Component Solder Paste Printing With Laser-Jetted Dot Deposition
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surface mount technology (SMT) solder paste printing processes face challenges such as stencil accuracy issues, printing speed limitations, and clogging problems with jet printing, leading to defects in the final assembly.
Innovation Solution
A system that jets solder paste directly onto electronic components during the 'pick and place' stage using a laser-based printing system with a well-defined gap control and imaging for monitoring, allowing for high-resolution and high-speed printing, and subsequent placement on a PCB board with the solder paste between the component and the substrate.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screen printing through stencil is used, then solder paste can be applied, but stencil accuracy issues cause defects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical screen printing system with a jet printing system that uses controlled material ejection through a deposition head. This eliminates the stencil aperture and blade mechanics, substituting them with a direct material delivery mechanism that achieves better precision without stencil accuracy limitations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the stencil component from the solder paste application system. By eliminating the stencil entirely and using direct jet printing onto the PCB pad, the system avoids all stencil-related accuracy issues, bridge defects, and material waste associated with stencil apertures.
2Productivity
If traditional jet printing is used, then printing speed can be increased, but clogging problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the material delivery parameters by using a controlled ejection mechanism that maintains optimal material flow characteristics. The system adjusts ejection parameters to prevent material solidification or clogging while maintaining high-speed operation, solving the reliability-speed tradeoff through parameter optimization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the traditional jet printing mechanism with an improved deposition head system that eliminates clogging issues. The new system uses a different material ejection approach that maintains reliability at high speeds by avoiding the clogging-prone mechanics of conventional jet printing.
3Productivity
If high printing speed is used, then productivity increases, but insufficient solder is applied
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the screen printing mechanical system with a jet printing system that decouples printing speed from deposition accuracy. The direct material ejection mechanism can maintain precise solder paste application even at high speeds, as it doesn't rely on the same mechanical constraints that limit screen printing speed-accuracy tradeoffs.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback control in the jet printing system to monitor and adjust material deposition in real-time. This ensures that sufficient solder paste is applied even at high printing speeds by dynamically compensating for variations in ejection rate, material flow, and substrate positioning.
4Quantity of substance
If stencil aperture size is increased, then more solder paste is applied, but solder bridge shorts occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the stencil aperture constraint entirely by using direct jet printing. This allows precise control of solder paste quantity through ejection parameters rather than physical aperture size, eliminating the tradeoff between applying enough solder and preventing bridge shorts that plagues stencil-based systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality control by using a focused jet printing approach that delivers solder paste precisely where needed on the PCB pad. The system can vary deposition parameters locally to ensure adequate solder amount in the center while preventing excess material at the edges that could cause bridging to adjacent pads.
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 enables accurate and robust placement of electronic components with minimal defects, avoiding issues associated with traditional screen-printing and jet printing, while allowing for high-speed and high-yield production.
Implementation Method 1
a laser-based printing unit configured to jet portions of the layer of coated material from the substrate to form dots on the electronic component
Data Source
Figure 1~2b
Figure 2a
Figure 3
AI summary
Systems and methods in which dot-like portions of a material (e.g., a viscous material such as a solder paste) are printed or otherwise transferred onto an electronic component at a first printing unit, and the electronic component is subsequently placed onto a substrate with the portions of viscous material between the electronic component and the substrate. Optionally, a printing unit which prints the dots of material onto the electronic component includes a coating system that creates a uniform layer of the material on a donor substrate, and the material is transferred in the individual dot-like portions from the donor substrate onto the electronic component by the printing unit. The system may also include imaging units to aid in the overall process.