Ceramic Green Sheet QR Marking for Substrate Traceability

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Solution Overview

Problem

The production of ceramic substrates for electronic devices faces challenges in quality management and optimization, particularly in reducing quality variation and improving yield, due to the complexity of tracking information throughout the production process of large ceramic green sheets.

Innovation Solution

A ceramic green sheet is produced with encoded barcodes or two-dimensional codes, such as QR codes, that include information about raw materials, molding conditions, release agents, and serial numbers, allowing for improved traceability and quality management by recording this information before firing and dicing.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If a large ceramic green sheet is produced to improve production efficiency, then productivity increases, but quality management and traceability become more difficult

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproduction efficiencyVSAvoidtraceability
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by marking the ceramic green sheet with barcodes or two-dimensional codes containing production information (raw materials, molding conditions, release agents, serial numbers) before the firing and dicing processes. This allows traceability to be established in advance, enabling quality management throughout the production process without compromising the efficiency benefits of producing large green sheets.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Manufacturing precision

If production conditions are optimized to improve quality, then manufacturing precision improves, but process complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovequalityVSAvoidprocess complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses barcodes and two-dimensional codes as intermediaries to carry production information. These codes serve as a simple medium that links production conditions to quality outcomes without requiring complex tracking systems. The codes can be read and processed using standard scanning equipment, avoiding the need for sophisticated monitoring systems while maintaining manufacturing precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If detailed information is recorded to improve quality management, then reliability improves, but information processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvequality managementVSAvoidinformation processing
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent uses barcodes and two-dimensional codes as simplified copies or representations of production information. Instead of managing complex databases or detailed records, the essential information (raw materials, molding conditions, release agents, serial numbers) is encoded in a compact format that can be easily stored, transmitted, and processed. This copying approach maintains reliability for quality management while significantly reducing information processing complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

This approach enhances traceability and quality management throughout the production process, enabling better optimization of producing conditions and reducing quality variation, thereby improving the quality and yield of ceramic substrates.

Implementation Method 1

a drawing step of irradiating a portion of the ceramic green sheet with laser light to draw a barcode or a two-dimensional code

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLaser: Laser

Data Source

PatentEP4215509B1Ceramic green sheet, ceramic substrate, method for producing ceramic green sheet, and method for producing ceramic substrate
Publication Date: 2023.12.27 DENKA CO LTD
  • EP4215509B1 patent drawingFigure 1(A)~1(B)
  • EP4215509B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

Provided is a ceramic green sheet (1) including a plurality of substrate forming regions (2). A barcode or a two-dimensional code (5) being a QR code, a Data Matrix code or a PDF417 code is drawn in a portion of the ceramic green sheet (1). A recess portion corresponding to a line of the barcode or a cell of the two-dimensional code (5) is present in the portion of the ceramic green sheet (1) where the barcode or the two-dimensional code (5) is drawn and a depth of the recess portion is 10 um or more and 100 um or less. The barcode or the two-dimensional code (5) is obtained by encoding one or more of the following information (a) to (d). (a) Information relating to raw materials used when the ceramic green sheet (1) is produced (b) Information relating to molding conditions of the ceramic green sheet (1) (c) Information relating to a release agent used when a plurality of the ceramic green sheets (1) are stacked (d) A serial number.