Laser-Induced Solder Paste Transfer for Mask-Free PCB Printing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current solder paste printing technologies, such as screen printing, are costly and time-consuming, especially for small-scale production, and fail to meet the demands of rapid production and high precision required in Surface Mount Technology (SMT).
Innovation Solution
A solder paste laser-induced forward transfer device and method utilizing a laser unit, computer control system, and a solder paste transfer module with a transparent substrate, clamp, Z-axis lifting table, and XYZ-axis moving platform, allowing for precise and mask-free transfer of solder paste onto a PCB using high-energy pulsed laser beams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If screen printing is used for solder paste printing, then the transfer precision can be maintained, but the production cycle increases and production cost increases due to requiring different screens for different PCBs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the mask/screen component from the solder paste printing system. By using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technology, the solder paste is transferred directly from a donor substrate to the PCB without requiring physical screens or masks, thereby removing the bottleneck that causes long production cycles when switching between different PCB designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical screen printing system with a laser-based optical system. The laser beam induces forward transfer of solder paste material through ablation and material ejection, substituting the mechanical screen-movement and paste-squeegeeing process with a non-contact optical-field-driven transfer mechanism, enabling rapid reconfiguration for different PCB patterns.
2Manufacturing precision
If screen printing is used for solder paste printing, then the transfer precision can be maintained, but the production cost increases due to requiring different screens for different PCBs
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the mask/screen component from the solder paste printing system. By using laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) technology, the solder paste is transferred directly from a donor substrate to the PCB without requiring physical screens or masks, thereby removing the bottleneck that causes long production cycles when switching between different PCB designs.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces expensive, reusable screens with a disposable or reconfigurable digital pattern system. The laser system can be programmed with different patterns digitally, eliminating the need to manufacture and store multiple physical screens for different PCB designs, thus reducing overall production costs especially for small-scale and customized production.
3Device complexity
If traditional solder paste printing is used, then the equipment structure is simple, but it cannot meet the demand for small-scale rapid production
Solution Approach 1:
The invention replaces the mechanical screen printing system with a laser-based optical system. The laser beam induces forward transfer of solder paste material through ablation and material ejection, substituting the mechanical screen-movement and paste-squeegeeing process with a non-contact optical-field-driven transfer mechanism, enabling rapid reconfiguration for different PCB patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces dynamic, reconfigurable control to the solder paste printing process. The laser system parameters (power, pulse duration, scanning speed, pattern) can be dynamically adjusted via software control to accommodate different PCB designs and production volumes, transforming a static screen printing system into a flexible, adaptive manufacturing system.
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 solution enables accurate, high-precision, and cost-effective solder paste transfer, significantly reducing production cycles and costs, while meeting the demands of both small-scale and large-scale production by eliminating the need for masks and mechanical motion limitations.
Implementation Method 1
laser irradiates the target material through the transparent substrate to induce material transfer within a local region
Implementation Method 2
a laser emitter, a beam shaping module, and an optical path adjustment module that are sequentially connected by an optical path
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention discloses a solder paste laser induced forward transfer device and method. The device comprises a laser, a beam shaping module, an optical path adjustment module, a solder paste transfer module and a computer control system, wherein the laser is connected to the beam shaping module, followed by the optical path adjustment module, and the solder paste transfer module is located below the optical path adjustment module. The beam shaping module comprises a beam expanding lens, an aperture, a flat-top beam shaper and a spatial light modulator. The optical path adjustment module comprises a two-dimensional galvanometer and an f-θ lens. The solder paste transfer module consists of a transparent substrate, a solder paste film, a clamp, a Z-axis lifting table, a receiving substrate, and an XYZ precise moving platform. The computer control system consists of a computer and drivers of other devices. The device and method can achieve mask-free, non-contact and high-precision solder paste transfer, thereby greatly shortening the production cycle and reducing the production cost.