 204 and the lower die 206.

[0020] First, the workpiece W to be molded has a configuration in which one or more electronic components Wb are mounted on a base material Wa in a predetermined arrangement. Examples of typical base materials Wa include resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, wafers, etc., formed in the shape of a rectangular or circular plate, and examples of electronic components Wb include semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive members, spacers, etc. Examples of methods for mounting electronic components Wb on the base material Wa include wire bonding mounting and flip-chip mounting. In this embodiment, a frame F in which multiple electronic components Wb are mounted in a matrix on a continuous base material Wa of a predetermined shape will be used as an example of the workpiece W. However, the embodiment is not limited to this configuration.

[0021] On the other hand, as an example of resin R, a tablet-shaped (for example, cylindrical) thermosetting resin (e.g., an epoxy resin containing fillers) can be used. However, resin R is not limited to the above state and may have a shape other than cylindrical, and may be a resin other than an epoxy thermosetting resin.

[0022] Furthermore, suitable examples of film Fm 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. In this embodiment, a roll-shaped film is used as film Fm. As another example, a configuration using strip-shaped film may also be used (not shown).

[0023] Next, an overview of the resin encapsulation apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the resin encapsulation apparatus 1 mainly comprises a supply unit 100A that primarily supplies the workpiece W to be encapsulated and the resin R, a press unit 100B that primarily processes the workpiece W into a molded product Wp by encapsulating it with resin, and a storage unit 100C that primarily stores the molded product Wp after resin encapsulation.

[0024] Furthermore, the resin encapsulation apparatus 1 is equipped with a transport mechanism 100D that moves between each unit to transport the workpiece W, resin R, and molded product Wp. As an example, the transport mechanism 100D is equipped with an in-loader 122 that loads the workpiece W and resin R into the press unit 100B, an out-loader 124 that unloads the molded product Wp from the press unit 100B, and a guide rail 126 shared by the in-loader 122 and the out-loader 124. Note that the transport mechanism 100D is not limited to the above configuration, and may be configured to use known pickups or the like as appropriate (not shown). Also, instead of a configuration equipped with a loader, a configuration equipped with an articulated robot may be used (not shown).

[0025] Here, the inloader 122 receives the workpiece W and resin R from the supply unit 100A and transports them to the press unit 100B. As an example of the configuration of the inloader 122, there are two rows of workpiece holding sections 122A and 122B arranged side by side along the left-right direction, each capable of holding one workpiece W. In addition, a resin holding section 122C is provided between the two rows of workpiece holding sections 122A and 122B, capable of holding multiple (for example, four resins are given as an example, but it is not limited to this, and it may also be one) resins R along the front-back direction. Known holding mechanisms (for example, a configuration that grips with holding claws, a configuration that adsorbs with suction holes communicating with a suction device, etc.) are used in the workpiece holding sections 122A and 122B and the resin holding section 122C (not shown).

[0026] The in-loader 122 according to this embodiment is configured to move in the left-right and front-back directions to transport the workpiece W and resin R into the sealing mold 202 and place them in a predetermined position on the lower mold 206. However, it is not limited to this configuration, and a separate loader may be provided for transporting between units by moving in the left-right direction and for transporting into the sealing mold 202 by moving in the front-back direction (not shown).

[0027] Furthermore, the outloader 124 receives the molded product Wp (including unnecessary resin parts such as the calf section and runner section) from the press unit 100B and transports it to the storage unit 100C. As an example of the configuration of the outloader 124, a molded product holding section 124A is provided that can hold the molded product Wp (in this embodiment, including unnecessary resin parts such as the calf section and runner section, with two frames F connected via these parts). The molded product holding section 124A uses a known holding mechanism (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).

[0028] The outloader 124 according to this embodiment is configured to move in the left-right and front-back directions to transport the molded product Wp out of the sealing mold 202 and place it on the molded product table 114. However, it is not limited to this configuration, and a separate loader may be provided that moves in the front-back direction to transport the product out of the sealing mold 202, and another loader that moves in the left-right direction to transport the product between units (not shown).

[0029] Furthermore, the resin encapsulation device 1 can be modified by changing the configuration of its units. For example, the configuration shown in Figure 1 is an example where two press units 100B are arranged, but it is also possible to arrange only one press unit 100B, or three or more press units 100B, etc. It is also possible to arrange other units in addition (none of which are shown).

[0030] (Supply unit) Next, we will describe the supply unit 100A provided by the resin encapsulation device 1.

[0031] The supply unit 100A includes, for example, a workstocker 102 used to store workpieces W, and a worktable 104 on which the workpieces W are placed. The workstocker 102 uses a known stack magazine, slit magazine, etc., and is capable of storing multiple workpieces W at once. With this configuration, the workpieces W are removed from the workstocker 102 using a known pusher, etc. (not shown) and placed on the worktable 104 (for example, two workpieces W are placed side by side facing each other). Next, the workpieces W placed on the worktable 104 are held by the inloader 122 and transported to the press unit 100B.

[0032] Furthermore, the supply unit 100A (or any other unit) is equipped with a resin supply mechanism 140 that supplies resin R at a lateral position to the work table 104. For example, the resin supply mechanism 140 includes a supply section 142 that supplies resin R using a hopper, feeder, etc., and a transfer section 144 that has a transfer mechanism such as an elevator to hold multiple resins R supplied from the supply section 142 in a predetermined position. With this configuration, the multiple resins R held in the transfer section 144 are held by the in-loader 122 and transported to the press unit 100B.

[0033] (Press Unit) Next, the press unit 100B of the resin sealing device 1 will be described. It is equipped with a press device 250 that clamps the workpiece W and seals it with resin by driving the sealing die 202 to open and close. Here, Figure 2 is a side cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of the press device 250, and Figure 3 is a front cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of the sealing die 202 (note that the release film is omitted from the illustration in order to clarify the configuration).

[0034] As shown in Figure 2, the press device 250 includes a sealing die 202 having a lower die 206 and an upper die 204 and disposed between a pair of platens 252 and 254, a plurality of connecting mechanisms 256 on which the pair of platens 252 and 254 are mounted, a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 for moving (raising and lowering) the platen 254, and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or toggle link mechanism) 262. In this embodiment, the upper die 204 is assembled to the fixed platen 252, and the lower die 206 is assembled to the movable platen 254. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and the upper die 204 may be assembled to the movable platen and the lower die 206 to the fixed platen, or both the upper die 204 and the lower die 206 may be assembled to the movable platen.

[0035] Furthermore, the press unit 100B is equipped with a film supply mechanism 201 that transports (supplies) a roll-shaped film Fm with no openings (holes) on its sheet surface into the sealing die 202. This film supply mechanism 201 is configured such that unused film Fm is fed out from the unwinding section 201A and supplied to the opened sealing die 202, used for resin sealing in the sealing die 202, and then wound up as used film Fm in the winding section 201B. Note that the unwinding section 201A and the winding section 201B may be arranged in opposite directions in the front-to-back direction, or they may be arranged to supply a single strip of film Fm in the left-to-right direction (neither is shown). Also, as mentioned above, a configuration using strip-shaped film instead of a roll-shaped film is also possible (not shown).

[0036] Next, the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the lower mold 206 is composed of a lower mold base 212, a lower mold chase block 216, a lower mold clamp block 220, etc., which are assembled together. For example, the lower mold chase block 216 is fixed on the lower mold base 212, and the lower mold base 212 is fixed on the movable platen 254.

[0037] Here, the lower mold 206 is provided with multiple cylindrical pots 240 (four as an example, but not limited to this, and there may be one) along the front-to-back direction, each containing resin (in this case, tablet-shaped resin) R. The pots 240 are formed as through holes continuous with the lower mold chase block 216 and the lower mold clamp block 220. A plunger 242, which is pushed by a known transfer drive mechanism (not shown), is also disposed inside the pots 240. With this configuration, the plunger 242 is pushed, and the resin R inside the pots 240 is supplied into the cavity 208 (described later).

[0038] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a workpiece holding section 205 is provided, which holds one or more workpieces W, in an arrangement surrounded by a lower clamp block 220 fixed on the lower chase block 216. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, two workpiece holding sections 205 (first workpiece holding section 205A and second workpiece holding section 205B) are arranged to sandwich the pot 240 in the left-right direction. As an example, this workpiece holding section 205 is equipped with a suction passage (not shown) that communicates with a suction device, and is configured to hold the workpiece W by suction. Alternatively, instead of or in conjunction with the configuration equipped with a suction passage, a configuration equipped with holding claws that grip the outer circumference of the workpiece W may be provided (not shown).

[0039] Furthermore, the lower mold base 212 is provided with a lower mold heater (not shown). This allows heat to be conducted to the area around the pot 240 via the lower mold chase block 216, etc., enabling the resin R inside the pot 240 to be heated and melted to a predetermined temperature (approximately 180°C in this embodiment) in a short time and efficiently. As an example, known electric heating wire heaters, sheathed heaters, etc., can be used for the lower mold heater.

[0040] Next, the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the upper mold 204 is composed of an upper mold base 210, an upper mold chase block 214, an upper mold clamp block 218, etc., which are assembled together. As an example, the upper mold chase block 214 is fixed to the lower surface of the upper mold base 210, and the upper mold base 210 is fixed to the lower surface of the fixed platen 252.

[0041] Here, the upper mold 204 is provided with a cal block 244 fixed to the upper mold chase block 214 (here, including members fixed to the upper mold chase block 214) at a position directly above the pot 240 of the lower mold 206 (here, referring to a predetermined area of ​​width directly above), and having a cal 246 and (part of) a runner 247 communicating with the cal 246 drilled into its lower surface. Furthermore, a cavity 208 is provided that communicates with the runner 247 and houses a predetermined part of the workpiece W (the part on which the electronic component Wb is mounted). The boundary position (boundary region) between the runner 247 and the cavity 208 is referred to as the gate 248. Note that the suction passage for degassing and film adsorption in the cavity 208 is not shown.

[0042] In this embodiment, the cavity 208 is drilled into the lower surface of a cavity block 226, which is surrounded by an upper mold clamp block 218 fixed below the upper mold chase block 214. More specifically, corresponding to the positions of the two workpiece holding sections 205 (first workpiece holding section 205A and second workpiece holding section 205B) of the lower mold 206, cavities 208 (first cavity 208A and second cavity 208B) are arranged on both sides in the left-right direction (or front-back direction) with the cal block 244 in a plan view. These workpiece holding sections 205A, 205B and cavities 208A, 208B form a set of structural units (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "block units") in which resin sealing is performed by a single pot 240 and its corresponding cal 246, runner 247, and gate 248. In this embodiment, multiple sets of such structural units are arranged in the front-back direction (or left-right direction). However, the configuration is not limited to these, and the workpiece holding portion 205 and the cavity 208 may be arranged on only one side of the Calblock 244 in the left-right direction (or front-back direction) (not shown). Also, the above-mentioned components may be arranged in only one set (not shown).

[0043] The cavity may also be provided in the lower mold 206. In this case, a configuration in which the resin R passes through a hole that penetrates the top and bottom of the workpiece W, or a configuration in which the resin R passes through a flow path that communicates from the cull of the upper mold 204 to the runner of the lower mold 206, can be adopted (not shown).

[0044] Furthermore, the upper mold base 210 is provided with an upper mold heater (not shown). This allows heat to be conducted to the cavity 208 and the surrounding resin channels (cal 246, runner 247, gate 248, etc.) via the upper mold chase block 214, etc., and the molten resin R filling the cavity 208 and resin channels 246, 247, 248 can be heated to a predetermined temperature. As an example, known electric heating wire heaters, sheathed heaters, etc., can be used for the upper mold heater.

[0045] (Storage unit) Next, we will describe the storage unit 100C provided by the resin encapsulation device 1.

[0046] The storage unit 100C includes, as an example, a molded product table (also called a molded product mounting pallet) 114 on which molded products Wp are placed, a deduction mechanism 116 for removing unwanted resin parts from the molded products Wp, and a molded product stocker 112 used to store the molded products Wp from which the unwanted resin parts have been removed. The molded product stocker 112 uses a known stack magazine, slit magazine, etc., and is capable of storing multiple molded products Wp at once. With this configuration, molded products Wp (including unwanted resin parts) transported from the press unit 100B using an outloader 124, etc., are placed on the molded product table 114. Next, they are transferred to the deduction mechanism 116 using a known pickup, etc. (not shown) to remove the unwanted resin parts, and then stored in the molded product stocker 112 using a known pusher, etc. (not shown). Alternatively, the molded product table 114 itself may move in the front-to-back direction with the molded products Wp on it to move to the deduction mechanism 116.

[0047] As described above, the degate mechanism 116 is a mechanism for removing unwanted resin parts from the molded product Wp. Specifically, these unwanted resin parts are the "calp portion" formed at the position of the calp 246, the "runner portion" formed at the position of the runner 247, and the "gate portion" formed at the position of the gate 248. In this embodiment, an example is given in which a frame F is used as the workpiece W, in which a plurality of electronic components Wb are mounted in a matrix on a continuous substrate Wa of a predetermined shape. Therefore, the molded product Wp, in which the workpiece W is resin-sealed, includes unwanted resin parts such as the calp portion, runner portion, and gate portion, and is formed with two frames F connected via these parts. As an example, if the molded product Wp has the configuration shown in Figure 5A, the unwanted resin parts will have the configuration shown in Figure 5B (enlarged view of one calp portion Rc and a runner portion Rr and gate portion Rg connected thereto). As another example, if the molded product Wp has the configuration shown in Figure 6A, the unwanted resin parts will have the configuration shown in Figure 6B (enlarged view of one calp portion Rc and a runner portion Rr and gate portion Rg connected thereto).

[0048] As an example, the degate mechanism 116 includes a runner break punch 160 that removes the cal portion and runner portion, as shown in Figure 4. Furthermore, it includes a gate cut punch 170 that removes the gate portion from the molded product Wp after the cal portion and runner portion have been removed (the process will be described later). Specifically, the runner break punch 160 includes a punch blade 162 that removes the cal portion and runner portion from the molded product Wp by punching (pushing down) the hardened resin R on the runner 24 that is in a hole h (see Figure 5A) formed in the frame F with a push pin 164 (see Figure 4) erected on the punch blade 162 (installed on the lower side of the punch blade 162) to push down the hardened resin R on the runner 24, which is in the hole h (see Figure 5A) formed in the frame F, a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves the punch blade 162 up and down, and a positioning mechanism that positions the molded product Wp during processing. Similarly, the gate-cutting punch 170 includes a punch blade 172 that punches out and removes the gate portion from the molded product Wp (with the cal and runner portions removed) by punching (punching), a drive mechanism (not shown) that moves the punch blade 172 up and down, and a positioning mechanism that positions the molded product Wp during processing. In all processing operations, the molded product Wp is transported (moved) using a pallet and a drive servo motor (neither shown).

[0049] First, in this embodiment, the punching range of the punch blade 162 of the runner break punch 160 is set (formed) to remove the caliber and runner portions in a single punch in the range formed in one set of constituent units (block units) (part A in Figure 5A). This allows the dimensions of the punch blade 162 to be made smaller, thus enabling miniaturization of the runner break punch 160 and, consequently, the degate mechanism 116. Alternatively, as a modification, the punching range of the punch blade 162 may be set (formed) to remove the caliber and runner portions in a single punch in the range formed in multiple sets of constituent units (for example, all constituent units in the molded product Wp) (part B in Figure 5A) (not shown). Furthermore, two connected molded products Wp mounted on the molded product table 114 may be twisted to destroy and separate the caliber and runner portions from the gate portion. This allows for a larger range of caliber and runner portions that can be removed in a single punch, thus shortening the cycle time.

[0050] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism for the molded product Wp when punching out the cal portion and runner portion with the punch blade 162 is configured to position the molded product Wp (with the two frames F connected) in a predetermined position by abutting its outer circumference against a guide (not shown).

[0051] Next, in this embodiment, the punching range of the punch blade 172 of the gate cutting punch 170 is set (formed) to remove the gate portion of the area formed in one set of constituent units (block units) of each frame F (part C in Figure 5A) in a single punching. This allows the dimensions of the punch blade 172 to be made smaller, thus enabling miniaturization of the gate cutting punch 170 and, consequently, the degate mechanism 116. However, this configuration is not limited to this, and it is also possible to set (form) the punching range of the punch blade 172 to remove the cal portion and runner portion of the area formed in multiple sets of constituent units of each frame F (for example, all constituent units in the molded product Wp) (part D in Figure 5A) in a single punching (not shown).

[0052] Furthermore, the positioning mechanism for the molded product Wp when punching out the cal portion and runner portion with the punch blade 172 is configured to position the molded product Wp at a predetermined position by inserting guide pins 174 (see Figure 4) provided on the gate cutting punch 170 (installed on the underside of the punch blade 172) into guide holes gh that are pre-formed in each frame F (i.e., the base material Wa of the workpiece W) of the molded product Wp. If a configuration were adopted in which the guide is brought into contact with the outer circumference of the frame F for positioning, it would be susceptible to the effects of deformation (warping, expansion, etc.) that occurs in the frame F, making it difficult to remove the gate portion with high precision. In contrast, according to the configuration of this embodiment, by inserting the guide pins 174 into guide holes gh that are pre-formed in the frame F (the base material Wa of the workpiece W) for positioning, the positioning accuracy is dramatically improved, and the gate portion can be removed with high precision. Moreover, although the high-precision guide pins 174 are expensive parts, it is sufficient to provide only one set for the configuration unit (block unit), so costs can be reduced compared to conventional devices. In this embodiment, it is preferable that a through hole th is pre-formed in the gate portion Rg forming region on the frame F, as illustrated in the reference diagram of Figure 7 (the cross-hatching in Figure 7 indicates the punch blade 172). Alternatively, as illustrated in the reference diagram of Figure 8, even without a through hole, the molded product Wp may be partially cut and removed using the gate cutting punch 170 (specifically, the punch blade 172) (the cross-hatching in Figure 8 indicates the punch blade 172).

[0053] As described above, the degate mechanism 116 according to this embodiment allows the runner break punch 160 to be used to remove the crust and runner portions, which are factors that cause warping of the molded product Wp, in advance. Therefore, with the warping of the molded product Wp eliminated (reduced), the gate portion can be removed by inserting the guide pin 174 of the gate cut punch 170 into the guide hole gh of the frame F and positioning it. This allows for high-precision removal of the gate portion. Furthermore, the gate cutting process to remove the gate portion can be performed on each frame F separated from the two frames F, rather than when the two frames F are connected. This further eliminates (reduces) the effects of warping, allowing for even higher precision removal of the gate portion. Moreover, the gate cutting process can be performed by sequential feeding of a set of constituent units (block units) and by positioning the guide hole gh of the frame F and the guide pin 174 of the gate cut punch 170. This improves transport accuracy and positioning accuracy, allowing for even higher precision removal of the gate portion. These synergistic effects have made it possible to achieve high-precision machining of the gate portion (specifically, machining to reduce the remaining amount of the gate portion to 0.15 mm or less), which was extremely difficult to achieve with conventional methods.

[0054] (Resin encapsulation process) Next, the operation of performing resin sealing using the resin sealing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment (i.e., the resin sealing method according to this embodiment) will be described. Here, we will take as an example a configuration in which two sets of cavities 208 are provided in one upper mold 204, and two workpieces W (for example, the aforementioned frames F) are arranged in parallel in one lower mold 206, and resin sealing is performed all at once to obtain a molded product Wp. However, the configuration is not limited to this, and a single workpiece W may be placed, or multiple workpieces W may be arranged in parallel in the front-to-back and left-to-right directions, and resin sealing may be performed.

[0055] 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 200°C) using the upper mold heater. In addition, 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 200°C) using the lower mold heater. Furthermore, a film supply step (film supply step) is performed in which the film Fm is transported (fed out) from the unwinding section 201A to the winding section 201B by the film supply mechanism 201 and supplied to a predetermined position (a position between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206) in the sealing mold 202.

[0056] Next, a known pusher or the like (not shown) is used to unload the workpieces W one by one from the workpiece stocker 102 and place them on the upper surface of the work table 104 (a known pickup mechanism or the like may also be used in combination). Furthermore, a known feeder, elevator or the like (not shown) is used to unload the tablet-shaped resin R one by one from the supply unit 142 and hold multiple (for example, four) of the resin R at predetermined positions on the transfer unit 144.

[0057] Next, the inloader 122 is moved to directly above the worktable 104 (it may be waiting in the same position beforehand). At that position, the worktable 104 is raised (or the inloader 122 is lowered), and the workpieces W are held by the workpiece holding units 122A and 122B (in this embodiment, the workpiece holding units 122A and 122B each hold one workpiece W).

[0058] Next, the in-loader 122 is moved directly above the transfer section 144. At that position, the transfer section 144 is raised (or the in-loader 122 is lowered), and the resin R is held by the resin holding section 122C (in this embodiment, the resin holding section 122C holds four resins R).

[0059] Next, the inloader 122 transports multiple (two in this embodiment) workpieces W and multiple (four in this embodiment) resins R into the sealing mold 202 of the press unit 100B in a single process, and performs the steps of placing the workpieces W into each workpiece holding section 205 (workpiece holding sections 205A, 205B in this embodiment) of the lower mold 206, and filling each of the multiple (four in this embodiment) pots 240 of the lower mold 206 with resins R. During transport, a preheating step (preheating step) may be performed using a heater (not shown) provided on the inloader 122.

[0060] Next, the sealing mold 202 is closed, and the workpiece W is clamped between the upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 to form a molded product Wp (resin sealing process).

[0061] More specifically, first, the drive source 260 and the drive transmission mechanism 262 are driven to move the movable platen 254 upward. This causes the lower mold 206 to move toward the upper mold 204 (i.e., upward). As the lower mold 206 continues to move upward, the cavity block 226 of the upper mold 204 comes into contact with the workpiece W held by the workpiece holding portion 205 of the lower mold 206, clamping the workpiece W. In this state, the transfer drive mechanism is activated to push the plunger 242 toward the upper mold 204, pressing the molten resin R against the cal 246 of the upper mold 204, passing through the runner 247 and other components communicating with the cal 246, and pressurizing it into the cavity 208.

[0062] As described above, by heating and pressurizing the resin R over the workpiece W, the resin R heat-cures and resin sealing occurs, forming the molded product Wp.

[0063] Next, the sealing mold 202 is opened, and the molded product Wp (in this embodiment, as illustrated in Figures 5A and 6A, including unnecessary resin parts such as the crust and runner, with the two frames F connected via them) is removed from the sealing mold 202 by the outloader 124.

[0064] In parallel with (or afterward), the film supply mechanism 201 transports the film Fm from the unwinding section 201A to the winding section 201B, thereby performing a process to discharge the used film Fm.

[0065] Next, the outloader 124 places the molded product Wp onto the molded product table 114 (a known pickup mechanism may also be used in combination). Next, the degate mechanism 116 removes unwanted resin parts such as the crust, runner, and gate from the molded product Wp (degate process). Next, a known pusher or the like (not shown) is used to transport the molded products Wp (with unwanted resin parts removed) one by one into the molded product stocker 112. Before these processes, a post-curing process for the molded products Wp may be performed.

[0066] Herein, the degate process according to this embodiment includes a runner break process for removing the cal portion and runner portion from the molded product Wp, and a gate cut process for removing the gate portion from the molded product Wp after the runner break process has been performed.

[0067] According to the above configuration, in the preceding process (runner break process), the runner portion, which is a major cause of warping of the molded product Wp along with the crust portion, can be removed. Therefore, in the subsequent process (gate cut process), the gate portion can be removed with the warping of the molded product Wp eliminated (or reduced). This makes it possible to remove the gate portion with high precision, i.e., reduce the residual dimensions of the gate portion.

[0068] In particular, in cases such as the molded product Wp (see Figures 5A and 6A) in which two frames F are sealed together with the Cal 246 in between, as in this embodiment, the frames can be separated into individual frames in the preceding process (runner break process), and the gate portion can be removed by positioning each frame in the subsequent process (gate cut process). Therefore, the above effects can be obtained more significantly.

[0069] Furthermore, the gate cutting process according to this embodiment is a process of removing the gate portion while sequentially transporting the molded product Wp (a single frame F separated as described above), which has had the cull portion and runner portion removed in the runner break process, over a predetermined transport distance. As an example, the transport distance is set to the distance between the centers of the pots 240, which are arranged in pairs in the sealing mold 202 (i.e., the distance between the centers of one pot 240 and another adjacent pot 240) (the distance between the centers of the culls 246 is the same). With this, the gate cutting process can be performed in block units within a single frame F (resin sealing areas (units) corresponding to a set of pots 240 and culls 246). Therefore, it is possible to further reduce the influence of deformation (warping, expansion, etc.) that occurs in the frame F due to the heat during resin sealing, thereby enabling more precise removal of the gate portion, that is, reducing the residual size of the gate portion even further.

[0070] Furthermore, the gate cutting process involves inserting a guide pin 174 provided on the gate cutting punch 170 into a guide hole gh pre-formed in the base material Wa of the workpiece W to position the molded product Wp, and then transporting the molded product Wp. In conventional resin encapsulation methods, positioning was generally performed by contacting a guide with the outer circumference of the frame F. Therefore, it was susceptible to the effects of deformation (warping, expansion, etc.) that occurred in the frame F, making it difficult to remove the gate portion with high precision. In contrast, with the above configuration, positioning can be performed by inserting the guide pin 174 into a guide hole gh pre-formed in the frame F (base material Wa of the workpiece W), so the positioning accuracy is greatly improved and the gate portion can be removed with high precision. In addition, the transport method for the molded product Wp is also carried out by sequential feeding of a set of constituent units (block units) using a servo motor, which also contributes to improved accuracy.

[0071] Thus, according to the de-gate process of this embodiment, the above effects are obtained synergistically, making it possible to achieve high-precision machining of the gate portion, which was extremely difficult to achieve with conventional methods, specifically machining to reduce the remaining amount of the gate portion to 0.15 mm or less.

[0072] The above describes the main operations of resin encapsulation using the resin encapsulation apparatus 1. However, the above process sequence is just one example, and the order can be changed or the operations performed in parallel as long as there are no obstacles. For example, in this embodiment, since the configuration includes two press units 100B, efficient molded product formation is possible by performing the above operations in parallel.

[0073] As explained above, the resin sealing apparatus and resin sealing method according to the present invention make it possible to remove the crust portion and runner portion in the preceding step, so that in the subsequent step the gate portion can be removed with the frame warping eliminated (reduced). Therefore, it becomes possible to remove the gate portion with high precision, i.e., reduce the residual dimensions, and make it possible to form high-precision products that were previously extremely difficult to achieve.

[0074] 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. Specifically, in the embodiments described above, a configuration was described as in which a configuration unit is provided in which a pot and a corresponding cal, a runner, and two cavities in the upper mold through which resin is pressurized, and two corresponding workpiece holding parts in the lower mold, and multiple such units are arranged in the front-to-back direction (or left-to-right direction), but the invention is not limited to this.

[0075] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, a frame in which multiple electronic components are mounted in a matrix on a continuous substrate of a predetermined shape was used as an example of the workpiece, but the invention is not limited to this. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0076] 1. Resin encapsulation device 116 Digate mechanism 160 Runner Break Punch 170 Gate Cut Punch 204 Upper mold 206 Lower mold 246 Cal 247 Runners

Claims

1. A resin encapsulation method for processing a workpiece into a molded product by encapsulating it with resin using an encapsulation die comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, A resin sealing process in which the tablet-shaped resin is placed into a pot provided in the sealing mold and pressed by a plunger, and then pumped from the cals provided in the sealing mold through the runner to the cavity to seal the workpiece with the resin, The process includes removing the molded product from the sealing mold after the resin sealing process, and decating the product using a runner break punch and a gate cut punch to remove any excess resin from the molded product. The aforementioned decating process is: For each component unit set in the molded product, a runner break step is performed to remove the unwanted resin portion, which is the cal portion and the runner portion, formed at the positions of the cal and the runner by the runner break punch. The process involves sequentially feeding the molded product at a predetermined transport distance, positioning the surface of the molded product from which the unnecessary resin portion has been punched out by the runner break process, facing the gate cut punch, and positioning each of the constituent units. For each of the aforementioned structural units, a gate cutting process is performed to remove the gate portion, which is the unnecessary resin portion formed at the gate position between the runner and the cavity by the gate cutting punch. A resin encapsulation method characterized by the following.

2. The predetermined transport distance is set to the distance between the centers of the pots and cals, which are arranged in pairs in the sealing mold. The resin encapsulation method according to claim 1, characterized by the above.

3. The gate cutting process includes a step of inserting a guide pin into a guide hole pre-formed in the base material of the workpiece to position it and then transport the molded product. A resin encapsulation method according to claim 1 or claim 2, characterized by the above.

4. A resin sealing apparatus that uses a sealing die comprising an upper mold and a lower mold to process a workpiece into a molded product by sealing it with resin, A pot is provided in the lower mold into which the tablet-shaped resin is inserted, A gal is provided in the upper mold against which the resin is pressed, A runner and a cavity are provided in at least one of the upper mold and the lower mold, through which the resin is pumped from the cal. The system includes a decate mechanism for removing unwanted resin portions from the molded product sealed with the aforementioned resin, The aforementioned decate mechanism is A runner break punch is used to remove the unwanted resin parts, namely the cal portion and the runner portion, which are formed at the positions of the cal and the runner, for each component unit set in the molded product, by punching them out from one side of the molded product. The molded product, in a state where the crust portion and the runner portion have been removed, has a gate cutting punch that punches out and removes the gate portion, which is the unnecessary resin portion formed at the gate position between the runner and the cavity, from the same side as the one surface of the molded product, for each component set in the molded product. A resin encapsulation device characterized by the following.

5. The sealing mold has multiple sets of upper and lower pairs of pots and cals arranged side by side. The gate-cutting punch has a punch blade shaped to remove the gate portion formed in a single pass, corresponding to a set of pots and cals. The resin sealing apparatus according to claim 4, characterized by the following:

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