Screen printing device, mask, and screen printing method

Abstract

The present invention includes: an intermediate conveyor 43 for conveying a substrate KB including a plurality of to-be-printed regions HR arranged in a row; a mask 14 in which opening formation regions KR corresponding to the to-be-printed regions HR are arranged in a direction intersecting an arrangement direction of the to-be-printed regions HR; a mask moving mechanism 18 for moving the mask 14 so that the to-be-printed regions HR of the substrate KB conveyed by the intermediate conveyor 43 and the opening formation regions KR provided in the mask 14 vertically overlap each other; and a printing head 15 for printing, with a paste Pst, through the mask 14 in a state in which the corresponding to-be-printed regions HR and opening formation regions KR vertically overlap each other.

Description

Screen printing apparatus, mask, and screen printing method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a screen printing apparatus, a mask, and a screen printing method for printing a paste on a substrate using a mask.

[0002] A screen printing apparatus is an apparatus that prints paste onto a plurality of electrodes provided on a substrate, and for this printing operation, a mask having a plurality of openings corresponding to the arrangement of the electrodes on the substrate is used (see, for example, Patent Document 1 listed below). The mask usually has a size that encompasses the entire substrate, and is capable of printing paste onto all of the electrodes on the substrate at once with a single squeegee stroke.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-83754

[0004] In conventional screen printing apparatuses, the mask is prepared according to the size of the substrate to be printed, and a mask large enough to cover the entire substrate is prepared. Therefore, if the substrate is elongated in the transport direction, the mask must also be elongated in the transport direction of the substrate, resulting in a large screen printing apparatus. This increases the overall length of the production line including the screen printing apparatus, potentially hindering the compactness of the production line and reducing area productivity.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a screen printing apparatus, a mask, and a screen printing method that are capable of performing screen printing on a long substrate without increasing the overall size of the apparatus.

[0006] The screen printing apparatus of the present disclosure comprises a substrate transport unit that transports a substrate having a plurality of printable areas lined up in a row in the direction in which the plurality of printable areas are arranged; a mask in which a plurality of opening formation areas corresponding to each of the plurality of printable areas are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the plurality of printable areas are arranged; a relative movement mechanism that moves the mask relative to the substrate transported by the substrate transport unit so that each of the plurality of printable areas on the substrate and each of the plurality of opening formation areas on the mask overlap vertically; and a print head that prints paste through the mask in a state in which the corresponding printable area and each of the opening formation areas overlap vertically, wherein the print head performs a first printing using the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism in a state in which one of the plurality of printable areas and one of the plurality of opening formation areas are overlapped vertically, and then performs a second printing using the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism in a state in which another of the plurality of printable areas and another of the plurality of opening formation areas are overlapped vertically.

[0007] The mask disclosed herein is a mask used in a screen printing device that prints paste on a substrate having a plurality of printing areas, and has a main body portion including an opening formation portion in which a plurality of opening formation areas corresponding to each of the plurality of printing areas are formed, and a frame portion configured to surround the periphery of the main body portion, and the main body portion and the frame portion have shapes that do not contact the substrate when the opening formation portion is in contact with the substrate.

[0008] The screen printing method disclosed herein includes a substrate transport unit that transports a substrate having a plurality of printable regions aligned in a line in the direction in which the plurality of printable regions are aligned, a mask in which a plurality of opening formation regions corresponding to each of the plurality of printable regions are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the plurality of printable regions are aligned, a relative movement mechanism that moves the mask relative to the substrate transported by the substrate transport unit so that each of the plurality of printable regions and each of the plurality of opening formation regions of the mask overlap vertically, and a relative movement mechanism that moves the mask relative to the substrate in a state in which the corresponding printable region and each of the opening formation regions overlap vertically. and a print head that prints paste through a substrate transport unit and a relative movement mechanism, the screen printing method comprising: a first print execution step in which the print head executes a first print in a state in which one of the plurality of print areas and one of the plurality of opening formation areas are stacked vertically by the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism; and a second print execution step in which, after the first print execution step, the print head executes a second print in a state in which another of the plurality of print areas and another of the plurality of opening formation areas are stacked vertically by the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism.

[0009] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to perform screen printing on a long substrate without increasing the overall size of the screen printing apparatus.

[0010] 1 is a perspective view of a screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 2 is a side view of a screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 3 is a plan view of a portion of a screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 4 is (a) a perspective view, (b) a cross-sectional view taken along arrows V1-V1, and (c) a cross-sectional view taken along arrows V2-V2 of a mask provided in the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 5 is a view showing a state in which the mask is moved (a) to the front side by a mask moving mechanism provided in the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 6 is a view showing a state in which the mask is moved (b) to the back side by a mask moving mechanism provided in the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a side view of a screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; FIG. 7 is a side view of a screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 8 is a schematic side view showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask during the printing operation of the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1G are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask and the operation of the squeegee during the printing operation of the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1G are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask and the operation of the squeegee during the printing operation of the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A to 1E are schematic side views showing the positional relationship between the substrate and the mask and the operation of the squeegee during the printing operation of the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. 1A, 1B, and 1C are views showing a state in which the printing region and the opening formation region are overlapped vertically while the substrate is transported in opposite directions by the intermediate conveyor and the mask moving mechanism of the screen printing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0011] An embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings. A screen printing apparatus 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is an apparatus that loads a substrate KB supplied from the upstream side (arrow A in FIG. 1 ), prints a paste Pst such as solder on each of a plurality of electrodes provided on the upper surface of the substrate KB, and then loads the substrate KB downstream. For ease of explanation, in this embodiment, the transport direction of the substrate KB in the screen printing apparatus 10 (leftward as viewed from the operator OP) is defined as the X direction, and the direction in a horizontal plane perpendicular to the X direction (front-to-back direction as viewed from the operator OP) is defined as the Y direction. The up-down direction is defined as the Z direction. Furthermore, in the front-to-back direction (Y direction), the side farther from the operator OP is referred to as the "rear side," and the side closer to the operator OP is referred to as the "front side."

[0012] As shown in Figure 3, the substrate KB has a shape that extends in one direction (X direction). The dimension of the substrate KB in the longitudinal direction (X direction) is several times larger than the dimension in the width direction (Y direction), so the substrate KB has a so-called elongated shape. In Figure 3, the top surface of the substrate KB has multiple (three in this case) printable regions HR formed in a line in the one direction (X direction). Each printable region HR is an area where multiple electrodes, which are to be printed with the paste Pst, are gathered.

[0013] In this embodiment, the three printing regions HR consist of a first printing region HR1, a second printing region HR2, and a third printing region HR3 (FIG. 3). These three printing regions HR (first printing region HR1, second printing region HR2, and third printing region HR3) are arranged side by side in this order from the front end (downstream side) to the rear end (upstream side) in the traveling direction of the board KB.

[0014] 1 and 2, a screen printing apparatus 10 includes a substrate holding and moving mechanism 12 mounted on a base 11. As shown in Fig. 1, a pair of mask rails 13 extending in the Y direction and arranged opposite each other in the X direction are provided above the substrate holding and moving mechanism 12 (see also Fig. 3). A mask 14 is supported in a horizontal position by the pair of mask rails 13, and a print head 15 is provided in an area above the mask 14. A camera 17 is disposed below the mask 14 via a first beam 16 extending in the X direction, and a mask moving mechanism 18 is disposed in an area above the mask 14.

[0015] 3 and 4(a), (b), and (c), the mask 14 includes a rectangular main body 21 made of a thin metal plate member, and a rectangular frame 22 configured to surround the periphery of the main body 21. As shown in Fig. 3, the dimension SM in the X direction of the main body 21 of the mask 14 is smaller than the dimension SK in the longitudinal direction (X direction) of the entire three printing regions HR of the substrate KB, and the substrate KB in this embodiment is longer in the longitudinal direction than a normal substrate, and is of a size that would not be encompassed by a normal mask in plan view.

[0016] 4(a), (b), and (c), a recess 23 extending in the Y direction and recessed downward is provided in the main body 21 of the mask 14 (see also FIG. 3), and three opening formation regions KR (a first opening formation region KR1, a second opening formation region KR2, and a third opening formation region KR3) are formed inside the recess 23. The three opening formation regions KR correspond to the three print regions HR of the substrate KB, and each opening formation region KR has a plurality of openings formed therein that correspond to the electrodes in the print region HR.

[0017] 3 and 4(a) and (c), the three opening formation regions KR (first opening formation region KR1, second opening formation region KR2, and third opening formation region KR3) are arranged side by side in a direction (Y direction) that intersects (is perpendicular to) the X direction, which is the arrangement direction of the three printing regions HR of the substrate KB. As shown in FIG. 3, a substrate-side mark KM is provided in each printing region HR of the substrate KB. Correspondingly, a mask-side mark 14M is provided in the recess 23 of the mask 14 for aligning each opening formation region KR with each printing region HR of the substrate KB (more specifically, the substrate-side mark KM) (see also FIG. 4(a)).

[0018] As described above, in the present embodiment, the mask 14 has a configuration in which the periphery of the main body 21 including the recesses 23, which are portions where the plurality of opening formation regions KR are formed (opening formation portions), is surrounded by the frame portion 22, and the lower surface of the recesses 23 (recess lower surface 23M) is located lower than the lower surface of the frame portion 22 (frame lower surface 22M) and the lower surface 21M of the portion of the main body 21 different from the recesses 23 (FIGS. 4(a), (b), and (c)). That is, in the present embodiment, the main body 21 and the frame portion 22 of the mask 14 have shapes that do not contact the substrate KB when the recesses 23, which are opening formation portions, are in contact with the substrate KB.

[0019] The mask 14 is inserted between the pair of mask rails 13 from the front side to the back side of the base 11. The pair of mask rails 13 with the mask 14 inserted support the mask 14. Specifically, the mask rails 13 slidably support a pair of side edges (portions extending in the Y direction) of the frame portion 22 of the inserted mask 14 that face each other in the X direction. When the mask 14 is supported by the pair of mask rails 13, the recessed portion lower surface 23M of the mask 14 is located at a position lower than the lower surface (rail lower surface 13M) of the mask rails 13 ( FIG. 2 ).

[0020] 2, the print head 15 includes a head base 15a that extends in the X direction above the mask 14 and is movable in the Y direction. Two squeegee lifting cylinders 15b are provided on the top surface of the head base 15a, side by side in the Y direction, and two squeegees 15c are provided below the head base 15a, side by side in the Y direction.

[0021] The head base 15a is moved in the Y direction by a head moving mechanism 15M (FIG. 2) composed of a ball screw etc. The two squeegees 15c are individually raised and lowered below the head base 15a by two squeegee lifting cylinders 15b, respectively.

[0022] In Figure 2, each of the two squeegees 15c has a flat blade 15d. The blade 15d is a spatula-shaped member extending in the X direction. The two blades 15d are arranged opposite each other in the Y direction and extend so that the distance between them gradually increases downward. The dimension of the blade 15d in the width direction (X direction) is slightly smaller than the dimension of the recess 23 provided in the mask 14 in the X direction.

[0023] 1, the first beam 16 extends in the X direction below the mask 14 and is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction. The first beam 16 is moved in the Y direction by a first beam moving mechanism 16M (FIG. 2) composed of a ball screw or the like.

[0024] 1 and 2 , camera 17 is provided in first beam 16. Camera 17 has an upper imaging section with an imaging field of view facing upward and a lower imaging section with an imaging field of view facing downward, and is able to capture images of objects located above and below camera 17. Camera 17 is movable in the X direction relative to first beam 16, and moves along a horizontal plane (XY plane) in the region below mask 14 by movement of first beam 16 in the Y direction and movement of camera 17 itself in the X direction.

[0025] 1, the mask movement mechanism 18 has a second beam 18a extending in the X direction above the mask 14, and a mask operation cylinder 18b attached to the second beam 18a. The mask operation cylinder 18b can freely move an operation rod 18R, the tip of which faces downward, downward (extending and retracting). The second beam 18a is moved in the Y direction by a second beam movement mechanism 18M (FIG. 2) composed of a ball screw or the like.

[0026] The mask moving mechanism 18 functions to move the mask 14 on the mask rail 13 in the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the multiple opening formation regions KR of the mask 14. The mask moving mechanism 18 moves the mask 14 in the Y direction by combining the movement of the second beam 18a in the Y direction by the second beam moving mechanism 18M and the extension and retraction of the operating rod 18R by the mask operating cylinder 18b. Specifically, to move the mask 14 on the mask rail 13 toward the front, the mask operating cylinder 18b is positioned behind the rear crossbar of the mask 14 (rear crossbar 22a; Figure 4(a)), and the operating rod 18R is extended downward. While maintaining this position, the second beam 18a is moved toward the front (arrow B1 in Figure 5(a)). This causes the operating rod 18R to move the rear crossbar 22a toward the front, and the entire mask 14 slides along the mask rail 13 and moves toward the front.

[0027] On the other hand, when the mask moving mechanism 18 is used to move the mask 14 on the mask rail 13 to the rear, the mask operating cylinder 18b is positioned slightly forward of the rear horizontal bar 22a of the frame 22, the operating rod 18R is extended downward, and while maintaining this state, the second beam 18a is moved to the rear (arrow B2 shown in Figure 5(b)). This causes the operating rod 18R to move to the rear horizontal bar 22a, and the entire mask 14 slides on the mask rail 13 and moves to the rear.

[0028] 2, the substrate holding and moving mechanism 12 includes a substrate holding unit 31 and a unit moving mechanism 32. The substrate holding unit 31 receives and holds the substrate KB carried in from outside the screen printing apparatus 10. The unit moving mechanism 32 moves the entire substrate holding unit 31 in a horizontal plane (in the XY plane) and in the up and down direction (Z direction).

[0029] 2, the substrate holding unit 31 includes a lifting body 41 that is moved by a unit moving mechanism 32, and a pair of conveyor support members 42 that extend upward from the lifting body 41 and are arranged opposite each other in the Y direction. An intermediate conveyor 43 consisting of a pair of conveyors arranged opposite each other in the Y direction is provided on the inner surfaces of the pair of conveyor support members 42 (the surfaces on which the pair of conveyor support members 42 face each other) (see also FIGS. 1 and 3).

[0030] The intermediate conveyor 43 extends in the X direction and transports the board KB in the X direction. As shown in Figures 1 and 3, an input conveyor CB1 is provided upstream of the intermediate conveyor 43, and an output conveyor CB2 is provided downstream of the intermediate conveyor 43.

[0031] 1 and 3, the carry-in conveyor CB1, the intermediate conveyor 43 of the board holding unit 31, and the carry-out conveyor CB2 are lined up in this order from upstream to downstream in the X direction. The intermediate conveyor 43 functions as a board transport section that transports the board KB in the arrangement direction (X direction) of the multiple printing regions HR. The carry-in conveyor CB1, the intermediate conveyor 43, and the carry-out conveyor CB2 can all transport the board KB downstream in the X direction (transport in the forward direction), as well as upstream (transport in the reverse direction).

[0032] 2, a support unit 44 is disposed on the lifting body 41. The support unit 44 can be raised and lowered by a lifter 45 provided on the lifting body 41. The support unit 44 includes a base table 44a and a plurality of support pins 44b extending upward from the base table 44a. A pair of clamp members 46 that open and close in the Y direction are provided at the upper ends of each of the pair of conveyor support members 42.

[0033] A control unit 50 (FIGS. 1 and 2) provided in the screen printing apparatus 10 controls each of the following operations: transportation of the substrate KB by the intermediate conveyor 43 provided in the substrate holding unit 31, lifting and lowering of the support unit 44 by the lifter 45, clamping of the substrate KB by the clamp members 46, and movement of the substrate holding unit 31 by the unit moving mechanism 32. The control unit 50 also controls each of the following: lifting and lowering of each squeegee 15c by the squeegee lifting and lowering cylinder 15b provided in the print head 15, movement of the print head 15 in the Y direction by the head moving mechanism 15M, movement of the first beam 16 (i.e., of the camera 17) in the Y direction by the first beam moving mechanism 16M, movement of the camera 17 in the X direction along the first beam 16, image capture by the camera 17, movement of the second beam 18a (i.e., of the mask operating cylinder 18b) in the Y direction by the second beam moving mechanism 18M, and protruding and retracting operation of the operating rod 18R by the mask operating cylinder 18b. The control unit 50 also analyzes image data obtained by imaging with the camera 17 .

[0034] When the screen printing apparatus 10 performs a printing operation to print the paste Pst on the substrate KB, the operator OP first inserts the mask 14 between the pair of mask rails 13 from the front side of the base 11. At this point, the mask operating cylinder 18b is positioned at the innermost position of the mask rails 13 with the operating rod 18R extending downward.

[0035] When the operator OP inserts the mask 14 between the pair of mask rails 13, the rear horizontal crosspiece 22a of the frame 22 of the mask 14 abuts against the operating rod 18R. Then, when the operator OP performs a predetermined operation using an operating unit (not shown), the second beam 18a moves forward, and the mask operating cylinder 18b moves the mask 14 forward. Then, when the first opening formation region KR1 of the mask 14 is positioned above the intermediate conveyor 43, the movement of the second beam 18a toward the front is stopped, and the mask 14 is initially positioned (FIGS. 3 and 6(a)).

[0036] Once the mask 14 has been initially positioned and the first opening formation region KR1 is located above the intermediate conveyor 43, the carry-in conveyor CB1 carries in the substrate KB, which is being sent from the upstream side of the screen printing apparatus 10. The carry-in conveyor CB1 delivers the carried-in substrate KB to the intermediate conveyor 43 of the substrate holding unit 31, and the intermediate conveyor 43 transports the substrate KB downstream (arrow A shown in FIG. 6(a)), positioning the first printing region HR1, which is the printing region HR located most downstream, between the intermediate conveyors 43 ( FIG. 6(a) ). As a result, the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB is located below the first opening formation region KR1 of the mask 14.

[0037] When the first printing region HR1 of the board KB is positioned below the first opening formation region KR1, the lifter 45 raises the support unit 44, lifting the board KB and separating it from the intermediate conveyor 43. Then, when the upper surface of the board KB is flush with the upper surfaces of the clamp members 46, the lifter 45 stops the lifting of the support unit 44. When the lifting of the support unit 44 is stopped, the pair of clamp members 46 move toward each other and clamp the board KB from the Y direction. In this way, the board KB is held by the board holding unit 31 (FIG. 7).

[0038] Once the substrate KB is held by the substrate holding unit 31, the first beam 16 moves in the Y direction, and the camera 17 advances between the substrate KB and the mask 14. The camera 17, which has advanced between the substrate KB and the mask 14, captures images of the substrate-side mark KM in the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB and the mask-side mark 14M in the first opening formation region KR1 of the mask 14 ( FIG. 7 ).

[0039] Once the camera 17 has captured the images of the substrate-side mark KM and the mask-side mark 14M, the first beam 16 moves to the back side of the mask 14, causing the camera 17 to retract. The images of the substrate-side mark KM and the mask-side mark 14M obtained by the image capture by the camera 17 are sent to the control unit 50, and the control unit 50 calculates the positional deviation in plan view between the first printing region HR1 on the substrate KB side and the first opening formation region KR1 on the mask 14 side based on both images received from the camera 17.

[0040] After the control unit 50 calculates the misalignment between the first printing region HR1 and the first opening formation region KR1 in a planar view, the unit movement mechanism 32 operates to cancel the calculated misalignment and further moves the substrate holding unit 31 (i.e., the substrate KB) in the XY plane. Once the substrate-side mark KM and the mask-side mark 14M are aligned in a planar view, the unit movement mechanism 32 raises the entire substrate holding unit 31 (i.e., the substrate KB) (arrow C1 shown in FIGS. 8, 9(a), and 10(a)) to bring the upper surface of the substrate KB (first printing region HR1) into contact with the lower surface of the mask 14 (first opening formation region KR1) ( FIGS. 8, 9(a), and 10(a)). At this point, the paste Pst on the mask 14 is located in the recess 23 of the mask 14 in the region in front of the first opening formation region KR1 ( FIG. 10(a)).

[0041] As mentioned above, the main body 21 and frame 22 of the mask 14 are shaped so that they do not come into contact with the substrate KB even when the recess 23, which is the opening forming portion, comes into contact with the substrate KB. Therefore, when the first opening forming region KR1 of the mask 14 is in contact with the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB, the mask 14 does not come into contact with other printing regions HR of the substrate KB (Figure 9(a)).

[0042] When the upper surface of the substrate KB comes into contact with the lower surface of the mask 14 (the lower surface 23M of the recess), the squeegee lifting cylinder 15b lowers one of the two squeegees 15c from above the paste Pst on the mask 14 (arrow D1 shown in FIGS. 8 and 10(b)). The squeegee 15c lowered at this time is the squeegee 15c on the front side that scrapes the paste Pst in the direction from the first opening formation region KR1 toward the second opening formation region KR2 downstream thereof (from the front side to the back side).

[0043] When the lower end of the lowered squeegee 15c on the front side abuts against the upper surface of the mask 14 (specifically, the upper surface of the recess 23 of the main body 21), the print head 15 moves the squeegee 15c toward the rear (arrow E1 shown in FIGS. 8 and 10(c)). This causes the paste Pst on the mask 14 to be scraped toward the rear by the squeegee 15c, filling each opening in the first opening formation region KR1 with the paste Pst, thereby printing the paste Pst on each electrode in the first printing region HR1 (first printing execution step). This movement (squeegeeing) of the squeegee 15c moves the paste Pst on the mask 14 to the region between the first opening formation region KR1 and the second opening formation region KR2 (FIG. 10(c)).

[0044] In this manner, in this embodiment, the print head 15 prints the paste Pst through the mask 14 in a state where the corresponding printing region HR and opening formation region KR are vertically overlapped.

[0045] Once the paste Pst has been printed in the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB, the print head 15 raises the squeegee 15c on the front side that performed the squeegeeing (arrow D2 shown in FIG. 10(d)), and the unit movement mechanism 32 lowers the entire substrate holding unit 31 (i.e., the substrate KB) (arrow C2 shown in FIGS. 9(b) and 10(e)). As a result, once the substrate KB is separated from the mask 14 (plate release), the pair of clamp members 46 move in directions away from each other to release the clamp on the substrate KB.

[0046] Once the clamping of the substrate KB has been released, the lifter 45 lowers the support unit 44, and the substrate KB is lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43. Once the substrate KB has been lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43, the mask moving mechanism 18 moves the mask 14 towards the front (arrow B1 shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 10(f)), and positions the second opening formation region KR2 of the mask 14 above the intermediate conveyor 43 (the substrate KB) (FIGS. 6(b) and 10(f)).

[0047] Once the second opening formation region KR2 of the mask 14 is positioned above the intermediate conveyor 43, the intermediate conveyor 43 transports the substrate KB downstream (arrow F1 shown in FIGS. 6(b) and 9(c)), thereby positioning the second printing region HR2 between the intermediate conveyors 43 (FIGS. 6(b) and 9(c)). As a result, the second printing region HR2 of the substrate KB is positioned below the second opening formation region KR2 of the mask 14.

[0048] In this embodiment, the mask moving mechanism 18 is a relative moving mechanism that moves the mask 14 relative to the substrate KB so that each of the multiple printing areas HR on the substrate KB transported by the intermediate conveyor 43, which is the substrate transport section, and each of the multiple opening formation areas KR on the mask 14 overlap vertically.

[0049] When the second printing region HR2 of the board KB is positioned below the second opening formation region KR2, the lifter 45 raises the support unit 44 to separate the board KB from the intermediate conveyor 43. Once the board KB has separated from the intermediate conveyor 43, a pair of clamp members 46 clamp and hold the board KB. Then, the camera 17 captures images of the board-side mark KM in the second printing region HR2 and the mask-side mark 14M in the second opening formation region KR2, and the positional deviation between the second printing region HR2 and the second opening formation region KR2 in a plan view is calculated.

[0050] Once the positional deviation has been calculated, the unit moving mechanism 32 moves the substrate holding unit 31 horizontally so as to cancel the positional deviation. Then, once the substrate-side marks KM and the mask-side marks 14M are aligned in a plan view, the unit moving mechanism 32 raises the entire substrate holding unit 31 (arrow C1 shown in FIGS. 9(d) and 10(g)) to bring the upper surface of the substrate KB (second printing region HR2) into contact with the lower surface of the mask 14 (second opening formation region KR2) ( FIGS. 9(d) and 10(g)).

[0051] Here, the main body 21 and frame 22 of the mask 14 are shaped so that they do not come into contact with the substrate KB even if the recess 23, which is the opening forming portion, comes into contact with the substrate KB. Therefore, in the state shown in Figure 9 (d), there is no risk that the main body 21 and frame 22 of the mask 14 will come into contact with the paste Pst in the first printing area HR1 that has already been printed.

[0052] When the upper surface of the substrate KB comes into contact with the lower surface of the mask 14, the print head 15 moves the front squeegee 15c toward the front (arrow E2 shown in FIG. 11(a)) and positions it above the paste Pst between the first opening formation region KR1 and the second opening formation region KR2 (FIG. 11(a)). Then, when the squeegee 15c is positioned above the paste Pst, the squeegee 15c is lowered (arrow D1 shown in FIG. 11(b)).

[0053] When the lower end of the lowered squeegee 15c on the front side abuts the upper surface of the mask 14, the print head 15 moves the squeegee 15c toward the rear (arrow E1 shown in FIG. 11(c)). As a result, the paste Pst on the mask 14 is scraped toward the rear by the squeegee 15c, and the paste Pst is printed onto each electrode in the second printing region HR2 through the openings in the second opening formation region KR2 (second printing execution step). This squeegeeing moves the paste Pst on the mask 14 to the region between the second opening formation region KR2 and the third opening formation region KR3 (FIG. 11(c)).

[0054] In this embodiment, the print head 15 performs a first print in a state in which one of the multiple printing areas HR and one of the multiple opening formation areas KR are stacked vertically using the intermediate conveyor 43, which is a substrate transport unit, and the mask movement mechanism 18, which is a relative movement mechanism, and then performs a second print in a state in which another of the multiple printing areas HR and another of the multiple opening formation areas KR are stacked vertically using the intermediate conveyor 43 and the mask movement mechanism 18.

[0055] Once the paste Pst has been printed in the second printing region HR2 of the substrate KB, the print head 15 raises the squeegee 15c on the front side that performed the squeegeeing (arrow D2 shown in FIG. 11(d)), and the unit moving mechanism 32 lowers the entire substrate holding unit 31 (arrow C2 shown in FIGS. 9(e) and 11(e)). As a result, the substrate KB is separated from the mask 14, and the pair of clamp members 46 release the clamp on the substrate KB.

[0056] Once the clamping of the substrate KB has been released, the lifter 45 lowers the support unit 44, and the substrate KB is lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43. Once the substrate KB has been lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43, the mask moving mechanism 18 moves the mask 14 towards the front (arrow B1 shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 11(f)), and positions the third opening formation region KR3 of the mask 14 above the intermediate conveyor 43 (the substrate KB) (FIGS. 6(c) and 11(f)).

[0057] Once the third opening formation region KR3 of the mask 14 is positioned above the intermediate conveyor 43, the intermediate conveyor 43 transports the substrate KB downstream (arrow F1 shown in FIGS. 6(c) and 9(f)), thereby positioning the third printing region HR3 between the intermediate conveyors 43 (FIGS. 6(c) and 9(f)). As a result, the third printing region HR3 of the substrate KB is positioned below the third opening formation region KR3 of the mask 14.

[0058] When the third printing region HR3 of the board KB is positioned below the third opening formation region KR3, the lifter 45 raises the support unit 44 to separate the board KB from the intermediate conveyor 43. Once the board KB has separated from the intermediate conveyor 43, a pair of clamp members 46 clamp and hold the board KB. Then, the camera 17 captures images of the board-side mark KM in the third printing region HR3 and the mask-side mark 14M in the third opening formation region KR3, and the positional deviation between the third printing region HR3 and the third opening formation region KR3 in a plan view is calculated.

[0059] Once the positional deviation has been calculated, the unit moving mechanism 32 moves the substrate holding unit 31 horizontally so as to cancel the positional deviation. Then, once the substrate-side marks KM and the mask-side marks 14M are aligned in a plan view, the unit moving mechanism 32 raises the entire substrate holding unit 31 (arrow C1 shown in FIGS. 9(g) and 11(g)) to bring the upper surface of the substrate KB (third printing region HR3) into contact with the lower surface of the mask 14 (third opening formation region KR3) ( FIGS. 9(g) and 11(g)).

[0060] Here, the main body 21 and frame 22 of the mask 14 are shaped so that they do not come into contact with the substrate KB even if the recess 23, which is the opening forming portion, comes into contact with the substrate KB. Therefore, in the state shown in Figure 9 (g), there is no risk that the main body 21 or frame 22 of the mask 14 will come into contact with the paste Pst in the first printing region HR1 or the paste Pst in the second printing region HR2 that have already been printed.

[0061] When the upper surface of the substrate KB comes into contact with the lower surface of the mask 14, the print head 15 moves the front squeegee 15c toward the front (arrow E2 shown in FIG. 12(a)) and positions it above the paste Pst between the second opening formation region KR2 and the third opening formation region KR3 (FIG. 12(a)). Then, when the squeegee 15c is positioned above the paste Pst, the squeegee 15c is lowered (arrow D1 shown in FIG. 12(b)).

[0062] When the lower end of the lowered squeegee 15c on the near side abuts the upper surface of the mask 14, the print head 15 moves the squeegee 15c toward the rear side (arrow E1 shown in FIG. 12(c)). As a result, the paste Pst on the mask 14 is scraped toward the rear side by the squeegee 15c, and the paste Pst is printed onto each electrode in the third printing region HR3 through the openings in the third opening formation region KR3 (third printing execution step). This squeegeeing moves the paste Pst on the mask 14 toward the rear region of the third opening formation region KR3 (FIG. 12(c)).

[0063] Once the paste Pst has been printed in the third printing region HR3 of the substrate KB, the print head 15 raises the squeegee 15c on the front side that performed the squeegeeing (arrow D2 shown in FIG. 12(d)), and the unit movement mechanism 32 lowers the entire substrate holding unit 31 (arrow C2 shown in FIGS. 9(h) and 12(e)). As a result, the substrate KB is separated from the mask 14, and the pair of clamp members 46 release the clamp on the substrate KB.

[0064] When the clamp on the board KB is released, the lifter 45 lowers the support unit 44, and the board KB is lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43. When the board KB has been lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43, the intermediate conveyor 43 is activated to eject the board KB onto the carry-out conveyor CB2, which then carries the board KB out to the downstream side of the screen printing device 10. This completes the printing operation for one board KB.

[0065] After printing work on one substrate KB has been completed using the above procedure, when printing work is to be performed on the next substrate KB that has been brought in, a printing operation (printing operation using the second procedure) is performed using the reverse procedure to the printing operation using the above procedure (printing operation using the first procedure).

[0066] In the printing operation according to the second procedure, first, the next substrate KB received from the carry-in conveyor CB1 is transported in the forward (downstream) direction by the intermediate conveyor (arrow A shown in FIG. 13(a)), and the third printing region HR3 of that substrate KB is positioned below the third opening formation region KR3 of the mask 14, which is positioned above the intermediate conveyor 43 at that time (FIG. 13(a)). Then, when the third printing region HR3 of the substrate KB is positioned below the third opening formation region KR3 of the mask 14, the substrate KB is clamped and raised so as to contact the mask 14.

[0067] After the substrate KB is brought into contact with the mask 14, the rear squeegee 15c, which is the squeegee 15c opposite to the previously used squeegee 15c, is brought into contact with the mask 14 and then moved toward the front. As a result, the paste Pst on the mask 14 is scraped toward the front by the rear squeegee 15c, and the paste Pst is printed onto each electrode in the third printing region HR3 of the substrate KB through the openings in the third opening formation region KR3 (first printing execution step). This squeegeeing moves the paste Pst on the mask 14 to the region between the third opening formation region KR3 and the second opening formation region KR2.

[0068] After the paste Pst has been printed in the third printing region HR3 of the substrate KB, the squeegee 15c at the rear side that performed the squeegeeing is raised and the plate is released. After the plate is released, the mask 14 is moved to the front side by the mask moving mechanism 18 (arrow B2 shown in FIG. 13(b)), so that the second opening formation region KR2 of the mask 14 is positioned above the intermediate conveyor 43, and the substrate KB is transported in the reverse direction (upstream direction) by the intermediate conveyor 43 (arrow F2 shown in FIG. 13(b)), so that the second printing region HR2 of the substrate KB is positioned between the intermediate conveyors 43 (i.e., below the second opening formation region KR2) ( FIG. 13(b) ).

[0069] When the second printing region HR2 of the substrate KB is positioned between the intermediate conveyors 43, the substrate KB is raised to contact the mask 14. Then, the paste Pst located in the region on the mask 14 between the third opening formation region KR3 and the second opening formation region KR2 is scraped toward the front by the rear squeegee 15c used earlier, and the paste Pst is printed in the second printing region HR2 of the substrate KB (second printing execution step). This squeegeeing moves the paste Pst on the mask 14 to the region between the second opening formation region KR2 and the first opening formation region KR1.

[0070] After the paste Pst has been printed in the second printing region HR2 of the substrate KB, the squeegee 15c at the rear side that performed the squeegeeing is raised and the plate is released. After the plate is released, the mask 14 is moved to the front side by the mask moving mechanism 18 (arrow B2 shown in FIG. 13(c)), so that the first opening formation region KR1 of the mask 14 is positioned above the intermediate conveyor 43, and the substrate KB is transported in the reverse direction (upstream direction) by the intermediate conveyor 43 (arrow F2 shown in FIG. 13(c)), so that the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB is positioned between the intermediate conveyors 43 (below the first opening formation region KR1) ( FIG. 13(c)).

[0071] When the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB is positioned between the intermediate conveyors 43, the substrate KB is raised to contact the mask 14. Then, the paste Pst located in the region on the mask 14 between the second opening formation region KR2 and the first opening formation region KR1 is scraped forward by the rear squeegee 15c used earlier, and the paste Pst is printed in the first printing region HR1 of the substrate KB (third printing execution step). This squeegeeing moves the paste Pst on the mask to the region in front of the first opening formation region KR1.

[0072] After printing the paste Pst in the first printing region HR1 of the board KB, the squeegee 15c at the rear side where squeegeeing was performed is raised and the plate is released. After the plate is released, the clamp on the board KB is released and the board KB is lowered onto the intermediate conveyor 43. The board KB is then transported to the downstream process side by the intermediate conveyor 43 and the carry-out conveyor CB2, completing the printing work on that board KB. These two printing operations (printing operation according to the first procedure and printing operation according to the second procedure) are then alternately and repeatedly performed.

[0073] In this way, in the screen printing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the printing area HR on the substrate KB is divided into multiple parts along the longitudinal direction of the substrate KB, while multiple opening formation areas KR corresponding to these multiple printing areas HR are arranged on the mask in a direction intersecting the arrangement direction of the printing areas HR on the substrate KB, and the printing operation is repeated the same number of times as the number of printing areas, making it possible to print paste Pst on a long substrate KB without significantly increasing the size of the mask 14.

[0074] As mentioned above, the substrate KB in this embodiment is longer in the longitudinal direction than a normal substrate, and normally it would be necessary to prepare a very large mask 14 large enough to encompass the entire long substrate KB. However, with the screen printing apparatus 10 in this embodiment, by using the above-described configuration, it is possible to print the paste Pst onto the long substrate KB without making the size of the mask 14 significantly larger.

[0075] Furthermore, in this embodiment, one lump of paste Pst supplied onto the mask 14 is moved in the same direction on the mask 14 each time squeegeeing is performed on the opening formation region KR, so only one location of paste Pst needs to be supplied to the mask 14. Therefore, the amount of paste Pst used is small, and the amount of paste Pst discarded after the printing work is also small, which is preferable in terms of cost.

[0076] The screen printing apparatus 10 in this embodiment has been described above, and includes the following techniques (screen printing apparatus 10, mask 14, and screen printing method).

[0077] (Item 1) A substrate transport unit (intermediate conveyor 43) that transports a substrate (substrate KB) having a plurality of printable regions HR arranged in a row in the arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of printable regions (printable regions HR), a mask (mask 14) in which a plurality of opening formation regions (opening formation regions KR) corresponding to each of the plurality of printable regions are arranged in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the arrangement direction of the printable regions, and a relative movement mechanism (mask 14) that moves the mask relative to the substrate transported by the substrate transport unit so that each of the plurality of printable regions provided on the substrate and each of the plurality of opening formation regions provided on the mask overlap vertically. a printing head (15) that prints paste (paste Pst) through the mask in a state where the corresponding printing area and opening formation area are vertically overlapped, wherein the printing head performs a first printing using the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism in a state where one of the plurality of printing areas and one of the plurality of opening formation areas are vertically overlapped, and then performs a second printing using the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism in a state where another of the plurality of printing areas and another of the plurality of opening formation areas are vertically overlapped.

[0078] As described above, the screen printing apparatus of item 1 can perform screen printing on a long substrate without increasing the overall size of the apparatus (screen printing apparatus). This prevents the overall length of the production line including the screen printing apparatus from increasing, and prevents a decrease in area productivity.

[0079] (Item 2) The screen printing apparatus according to Item 1, wherein the substrate has a size that is not encompassed by the mask in a plan view.

[0080] (Item 3) The screen printing device of Item 1, wherein the print head performs the first printing and the second printing by sequentially scraping the paste supplied to the upper surface of the mask with a squeegee (squeegee 15c) in an arrangement direction (Y direction) of the plurality of opening formation regions.

[0081] According to the screen printing device of item 3, the squeegee moves one block of paste supplied onto the mask in the same direction on the mask each time it squeezes the opening formation area, so less paste is used than in a configuration in which multiple blocks of paste supplied onto the mask are moved separately to squeeze each block, and the amount of paste that needs to be discarded after the printing work is completed can be reduced.

[0082] (Item 4) The screen printing apparatus according to Item 1, wherein the relative movement mechanism is a mask movement mechanism that moves the mask in the arrangement direction (Y direction) of the plurality of opening formation regions.

[0083] (Item 5) The screen printing device of Item 1, wherein the mask has a configuration in which a periphery of a main body (main body 21) including an opening formation portion in which the plurality of opening formation regions are formed is surrounded by a frame (frame 22), and the main body and the frame have shapes that do not contact the substrate when the opening formation portion is in contact with the substrate.

[0084] (Item 6) A mask (mask 14) used in a screen printing device (screen printing device 10) that prints a paste (paste Pst) on a substrate (substrate KB) having a plurality of printing regions (printing regions HR), the mask having a main body portion (main body portion 21) including an opening formation portion (recess 23) in which a plurality of opening formation regions (opening formation regions KR) corresponding to each of the plurality of printing regions are formed, and a frame portion (frame portion 22) configured to surround the periphery of the main body portion, the main body portion and the frame portion having shapes that do not contact the substrate when the opening formation portion is in contact with the substrate.

[0085] (Item 7) A substrate transport unit (intermediate conveyor 43) that transports a substrate (substrate KB) having a plurality of printable regions (printable regions HR) arranged in a line in the arrangement direction (X direction) of the plurality of printable regions (printable regions HR), a mask (mask 14) in which a plurality of opening formation regions (opening formation regions KR) corresponding to each of the plurality of printable regions are arranged in a direction (Y direction) intersecting the arrangement direction of the printable regions, a relative movement mechanism (mask movement mechanism 18) that moves the mask relative to the substrate transported by the substrate transport unit so that each of the plurality of printable regions provided on the mask and each of the plurality of opening formation regions provided on the mask overlap vertically, and a mask moving mechanism (mask moving mechanism 18) that moves the mask relative to the substrate so that each of the plurality of printable regions and each of the opening formation regions overlap vertically. and a print head (print head 15) that prints a paste (paste Pst) through the mask in a vertically overlapping state, the screen printing method comprising: a first print execution step in which the print head executes a first print in a state in which one of the plurality of print regions and one of the plurality of opening formation regions are overlapped vertically by the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism; and a second print execution step in which, after the first print execution step, the print head executes a second print in a state in which another of the plurality of print regions and another of the plurality of opening formation regions are overlapped vertically by the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism.

[0086] Although the technology disclosed in the present disclosure is as described above, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to the above and can be modified in various ways, etc. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the relative movement mechanism is composed of a mechanism (mask movement mechanism 18) configured to move the mask 14 relative to the substrate KB, but instead of moving the mask 14 relative to the substrate KB, the mechanism may be configured to move the substrate transport unit (intermediate conveyor 43) relative to the mask 14 (more specifically, move the intermediate conveyor 43 in the Y direction, which is the arrangement direction of the opening formation regions KR).

[0087] Furthermore, the print head 15 in the above-described embodiment was configured to fill the openings of the mask 14 with the paste Pst by scraping the paste Pst supplied onto the mask 14 with the squeegee 15c, but instead of this configuration, it may be configured to fill the openings of the mask 14 with the paste Pst by ejecting the paste Pst stored in a cartridge in advance from a nozzle.

[0088] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the configurations of items 5 and 6 were realized by providing a recess 23 with a downwardly recessed shape in the main body 21 of the mask 14 and using the recess 23 as an opening forming portion, but the configurations of items 5 and 6 may also be realized by increasing the thickness of the portion of the main body 21 corresponding to the opening forming portion and shaping the bottom surface of that portion so that it is positioned lower than the lower surface 22M of the frame portion.

[0089] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the number of printing regions HR provided on the substrate KB (and therefore the number of opening formation regions KR provided on the mask 14) was three, but this is just an example, and the number is not important as long as it is two or more.

[0090] This application is based on a Japanese patent application (Patent Application No. 2024-146832) filed on August 28, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0091] To provide a screen printing device, a mask, and a screen printing method capable of performing screen printing on a long substrate without increasing the overall size of the device.

[0092] 10 Screen printing device 14 Mask 15 Print head 15c Squeegee 18 Mask movement mechanism (relative movement mechanism) 21 Main body 22 Frame 23 Recess (opening formation section) 43 Intermediate conveyor (substrate transport section) HR Printing area HR1 First printing area HR2 Second printing area HR3 Third printing area KR Opening formation area KR1 First opening formation area KR2 Second opening formation area KR3 Third opening formation area Pst Paste KB Substrate

Claims

1. A screen printing device comprising: a substrate transport unit that transports a substrate having a plurality of printable areas lined up in a row in the direction in which the plurality of printable areas are arranged; a mask in which a plurality of opening formation areas corresponding to each of the plurality of printable areas are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the plurality of printable areas are arranged; a relative movement mechanism that moves the mask relative to the substrate transported by the substrate transport unit so that each of the plurality of printable areas on the substrate and each of the plurality of opening formation areas on the mask overlap one another vertically; and a print head that prints paste through the mask in a state in which the corresponding printable area and each of the opening formation areas overlap one another vertically, wherein the print head performs a first printing using the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism in a state in which one of the plurality of printable areas and one of the plurality of opening formation areas are overlapped one another vertically.

2. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate has a size that is not encompassed by the mask in a plan view.

3. The screen printing device according to claim 1, wherein the printing head performs the first printing and the second printing by sequentially scraping the paste supplied to the upper surface of the mask with a squeegee in the direction of arrangement of the plurality of opening formation areas.

4. The screen printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said relative movement mechanism comprises a mask movement mechanism that moves said mask in the direction in which said plurality of opening formation regions are arranged.

5. The screen printing device described in claim 1, wherein the mask has a configuration in which a main body portion including an opening formation portion in which the plurality of opening formation regions are formed is surrounded by a frame portion, and the main body portion and the frame portion have shapes that do not contact the substrate when the opening formation portion is in contact with the substrate.

6. A mask used in a screen printing device that prints paste on a substrate having a plurality of printing regions, the mask having a main body portion including an opening forming portion in which a plurality of opening forming regions corresponding to each of the plurality of printing regions are formed, and a frame portion configured to surround the periphery of the main body portion, the main body portion and the frame portion having shapes that do not contact the substrate when the opening forming portion is in contact with the substrate.

7. A screen printing method using a screen printing device comprising: a substrate transport unit that transports a substrate having a plurality of printable areas lined up in a row in the direction in which the plurality of printable areas are arranged; a mask in which a plurality of opening formation areas corresponding to each of the plurality of printable areas are arranged in a direction intersecting the direction in which the plurality of printable areas are arranged; a relative movement mechanism that moves the mask relative to the substrate transported by the substrate transport unit so that each of the plurality of printable areas on the substrate and each of the plurality of opening formation areas on the mask overlap vertically; and a print head that prints paste through the mask in a state in which the corresponding printable area and each of the opening formation areas overlap vertically, the method comprising: a first print execution step in which the print head executes a first print in a state in which one of the plurality of printable areas and one of the plurality of opening formation areas are overlapped vertically by the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism; a second printing execution step in which, after the first printing execution step, the print head executes a second printing in a state in which another one of the plurality of printing regions and another one of the plurality of opening formation regions are stacked one above the other by the substrate transport unit and the relative movement mechanism.

Images