Compression molding device and compression molding method

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a compression molding device and a compression molding method that can prevent the occurrence of molding defects caused by insufficient amount of resin or resin flow. As a solution, a compression molding device (1) according to the present invention that seals a workpiece (W) with a sealing resin (R) and processes the workpiece (W) into a molded product (Wp), comprises: a guard frame (44) that has a frame-like shape and is held at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the workpiece (W); a dispenser (42) that sprays a sealing resin (R) onto the upper surface of the workpiece (W) that is exposed in the frame of the guard frame (44); and a control unit (90) that controls the spraying operation of the dispenser (42) to the workpiece (W). The control unit (90) is configured to perform control so as to spray the sealing resin (R) onto a region, excluding a predetermined region near the guard frame, of the workpiece (W), and, previously or subsequently, spray the sealing resin (R) onto the predetermined region near the guard frame.

Description

Compression molding device and compression molding method

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

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As an example of a resin sealing apparatus and method for sealing a workpiece with sealing resin to process it into a molded product, a method using a compression molding method is known.

[0003] The compression molding method is a technology in which a predetermined amount of sealing resin is supplied to a sealing region (cavity) provided in a sealing mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, a workpiece is placed in the sealing region, and the upper and lower molds are clamped together to seal the workpiece (see Patent Document 1: JP 2015-128908 A). As an example, when a sealing mold having a cavity in the upper mold is used, a technology is known in which the sealing resin is supplied all at once to the center position of the workpiece to form the workpiece. On the other hand, when a sealing mold having a cavity in the lower mold is used, a technology is known in which a release film (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "film") that covers the mold surface including the cavity and the sealing resin are supplied to form the workpiece.

[0004] JP 2015-128908 A

[0005] As described above, when performing a so-called upper cavity compression molding in which a workpiece is held in a lower mold and a cavity is provided in an upper mold, a method of spraying encapsulating resin (e.g., granular resin) onto the workpiece is widely adopted. Furthermore, particularly when the workpiece is large, such as at panel level or wafer level, a method of spraying encapsulating resin onto exposed portions of the workpiece while a frame-shaped guard frame is held on the top surface of the workpiece is known. As a specific example, as described in Patent Document 1, a method of spraying encapsulating resin by moving a dispenser that supplies the resin in parallel, back and forth, or rotationally is known.

[0006] When spraying the encapsulating resin while holding the guard frame on the top surface of the workpiece as described above, it is necessary to spray the resin on an area smaller (inner) than the molded product size. This makes it easy for the amount of resin to be insufficient at the periphery of the molded product, and also causes the resin to flow more strongly at the periphery than at the center, both of which lead to molding defects, particularly deterioration of the total thickness variation (TTV).

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has an object to provide a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method that can prevent molding defects caused by insufficient resin amount or resin flow.

[0008] The present invention solves the above problems by the solution means described below as one embodiment.

[0009] A compression molding apparatus according to one embodiment is a compression molding apparatus that seals a workpiece with sealing resin and processes it into a molded product, and is equipped with a guard frame having a frame-like shape and held at a predetermined position on the top surface of the workpiece, a dispenser that sprays the sealing resin on the top surface of the workpiece exposed within the frame of the guard frame, and a control unit that controls the spraying operation of the dispenser onto the workpiece, with the control unit being configured to spray the sealing resin on an area of ​​the workpiece excluding an area near a predetermined guard frame, and to control the spraying of the sealing resin on the area near the predetermined guard frame either before or after that.

[0010] This prevents a shortage of resin at the periphery of the molded product, even when a structure is adopted in which the sealing resin is sprayed onto the exposed portion of the workpiece while a guard frame is held on the top surface of the workpiece, and also prevents the resin flow from becoming larger at the periphery than at the center.

[0011] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit is configured to control the dispenser to move back and forth relative to the workpiece in a predetermined first direction when spraying the sealing resin in an area excluding the area near the predetermined guard frame, and to move the dispenser linearly a predetermined distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction each time the dispenser reaches the end point of the forward path and the end point of the return path, so as to spray the sealing resin in a continuous or intermittent line.

[0012] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit is configured to control the dispenser to move linearly in the second direction relative to the workpiece when spraying the sealing resin in the area near the specified guard frame, so that the sealing resin is sprayed in a linear manner in the area near the inner wall surface that is parallel to the second direction.

[0013] Furthermore, it is preferable that the control unit is configured to calculate the overlap volume between the guard frame and the intended resin sealing area for each inner wall surface when spraying the sealing resin in the area near the specified guard frame, and to control the spraying of an amount of the sealing resin obtained by multiplying the overlap volume by the resin specific gravity of the sealing resin and a set coefficient.

[0014] Furthermore, one embodiment of a compression molding method is a compression molding method for sealing a workpiece with sealing resin and processing it into a molded product, and includes a resin spraying process for holding a frame-shaped guard frame on the upper surface of the workpiece and spraying the sealing resin on the upper surface of the workpiece exposed within the frame of the guard frame, wherein the resin spraying process includes a first spraying process for spraying the sealing resin on an area of ​​the workpiece excluding an area near a specified guard frame, and a second spraying process for spraying the sealing resin on the area near the specified guard frame after or before the first spraying process.

[0015] Furthermore, it is preferable that the first spraying step includes a step of moving a dispenser back and forth relative to the workpiece in a predetermined first direction, and then moving the dispenser linearly a predetermined distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction each time the dispenser reaches the end point of the forward path and the end point of the return path, thereby spraying the sealing resin in a continuous or intermittent line.

[0016] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second spraying step includes a step of moving the dispenser linearly in the second direction relative to the workpiece, and spraying the sealing resin in a linear fashion in an area near an inner wall surface that is parallel to the second direction.

[0017] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second spraying process includes a step of calculating the overlap volume between the specified guard frame and the intended resin sealing area for each inner wall surface, and spraying the sealing resin in an amount obtained by multiplying the overlap volume by the resin specific gravity of the sealing resin and a set coefficient.

[0018] According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a shortage of resin at the outer periphery of a molded product. It is also possible to prevent the resin flow from becoming larger at the outer periphery than at the center. Therefore, it is possible to prevent molding defects caused by a shortage of resin or resin flow.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of a compression molding apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIGS. 2A to 2C are explanatory views illustrating a state in which a guard frame is held on the top surface of a workpiece in the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1, where FIG. 2A is a plan view, FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view, and FIG. 2C is a cross-sectional view illustrating the overlapping volume between the guard frame and a region of a molded product to be resin-encapsulated. FIG. 3 is an explanatory view illustrating the spraying operation of an encapsulating resin in the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a side view showing an example of a press device for the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 5 is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of an encapsulating mold for the compression molding apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. 6 is an explanatory view of a compression molding method according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is an explanatory view continuing from FIG. 6 (shown at position A-A in FIG. 3). FIG. 8 is an explanatory view continuing from FIG. 7. FIG. 9 is an explanatory view continuing from FIG. 8. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view continuing from FIG. 9. FIG. 11 is an explanatory view illustrating the spraying operation of an encapsulating resin according to a conventional embodiment. FIG. 12 is an explanatory view illustrating the spraying operation of an encapsulating resin according to a conventional embodiment (shown at position B-B in FIG. 11).

[0020] (Overall Configuration) Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a plan view (schematic diagram) showing an example of a compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. For ease of explanation, arrows in the drawing indicate the left-right direction (X direction), the front-back direction (Y direction), and the up-down direction (Z direction) of the compression molding apparatus 1. In addition, in all drawings used to explain each embodiment, components having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof may be omitted.

[0021] The compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an apparatus that includes a sealing mold and performs resin sealing (compression molding) of a workpiece (molded article) W using a sealing resin R.

[0022] First, the workpiece W to be molded has a configuration in which electronic components are mounted on a substrate. More specifically, examples of the substrate include plate-shaped members such as a resin substrate, a ceramic substrate, a metal substrate, a carrier plate, a lead frame, and a wafer. Examples of the electronic components include a semiconductor chip, a MEMS chip, a passive element, a heat sink, a conductive member, and a spacer. The shape of the substrate may be rectangular (strip-shaped), square, circular, or the like. The number of electronic components mounted on one substrate may be one or multiple (for example, in a matrix).

[0023] Examples of methods for mounting electronic components on a substrate include wire bonding mounting, flip chip mounting, etc. Alternatively, in the case of a configuration in which the substrate (glass or metal carrier plate) is peeled off from the molded product Wp after resin sealing, there is also a method in which the electronic components are attached using a thermally peelable adhesive tape or an ultraviolet-curable resin that is cured by ultraviolet irradiation.

[0024] On the other hand, a granular thermosetting resin (for example, an epoxy resin containing a filler) is used as an example of the sealing resin R. Note that the sealing resin R is not limited to the above-mentioned granular resin, and may be a powder resin, a crushed resin, a solid resin, a liquid resin, or a resin that is a combination of two or more of these, or may be a resin other than an epoxy thermosetting resin.

[0025] As examples of the film F, film materials having excellent heat resistance, ease of peeling, flexibility, and extensibility, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, and polyvinylidine chloride, are preferably used.

[0026] Next, an overview of the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the compression molding apparatus 1 mainly includes a supply unit 10A that supplies the workpieces W and the sealing resin R, a press unit 10B that seals the workpieces W with resin and processes them into molded products Wp, and a storage unit 10C that stores the molded products Wp. As an example, the supply unit 10A, the press unit 10B, and the storage unit 10C are arranged in this order along the X direction in FIG. 1 . However, the above configuration is not limited to this, and the equipment configuration within the units, the number of units, and the order in which the units are arranged may be changed. For example, the supply unit 10A and the storage unit 10C may be arranged in reverse in the X direction, or may be aggregated in one position (not shown). Furthermore, a configuration including units other than those described above may also be used (not shown).

[0027] Furthermore, the compression molding apparatus 1 has a guide rail 20 linearly arranged between each unit, and a conveying device (first loader) 22 for conveying the workpiece W and the encapsulating resin R (which may also be used to convey the molded product Wp), and a conveying device (second loader) 24 for conveying the molded product Wp (which may also be used to convey the workpiece W and the encapsulating resin R) are arranged to be movable between predetermined units along the guide rail 20. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and a configuration may also be provided in which a common (single) conveying device (loader) is provided for conveying the workpiece W, the encapsulating resin R, and the molded product Wp (not shown). Furthermore, the conveying device may be configured to include a robot hand or the like instead of a loader.

[0028] In addition, in the compression molding apparatus 1, a control unit 90 that controls the operation of each mechanism in each unit is disposed in the supply unit 10A (although it may be disposed in another unit).

[0029] (Supply Unit) Next, the supply unit 10A provided in the compression molding apparatus 1 will be described.

[0030] The supply unit 10A includes, for example, a stocker 12 used to store the workpieces W, and a table 14 on which the workpieces W are placed and moved. The stocker 12 may be a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like, and is capable of storing multiple workpieces W together.

[0031] With this configuration, the workpieces W are removed from the stocker 12 using a known pusher or the like (not shown) and placed on the table 14 (one or more workpieces depending on the configuration of the workpieces W). Next, the table 14 on which the workpieces W are placed is moved to the resin supply unit 40, which will be described later.

[0032] The supply unit 10A or the like may be configured to include an inspection mechanism for inspecting the appearance of the workpiece W, a workpiece heater for preheating the workpiece W, or the like (neither of which is shown).

[0033] The supply unit 10A also includes a resin supply section 40 that supplies sealing resin R. The resin supply section 40 according to this embodiment includes a dispenser 42 that sprays sealing resin (granular resin, for example) R, and a guard frame 44 that has a frame-like shape with a predetermined thickness and is held on the top surface of the workpiece W (specifically, the plate-like member that constitutes the aforementioned base material). The guard frame 44 is formed using a metal material or a resin material.

[0034] With this configuration, the guard frame 44 is held at a predetermined position on the top surface of the workpiece W (the above-mentioned plate-like member) placed on the table 14 (a plan view of this held state is shown in FIG. 2A and a cross-sectional view is shown in FIG. 2B, but electronic components are not shown to make the configuration easier to understand). Next, a set amount of sealing resin R is supplied (sprayed) from the dispenser 42 onto the top surface of the workpiece W exposed within the guard frame 44. Next, the workpiece W with the sealing resin R mounted thereon is transported to the press unit 10B using the first loader 22 or the like. At this time, since the workpiece W is surrounded by the guard frame 44, the sealing resin R can be prevented from flying up.

[0035] An example of a conventional spraying operation is shown in FIG. 11 (plan view) and FIG. 12 (cross-sectional view). The arrow U in the figure indicates the spray path of the encapsulating resin R. As mentioned above, when the encapsulating resin R is sprayed on the top surface of the workpiece W while the guard frame 44 is held, the resin must be sprayed on an area smaller (inner) than the molded product size. This can easily result in a shortage of resin at the outer periphery of the molded product. Furthermore, the resin flow is greater at the outer periphery than at the center, both of which can cause molding defects (such as poor flatness). In particular, as shown in FIG. 12, the occurrence of areas with and without the encapsulating resin R (spaces) can cause poor flatness after molding in the area near the guard frame 44 (in this case, the area near the inner wall surfaces 44a and 44b).

[0036] To solve the above problem, an example of control of the spraying operation of the sealing resin R performed by the control unit 90 in the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 3 . Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the spraying of the sealing resin R to an area of ​​the workpiece W (the exposed portion) excluding a predetermined area near the guard frame (in this embodiment, an area near inner wall surfaces 44a and 44b perpendicular to a first direction, described below) (first spraying step). In one example, this first spraying step involves reciprocating the dispenser 42 (or the table 14, or both) in a predetermined first direction (e.g., a direction parallel to the X direction) and linearly moving a predetermined distance in a second direction (e.g., a direction parallel to the Y direction) perpendicular to the first direction each time the dispenser 42 reaches the end point of the forward path and the end point of the return path, thereby spraying the sealing resin R in a continuous line (i.e., a single stroke) (arrow S in FIG. 3 ). However, the spraying is not limited to a continuous line, and may be an intermittent line with interruptions along the way. Furthermore, instead of a linear shape formed by reciprocating movement, a linear shape formed by unidirectional movement or a linear shape formed by rotational movement (so-called spiral shape) may also be used (not shown).

[0037] Next, the sealing resin R is controlled to be sprayed onto a predetermined area near the guard frame (area near the inner wall surfaces 44 a, 44 b) on the workpiece W (the exposed portion) (second spraying step). In one example of this second spraying step, the dispenser 42 (or the table 14, or both) is moved linearly in the second direction to spray the sealing resin R in a continuous (or intermittent) linear pattern onto the area near the inner wall surfaces 44 a, 44 b parallel to the second direction (arrow T in FIG. 3). The first and second spraying steps may be performed in reverse order.

[0038] When performing the second spraying step, the control unit 90 calculates the overlap volume between the guard frame 44 and the intended resin-encapsulating region (the dashed line in FIG. 2C ) for each inner wall surface (specifically, for each of the inner wall surfaces 44a and 44b). Next, the control unit 90 controls the spraying of an amount of encapsulating resin R calculated by multiplying the calculated overlap volume by the resin specific gravity s of the encapsulating resin R used and a setting coefficient k (set appropriately within a range of approximately k = 0.5 to 1.0). In this embodiment, the overlap volume for the inner wall surface 44a is V1 in FIG. 2C , and the amount of encapsulating resin R to be sprayed, M1, is M1 = V1 × s × k. Similarly, the overlap volume for the inner wall surface 44b is V2 in FIG. 2C , and the amount of encapsulating resin R to be sprayed, M2, is M2 = V2 × s × k. In addition, when V1 is set (designed) as V2, the resin amount is calculated for only one of the inner wall surfaces, and then the same amount is applied to the other opposing inner wall surface.

[0039] The above-described configuration can solve the aforementioned problems. That is, it can solve the problems associated with a configuration in which the sealing resin R is sprayed onto the exposed portion of the workpiece W while the frame-shaped guard frame 44 is held on the top surface of the workpiece W. Specifically, it can prevent a shortage of resin at the outer periphery of the molded product Wp. It can also prevent the resin flow from becoming larger at the outer periphery compared to the center. Therefore, it can prevent molding defects (particularly, deterioration in flatness) caused by a shortage of resin or resin flow.

[0040] 3, i.e., the area near the guard frame (area near the inner wall surfaces 44c, 44d parallel to the first direction), which is the starting area Sa and the ending area Sb of the arrow S, the problem can also be solved by relatively slowing down the movement speed of the dispenser 42 when spraying the sealing resin R. This is because the amount of sealing resin R sprayed (supplied) in this area can be relatively increased.

[0041] (Press Unit) Next, the press unit 10B provided in the compression molding apparatus 1 will be described.

[0042] The press unit 10B is equipped with a sealing mold 202 having a pair of molds that can be opened and closed (for example, a combination of a plurality of mold blocks, mold plates, mold pillars, and other components made of alloy tool steel). The press unit 10B also includes a press device 250 that opens and closes the sealing mold 202 to seal the workpiece W with resin. While the press unit 10B is configured to include two press devices 250 as an example, it may also be configured to include one or three or more press devices (not shown). A side view (schematic) of the press device 250 provided in the press unit 10B is shown in FIG. 4, and a front cross-sectional view (schematic) of the sealing mold 202 is shown in FIG. 5.

[0043] As shown in FIG. 4 , the press device 250 includes a pair of platens 254, 256, a plurality of tie bars 252 between which the pair of platens 254, 256 are supported, and a drive device for moving (raising and lowering) the platen 256. Specifically, the drive device includes a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 260 and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or a toggle link mechanism) 262 (but is not limited to this). In this embodiment, the upper platen 254 in the vertical direction is set as a fixed platen (a platen fixed to the tie bars 252), and the lower platen 256 is set as a movable platen (a platen slidably held by the tie bars 252 and raised and lowered). However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration, and the platens may be set upside down, i.e., the upper platen may be set as a movable platen and the lower platen as a fixed platen, or both the upper and lower platens may be set as movable platens (all not shown).

[0044] 5, the sealing mold 202 includes an upper mold 204 on the upper side in the vertical direction and a lower mold 206 on the lower side as a pair of molds disposed between the pair of platens 254, 256 in the press device 250. That is, the upper mold 204 is assembled to the upper platen (in this embodiment, the fixed platen 254), and the lower mold 206 is assembled to the lower platen (in this embodiment, the movable platen 256). The upper mold 204 and the lower mold 206 move toward and away from each other to close and open the mold (the vertical direction (up and down direction) is the mold opening and closing direction).

[0045] In addition, in this embodiment, as an example, a film supply unit 213 is provided that transports (supplies) a roll-shaped film F into the sealing mold 202. Depending on the configuration of the workpiece W, the film F may be in the form of a strip instead of a roll.

[0046] Next, the upper mold 204 of the sealing mold 202 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 5, the upper mold 204 includes an upper mold chase 210, a cavity piece 226 held by the upper mold chase 210, a clamper 228, etc. The upper mold chase 210 is fixed to the lower surface of a support plate 214 via support pillars 212. A cavity 208 is provided on the lower surface of the upper mold 204 (the surface facing the lower mold 206).

[0047] The clamper 228 is configured in an annular shape to surround the cavity piece 226, and is assembled to be spaced (floating) from the underside of the support plate 214 and movable up and down via a push pin 222 and a clamper spring (a biasing member such as a coil spring) 224 (however, this assembly structure is not limited to this). The cavity piece 226 forms the inner part (bottom) of the cavity 208, and the clamper 228 forms the side part of the cavity 208. The shape and number of cavities 208 provided in one upper mold 204 are set appropriately according to the shape and number of workpieces W (one or multiple).

[0048] In addition, suction paths (holes, grooves, etc.) (not shown) communicating with a suction device are provided on the underside of the clamper 228 and at the boundary between the clamper 228 and the cavity piece 226. This allows the film F supplied from the film supply unit 213 to be sucked and held on the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208. In addition, the cavity 208 can be evacuated when the mold is closed and resin sealing is performed.

[0049] In this embodiment, an upper die heating mechanism (not shown) is provided that heats the upper die 204 to a predetermined temperature. This upper die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 90. As an example, the heater is built into the upper die chase 210 and is configured to apply heat to the entire upper die 204 and the sealing resin R contained in the cavity 208. The heater heats the upper die 204 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C).

[0050] Next, a detailed description will be given of the lower mold 206 of the sealing mold 202. As shown in Fig. 5, the lower mold 206 includes a lower mold chase 240, a lower plate 242 held by the chase, and the like.

[0051] In this embodiment, a workpiece holder 205 is provided to hold the workpiece W at a predetermined position on the upper surface of the lower plate 242. As an example, the workpiece holder 205 includes a workpiece guide pin (not shown) and a suction passage (e.g., a hole or groove) that penetrates the lower plate 242 and communicates with a suction device (not shown). Specifically, one end of the suction passage connects to the die surface 206a of the lower mold 206, and the other end connects to a suction device disposed outside the lower mold 206. This allows the suction device to be driven to suck the workpiece W through the suction passage, thereby suctioning and holding the workpiece W to the die surface 206a (here, the upper surface of the lower plate 242). Instead of or in addition to the suction holding mechanism, a configuration may be provided with holding claws that clamp the outer periphery of the workpiece W (not shown). The shape and number of workpiece holders 205 provided on one lower mold 206 are appropriately determined depending on the shape and number of workpieces W (one or multiple).

[0052] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a lower die heating mechanism (not shown) is provided that heats the lower die 206 to a predetermined temperature. This lower die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 90. As an example, the heater is built into the lower die chase 240 and is configured to apply heat to the entire lower die 206 and the workpiece W held by the workpiece holding unit 205. The heater heats the lower die 206 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C).

[0053] (Storage Unit) Next, the storage unit 10C provided in the compression molding apparatus 1 will be described.

[0054] The storage unit 10C includes, for example, a table 18 on which the molded products Wp are placed, and a stocker 16 used to store the molded products Wp. The stocker 16 may be a known stack magazine, slit magazine, or the like, and is capable of storing multiple molded products Wp at once.

[0055] With this configuration, the molded product Wp transported from the press unit 10B using the second loader 24 or the like is placed on the table 18. Then, the molded product Wp is stored in the stocker 16 using a known pusher or the like (not shown).

[0056] The storage unit 10C and the like may be configured to include a molded product heater for post-curing the molded product Wp, an inspection mechanism for inspecting the appearance of the molded product Wp, and the like (neither of which is shown).

[0057] (Resin Sealing Operation) Next, the operation of performing resin sealing using the compression molding apparatus 1 according to this embodiment (i.e., the compression molding method according to this embodiment) will be described.

[0058] First, a preparation process is carried out. This preparation process includes the following steps: A heating process (upper mold heating process) is carried out in which the upper mold heating mechanism adjusts and heats the upper mold 204 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C). Also, a heating process (lower mold heating process) is carried out in which the lower mold heating mechanism adjusts and heats the lower mold 206 to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C). Also, a film supply process is carried out in which the film supply unit 213 is operated to supply new film F and adsorb it onto the mold surface 204a of the upper mold 204 so as to cover a predetermined region of the mold surface 204a, including the inner surface of the cavity 208.

[0059] 6, after the preparation step, a work supply step is performed in which the workpieces W are carried out one by one from the stocker 12 and placed on the table 14. Next, a guard frame holding step is performed in which a frame-shaped guard frame 44 is held on the upper surface of the workpiece W (specifically, the plate-like member constituting the base material). Next, a resin spraying step is performed in which a sealing resin R is sprayed on the upper surface of the workpiece W exposed within the guard frame 44.

[0060] The resin spraying process according to this embodiment includes a first spraying process in which the sealing resin R is sprayed onto an area excluding a predetermined area near the guard frame on the upper surface of the workpiece W (in this embodiment, an area near the inner wall surfaces 44 a, 44 b perpendicular to the first direction). The process also includes a second spraying process in which the sealing resin R is sprayed onto a predetermined area near the guard frame on the upper surface of the workpiece W (an area near the inner wall surfaces 44 a, 44 b).

[0061] As an example of the first spraying step, the dispenser 42 (or the table 14, or both) is moved back and forth in a predetermined first direction (e.g., a direction parallel to the X direction) and, each time it reaches the end point of the forward path and the end point of the return path, is moved linearly a predetermined distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (e.g., a direction parallel to the Y direction), thereby spraying the sealing resin R in a continuous line (so-called a single stroke) (arrow S in FIG. 3 ). However, the line is not limited to a continuous line, and an intermittent line with interruptions in the middle may also be used. Furthermore, instead of a line formed by a reciprocating movement, a line formed by a unidirectional movement or a line formed by a rotational movement (so-called a spiral) may also be used (not shown).

[0062] As mentioned above, as another example of the first spraying process, the amount of sealing resin R sprayed (supplied) in the area near the guard frame (area near the inner wall surfaces 44c, 44d parallel to the first direction), which is the starting area Sa and the ending area Sb of the arrow S, may be relatively increased by relatively slowing down the movement speed of the dispenser 42.

[0063] As an example of the second spraying step, the dispenser 42 (or the table 14, or both) is moved linearly in the second direction to spray the sealing resin R in a continuous (or intermittent) linear pattern onto the areas near the inner wall surfaces 44a, 44b parallel to the second direction (arrow T in FIG. 3). Note that the first and second spraying steps may be performed in reverse order.

[0064] When performing the second spraying step, the overlap volume between the guard frame 44 and the intended resin-encapsulating region (the dashed line in FIG. 2C ) is first calculated for each inner wall surface (specifically, for each of the inner wall surfaces 44a and 44b). Next, the amount of encapsulating resin R is sprayed by multiplying the calculated overlap volume by the resin specific gravity s of the encapsulating resin R used and a setting coefficient k (set appropriately within a range of approximately k = 0.5 to 1.0). In this embodiment, the overlap volume for the inner wall surface 44a is V1 in FIG. 2C , and the amount of encapsulating resin R to be sprayed, M1, is M1 = V1 × s × k. Similarly, the overlap volume for the inner wall surface 44b is V2 in FIG. 2C , and the amount of encapsulating resin R to be sprayed, M2, is M2 = V2 × s × k. In addition, when V1 is set (designed) as V2, the resin amount is calculated for only one of the inner wall surfaces, and then the same amount is applied to the other opposing inner wall surface.

[0065] After the resin spraying step, a conveying device (e.g., first loader 22, etc.) carries the workpiece W (with the sealing resin R mounted within the guard frame 44) held by the guard frame 44 into the sealing mold 202 and sets it in a predetermined position (specifically, on the workpiece holding portion 205 of the lower mold 206) in a setting step (see FIG. 7). Next, a conveying device (e.g., first loader 22, etc.) removes the guard frame 44 from the top surface of the workpiece W and carries it out of the sealing mold 202 (see FIG. 8). The guard frame 44 is then transported to supply unit 10A and is reused in other (subsequent) guard frame holding steps.

[0066] After all of the above steps have been performed, a resin sealing step is performed in which the workpiece W is sealed with sealing resin R and processed into a molded product Wp. Specifically, the sealing mold 202 is closed, and the cavity piece 226 is lowered relatively within the cavity 208 to perform the mold closing step in which the sealing resin R is heated and pressurized against the workpiece W (see FIG. 9). This thermally hardens the sealing resin R, completing the resin sealing (compression molding), and the molded product Wp is formed.

[0067] After the mold closing step, the sealing mold 202 is opened and the molded product Wp is separated from the used film F so that the molded product Wp can be removed (see FIG. 10 ). Next, a molded product carrying-out step is performed in which the molded product Wp is carried out from the sealing mold 202 by a conveying device (e.g., the second loader 24, etc.) and conveyed to the storage unit 10C.

[0068] After or in parallel with the molded product removal process, the film supply section 213 is operated to perform a film supply process in which the used film F is fed out of the sealing mold 202 and a new film F is fed into the sealing mold 202 and set therein.

[0069] After or in parallel with the film supplying process, a molded product storing process is carried out. Specifically, a process of placing the molded products Wp on the table 18 using a conveying device (e.g., the second loader 24, etc.) is carried out (note that a known pickup mechanism, etc. may also be used). Next, a process of carrying the molded products Wp one by one into the stocker 16 is carried out using a known pusher, etc. (not shown). Note that a process of post-curing the molded products Wp may be carried out before these processes.

[0070] The above are the main steps of the compression molding method performed using the compression molding apparatus 1. By providing these steps, it is possible to solve the above-mentioned problems. Note that the above order of steps is one example, and the order of steps can be changed or they can be performed in parallel as long as there is no problem.

[0071] As described above, the compression molding apparatus and compression molding method according to the present invention can prevent a shortage of resin at the outer periphery of a molded product. Furthermore, it can prevent the resin flow from becoming larger at the outer periphery than at the center. Therefore, molding defects (particularly, deterioration of flatness) caused by a shortage of resin or resin flow can be prevented.

[0072] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A compression molding apparatus which seals a workpiece with sealing resin and processes it into a molded product, comprising: a guard frame having a frame-like shape and held at a predetermined position on the top surface of the workpiece; a dispenser which sprays the sealing resin on the top surface of the workpiece exposed within the frame of the guard frame; and a control unit which controls the spraying operation of the dispenser onto the workpiece, wherein the control unit is configured to control the spraying of the sealing resin onto an area of ​​the workpiece excluding an area near a predetermined guard frame, and to spray the sealing resin onto the area near the predetermined guard frame before or after that.

2. The compression molding device of claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to control the dispenser to move back and forth in a predetermined first direction relative to the workpiece when spraying the sealing resin to an area excluding the area near the predetermined guard frame, while moving the dispenser linearly a predetermined distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction each time the dispenser reaches an end point of the forward path and an end point of the return path, so as to spray the sealing resin in a continuous or intermittent line.

3. The compression molding device according to claim 2, characterized in that the control unit is configured to control the dispenser to move linearly in the second direction relative to the workpiece when spraying the sealing resin in the area near the specified guard frame, so as to spray the sealing resin in a linear manner in the area near the inner wall surface parallel to the second direction.

4. The compression molding device according to claim 3, characterized in that the control unit is configured to calculate an overlap volume between the guard frame and the area to be sealed with resin for each inner wall surface when spraying the sealing resin in the area near the specified guard frame, and to control the amount of the sealing resin to be sprayed by multiplying the overlap volume by the resin specific gravity of the sealing resin and a set coefficient.

5. A compression molding method for sealing a workpiece with sealing resin and processing it into a molded product, comprising a resin spraying step of holding a frame-shaped guard frame on the upper surface of the workpiece and spraying the sealing resin on the upper surface of the workpiece exposed within the frame of the guard frame, the resin spraying step including a first spraying step of spraying the sealing resin on an area of ​​the workpiece excluding an area near a specified guard frame, and a second spraying step of spraying the sealing resin on the area near the specified guard frame before or after the first spraying step.

6. A compression molding method as described in claim 5, characterized in that the first spraying step includes a step of moving a dispenser back and forth relative to the workpiece in a predetermined first direction while moving the dispenser linearly a predetermined distance in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction each time the dispenser reaches an end point of the forward path and an end point of the return path, thereby spraying the sealing resin in a continuous or intermittent linear pattern.

7. The compression molding method according to claim 6, characterized in that the second spraying process includes a step of linearly moving the dispenser relative to the workpiece in the second direction to spray the sealing resin in a straight line in the area adjacent to the inner wall surface parallel to the second direction.

8. The compression molding method according to claim 7, characterized in that the second spraying process includes a step of calculating an overlap volume between the guard frame and an area to be resin sealed for each of the inner wall surfaces, and spraying the sealing resin in an amount obtained by multiplying the overlap volume by the resin specific gravity of the sealing resin and a set coefficient.

Images