JP2012183595A - Conveying device and printing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a conveying device that can contribute to compactification of a device and stable conveyance of a substrate.SOLUTION: The conveying device includes: a gripping part 13a disposed in a gripping area 13d defined along a first direction x and gripping the substrate; a plurality of supporting parts 106 extending in a second direction y crossing the first direction from the gripping area and supporting the substrate; and a driving unit 88 for rotating the gripping part and the supporting parts about an axis line 13c extending in a third direction Z crossing the first and second directions and also moving them along a plane including the first and second directions. The length of the gripping area is longer than that of the supporting part.

Description

  The present invention relates to a transport apparatus and a printing apparatus.

  In recent years, attention has been focused on a droplet discharge device that forms an image or a pattern on a recording medium using ultraviolet curable ink that is cured by ultraviolet irradiation. The ultraviolet curable ink has a preferable characteristic as a printing ink, in which the curing is very slow until it is irradiated with ultraviolet rays, and it is rapidly cured when irradiated with ultraviolet rays. Moreover, since the solvent is not volatilized during curing, there is an advantage that the environmental load is small.

  Further, the ultraviolet curable ink exhibits high adhesion to various recording media depending on the composition of the vehicle. Further, after curing, it is chemically stable, has high adhesiveness, chemical resistance, weather resistance, friction resistance, etc., and has excellent characteristics such as withstand outdoor environments. For this reason, an image can be formed not only on a thin sheet-like recording medium such as paper, a resin film, or a metal foil, but also on a recording medium having a three-dimensional surface shape such as a label surface or a textile product.

  A technique of printing attribute information such as a manufacturing number or a manufacturing company on an IC on a substrate by using the above-described ultraviolet curable ink by a droplet discharge method is disclosed (for example, Patent Document 1). When a printing process is performed on the substrate, the substrate is sequentially transported to various processing apparatuses related to printing, such as a droplet discharge device and a pretreatment device. As the substrate transport device, there are provided a device that grips and transports a substrate from both sides (for example, Patent Document 2) and a device that supports the substrate from below and holds the periphery of the substrate (for example, Patent Document 3). Yes.

JP 2003-080687 A JP 2010-269899 A JP 2010-186850 A

However, the following problems exist in the conventional technology as described above.
In the technique described in Patent Document 2, since the hand itself is large, the apparatus itself is increased in size. Further, when the size of the substrate changes, the control associated with the change in the holding position of the substrate becomes complicated. Similarly, in the technique described in Patent Document 3, since the substrate is supported over the entire length direction, the size of the apparatus is also increased and the substrate is partially held. If the substrate is warped, the substrate may not be stably conveyed.

  The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object thereof is to provide a transport apparatus and a printing apparatus that can contribute to downsizing of the apparatus and stable transport of a substrate.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following configuration.
The conveying device according to the present invention includes a gripping portion that is disposed in a gripping region along a first direction and grips a base material, and a plurality of supporting members that extend from the gripping region in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The support portion, the grip portion, and the support portion about an axis extending in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and on a plane including the first direction and the second direction. And the length of the gripping region is longer than the length of the support portion.

  Therefore, in the conveyance device of the present invention, the substrate can be supported and conveyed from below by the support unit while the one end edge of the substrate is grasped by the grasping unit. In the present invention, since the length of the grip region in which the grip portion is arranged is larger than the length of the support portion, the base material can be gripped in a long region even when warping or the like occurs in the base material. It becomes possible to grip and transport the substrate stably.

The gripping area is preferably formed by a structure formed by a plurality of the gripping parts arranged at intervals in the first direction, or by the gripping part extending for a length over the gripping area. Can be adopted.
Thereby, in this invention, a holding part can be comprised by the separated several member or one member.

As the axis, a configuration in which the support portion is disposed in the second direction can be suitably employed.
As a result, in the present invention, the rotation radius when the gripping part and the support part are rotated about the axis can be reduced, and the downsizing of the apparatus and the reduction of the centrifugal force can contribute to the stable conveyance of the substrate. .

In addition, as the axis, a configuration that is disposed approximately at the center of the gripping region with respect to the first direction can be suitably employed.
As a result, in the present invention, the rotation radius when the gripping part and the support part are rotated about the axis can be reduced, and the downsizing of the apparatus and the reduction of the centrifugal force can contribute to the stable conveyance of the substrate. .

The gripping part preferably includes a first gripping part fixed to the driving part and a second gripping part that moves relative to the first gripping part so as to be separated and accessible in the third direction. Can be adopted.
Thereby, in this invention, it becomes possible to pinch | interpose a base material between 1st, 2nd holding parts, and to hold | grip because a 2nd holding part approaches a 3rd direction with respect to a 1st holding part. Since the second gripping part is separated from the first gripping part in the third direction, it is possible to release the grip on the base material.

In the present invention, at least one of the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion can be preferably formed of a conductive material.
Thus, in the present invention, the adverse effects of static electricity can be eliminated, and damage to the semiconductor device or the like due to static electricity can be avoided.

Moreover, in this invention, the structure in which at least one of the said 1st holding part and the said 2nd holding part is formed with an elastic material can be employ | adopted suitably.
Accordingly, in the present invention, when the base material is sandwiched and gripped between the first and second gripping portions, at least one of the first and second gripping portions is elastically deformed. Can be avoided.

A configuration in which at least one of the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion in the above configuration is a wire shape can be suitably employed.
Thereby, in this invention, at least one of a 1st, 2nd holding part can be formed cheaply and easily.

On the other hand, a printing apparatus according to the present invention includes: the transport apparatus according to 1; and a discharge unit that discharges liquid droplets that are cured with actinic rays to the substrate transported by the transport apparatus. Is.
Therefore, in the printing apparatus of the present invention, the substrate can be stably grasped while the apparatus is downsized, for example, when the substrate is carried into the discharge unit or when the substrate is carried out of the discharge unit. It can be transported.

Moreover, in this invention, it has a stage on which the said base material conveyed by the said conveying apparatus is mounted, The said stage has a groove part in the position corresponding to the said support part, and the adsorption | suction part which adsorbs and holds the said base material A configuration comprising
Thus, in the present invention, even when the support unit in the transport apparatus supports the lower surface of the base material and transports it to the stage, the support unit fits into the groove portion, so that the base material is placed on the stage without interfering with the stage. It can be placed and held by suction.

In the present invention, a configuration in which the ejection unit applies the droplets to a semiconductor device provided on the surface of the base material can be suitably employed.
Thereby, in this invention, the printing pattern which shows the attribute information etc. of the semiconductor device in the base material conveyed stably can be formed and printed with predetermined printing quality and low cost.
In addition, the relative movement direction and the orthogonal direction in this specification include a range deviated by an error due to manufacturing / assembly.

(A) is a schematic plan view which shows a semiconductor substrate, (b) is a schematic plan view which shows a droplet discharge device. The schematic diagram which shows a supply part. (A) is a schematic perspective view which shows the structure of an application part, (b) is a model side view which shows a carriage. (A) is a schematic plan view showing a head unit, and (b) is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining the structure of a droplet discharge head. The schematic diagram which shows a storage part. The figure which shows the structure of a conveyance part. FIG. 3 is a diagram in which detection light is projected from a detection device to a semiconductor substrate 1 The block diagram which shows a control system. 6 is a flowchart for illustrating a printing method. The figure which shows another form of a holding part. The figure which shows another form of a holding part.

Hereinafter, embodiments of a transport device and a printing device of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11.
The following embodiment shows one aspect of the present invention and does not limit the present invention, and can be arbitrarily changed within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Moreover, in the following drawings, in order to make each configuration easy to understand, the actual structure is different from the scale and number of each structure.

(Semiconductor substrate)
First, a semiconductor substrate which is an example of an object to be drawn (printed) using a printing apparatus will be described.
FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view showing a semiconductor substrate. As shown in FIG. 1A, a semiconductor substrate 1 as a base material includes a substrate 2. The substrate 2 only needs to have heat resistance so that the semiconductor device 3 can be mounted. As the substrate 2, a glass epoxy substrate, a paper phenol substrate, a paper epoxy substrate, or the like can be used.

  A semiconductor device 3 is mounted on the substrate 2. On the semiconductor device 3, marks (print pattern, predetermined pattern) such as a company name mark 4, a model code 5, and a production number 6 are drawn. These marks are drawn by a printing apparatus described later.

(Printer)
FIG. 1B is a schematic plan view showing the printing apparatus.
As shown in FIG. 1B, the printing apparatus 7 mainly includes a supply unit 8, a pre-processing unit 9, a coating unit (printing unit) 10, a cooling unit 11, a storage unit 12, a transport unit 13, a post-processing unit 14, and The control unit CONT (see FIG. 8) includes a plurality of processing devices that perform processing related to various types of printing. The direction in which the supply unit 8 and the storage unit 12 are arranged, and the direction in which the preprocessing unit 9, the cooling unit 11, and the post-processing unit 14 are arranged are defined as the X direction. The direction orthogonal to the X direction is defined as the Y direction, and the coating unit 10, the cooling unit 11, and the transport unit 13 are arranged side by side in the Y direction. The vertical direction is the Z direction.

  The supply unit 8 includes a storage container in which a plurality of semiconductor substrates 1 are stored. The supply unit 8 includes a relay location 8a, and supplies the semiconductor substrate 1 from the storage container to the relay location 8a. In the relay place 8a, a pair of rails 8b extending in the X direction are provided at substantially the same height as the semiconductor substrate 1 sent out from the storage container.

  The pretreatment unit 9 has a function of modifying the surface of the semiconductor device 3 while heating. The pretreatment unit 9 adjusts the spread of the ejected droplets and the adhesion of the marks to be printed. The pre-processing unit 9 includes a first relay location 9a and a second relay location 9b, and takes the semiconductor substrate 1 before processing from the first relay location 9a or the second relay location 9b to modify the surface. Thereafter, the preprocessing unit 9 moves the processed semiconductor substrate 1 to the first relay location 9a or the second relay location 9b, and makes the semiconductor substrate 1 stand by. The first relay location 9a and the second relay location 9b are collectively referred to as a relay location 9c. A place where preprocessing is performed inside the preprocessing unit 9 is defined as a processing place 9d.

  The cooling unit 11 is disposed at a relay location of the application unit 10 and has a function of cooling the semiconductor substrate 1 that has been heated and surface-modified in the pretreatment unit 9. The cooling unit 11 includes processing places 11 a and 11 b that hold and cool the semiconductor substrate 1. The processing places 11a and 11b are collectively referred to as a processing place 11c as appropriate.

  The application unit 10 has a function of drawing (printing) a mark by discharging droplets onto the semiconductor device 3 and solidifying or curing the drawn mark. The coating unit 10 performs the drawing process and the curing process by moving the semiconductor substrate 1 before drawing from the cooling unit 11 as a relay place. Thereafter, the coating unit 10 moves the drawn semiconductor substrate 1 to the cooling unit 11 and puts the semiconductor substrate 1 on standby.

  The post-processing unit 14 performs a reheating process as a post-process on the semiconductor substrate 1 placed on the cooling unit 11 after the drawing process is performed in the application unit 10. The post-processing unit 14 includes a first relay location 14a and a second relay location 14b. The first relay location 14a and the second relay location 14b are collectively referred to as a relay location 14c.

  The storage unit 12 includes a storage container that can store a plurality of semiconductor substrates 1. The storage unit 12 includes a relay location 12a, and stores the semiconductor substrate 1 from the relay location 12a into the storage container. A pair of rails 12 b extending in the X direction are provided at the relay location 12 a at substantially the same height as the storage container that stores the semiconductor substrate 1. The operator carries out the storage container in which the semiconductor substrate 1 is stored from the printing apparatus 7.

  A transport unit 13 is disposed at a central location of the printing apparatus 7. As the transport unit 13, a scalar type robot having two arm portions 13b is used. A gripping portion 13a for supporting the semiconductor substrate 1 from the back surface (lower surface) and gripping the side edge in a cantilever manner is provided at the tip of the arm portion 13b. The relay locations 8a, 9c, 11, 14c, and 12a are located within the movement range of the grip portion 13a. Accordingly, the gripping portion 13a can move the semiconductor substrate 1 between the relay locations 8a, 9c, 11, 14c, and 12a. The control unit CONT is a device that controls the overall operation of the printing apparatus 7 and manages the operation status of each unit of the printing apparatus 7. Then, an instruction signal for moving the semiconductor substrate 1 is output to the transport unit 13. Thereby, the semiconductor substrate 1 is drawn by passing through each part sequentially.

Details of each part will be described below.
(Supply section)
FIG. 2A is a schematic front view showing the supply unit, and FIGS. 2B and 2C are schematic side views showing the supply unit. As shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the supply unit 8 includes a base 15. An elevating device 16 is installed inside the base 15. The elevating device 16 includes a linear motion mechanism that operates in the Z direction. As this linear motion mechanism, a mechanism such as a combination of a ball screw and a rotary motor or a combination of a hydraulic cylinder and an oil pump can be used. In this embodiment, for example, a mechanism using a ball screw and a step motor is employed. An elevating plate 17 is connected to the elevating device 16 on the upper side of the base 15. The elevating plate 17 can be moved up and down by a predetermined moving amount by the elevating device 16.

  A rectangular parallelepiped storage container 18 is installed on the elevating plate 17, and a plurality of semiconductor substrates 1 are stored in the storage container 18. The storage container 18 has openings 18a on both sides in the X direction, and the semiconductor substrate 1 can be taken in and out from the openings 18a. Convex rails 18c are formed inside the side surfaces 18b located on both sides in the Y direction of the storage container 18, and the rails 18c are arranged extending in the X direction. A plurality of rails 18c are arranged at equal intervals in the Z direction. By inserting the semiconductor substrate 1 along the rail 18c from the X direction or from the -X direction, the semiconductor substrate 1 is arranged and stored in the Z direction.

  An extrusion device 23 is installed on the X direction side of the base 15 via a support member 21 and a support base 22. The extrusion device 23 is provided with an extrusion pin 23a that protrudes in the X direction and pushes the semiconductor substrate 1 toward the rail 8b by the linear motion mechanism similar to the lifting device 16. Therefore, the push pin 23a is installed at substantially the same height as the rail 8b.

  As shown in FIG. 2C, the extruding pin 23a in the extruding device 23 protrudes in the + X direction, so that the semiconductor substrate 1 positioned slightly on the + Z side from the rail 18c is pushed out of the storage container 18. Then, it is moved and supported on the rail 8b.

After the semiconductor substrate 1 moves onto the rail 8b, the push pin 23a returns to the standby position shown in FIG. Next, the lifting / lowering device 16 lowers the storage container 18 and moves the semiconductor substrate 1 to be processed next to a height facing the extrusion pin 23a. Thereafter, in the same manner as described above, the push pin 23a is projected to move the semiconductor substrate 1 onto the rail 8b.
In this way, the supply unit 8 sequentially moves the semiconductor substrate 1 from the storage container 18 onto the rail 8b. After all the semiconductor substrates 1 in the storage container 18 are moved onto the relay stand 23, the operator replaces the empty storage container 18 with the storage container 18 in which the semiconductor substrate 1 is stored. Thereby, the semiconductor substrate 1 can be supplied to the supply unit 8.

(Pre-processing section)
The preprocessing unit 9 preprocesses the semiconductor substrate 1 transported to the relay locations 9a and 9b at the processing location 9d. Examples of the pretreatment include irradiation with actinic rays in a heated state, for example, by a low-pressure mercury lamp, a hydrogen burner, an excimer laser, a plasma discharge part, a corona discharge part, or the like. When a mercury lamp is used, the liquid repellency of the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 can be modified by irradiating the semiconductor substrate 1 with ultraviolet rays. When a hydrogen burner is used, the surface can be roughened by partially reducing the oxidized surface of the semiconductor substrate 1, and when an excimer laser is used, the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 is partially melted and solidified. When plasma discharge or corona discharge is used, the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 can be roughened by mechanical cutting. In this embodiment, for example, a mercury lamp is employed.
After the preprocessing is completed, the preprocessing unit 9 moves the semiconductor substrate 1 to the relay location 9c. Subsequently, the transport unit 13 removes the semiconductor substrate 1 from the relay place 9c.

(Cooling section)
The cooling unit 11 includes cooling plates 110 a and 110 b such as heat sinks that are provided at the processing places 11 a and 11 b and whose upper surfaces are suction holding surfaces of the semiconductor device 1.
The processing locations 11a and 11b (cooling plates 110a and 110b) are located within the operating range of the gripping portion 13a, and the cooling plates 110a and 110b are exposed at the processing locations 11a and 11b. Therefore, the transport unit 13 can easily place the semiconductor substrate 1 on the cooling plates 110a and 110b. After the semiconductor substrate 1 is cooled, the semiconductor substrate 1 stands by on the cooling plate 110a positioned at the processing location 11a or the cooling plate 110a positioned at the processing location 11b. Therefore, the gripping part 13a of the transport part 13 can easily grip and move the semiconductor substrate 1.

(Applying part)
Next, the coating unit 10 that forms marks by discharging droplets onto the semiconductor substrate 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. There are various types of apparatuses for ejecting droplets, and an apparatus using an ink jet method is preferable. The ink jet method is suitable for microfabrication because it can discharge minute droplets.

  FIG. 3A is a schematic perspective view showing the configuration of the application unit. Liquid droplets are ejected onto the semiconductor substrate 1 by the application unit 10. As shown in FIG. 3A, the application unit 10 includes a base 37 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape. The direction in which the droplet discharge head and the object to be discharged move relative to each other when discharging droplets is defined as a main scanning direction. The direction orthogonal to the main scanning direction is defined as the sub scanning direction. The sub-scanning direction is a direction in which the droplet discharge head and the discharge target are relatively moved when a line feed is made. In the present embodiment, the Y direction (second direction) is the main scanning direction, and the X direction (first direction) is the sub scanning direction.

  On the upper surface 37a of the base 37, a pair of guide rails 38 extending in the X direction is provided so as to protrude over the entire width in the X direction. A stage 39 having a linear motion mechanism (not shown) corresponding to the pair of guide rails 38 is attached to the upper side of the base 37. As the linear motion mechanism of the stage 39, a linear motor, a screw type linear motion mechanism, or the like can be used. In this embodiment, for example, a linear motor is employed. The stage 39 moves forward or backward along the X direction at a predetermined speed. Repeating forward and backward movement is called scanning movement. Further, a sub-scanning position detection device 40 is disposed on the upper surface 37 a of the base 37 in parallel with the guide rail 38, and the position of the stage 39 is detected by the sub-scanning position detection device 40.

  A placement surface 41 is formed on the upper surface of the stage 39, and a suction-type substrate chuck mechanism (not shown) is provided on the placement surface 41. After the semiconductor substrate 1 is placed on the placement surface 41, the semiconductor substrate 1 is fixed to the placement surface 41 by a substrate chuck mechanism.

  For example, the place of the mounting surface 41 when the stage 39 is located on the + X side is a relay place of the load position or unload position of the semiconductor substrate 1. The placement surface 41 is installed so as to be exposed within the operating range of the gripping portion 13a. Therefore, the transport unit 13 can easily place the semiconductor substrate 1 on the placement surface 41. After application (mark drawing) is performed on the semiconductor substrate 1, the semiconductor substrate 1 stands by on the mounting surface 41 which is a relay place. Therefore, the grip part 13a of the transport part 13 can easily grip the semiconductor substrate 1 and move it.

  A pair of support bases 42 are erected on both sides of the base 37 in the Y direction, and a guide member 43 extending in the Y direction is installed on the pair of support bases 42. A guide rail 44 extending in the Y direction is provided below the guide member 43 so as to protrude over the entire width in the X direction. A carriage (moving means) 45 movably attached along the guide rail 44 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The carriage 45 includes a linear motion mechanism. As the linear motion mechanism, for example, a mechanism similar to the linear motion mechanism included in the stage 39 can be used. Then, the carriage 45 scans and moves along the Y direction. A main scanning position detector 46 is disposed between the guide member 43 and the carriage 45, and the position of the carriage 45 is measured. A head unit 47 is installed on the lower side of the carriage 45, and a droplet discharge head (not shown) is projected on the surface of the head unit 47 on the stage 39 side.

  FIG. 3B is a schematic side view showing the carriage. As shown in FIG. 3B, on the semiconductor substrate 1 side of the carriage 45, a head unit 47 and a pair of curing units 48 as irradiation units are arranged at equal intervals from the center of the carriage 45 in the Y direction. A liquid droplet ejection head (ejection head) 49 for ejecting liquid droplets is provided on the side of the semiconductor substrate 1 of the head unit 47.

  A storage tank 50 is arranged on the upper side of the carriage 45 in the drawing, and the functional liquid is stored in the storage tank 50. The droplet discharge head 49 and the storage tank 50 are connected by a tube (not shown), and the functional liquid in the storage tank 50 is supplied to the droplet discharge head 49 through the tube.

  The functional liquid is mainly composed of a resin material, a photopolymerization initiator as a curing agent, a solvent or a dispersion medium. A functional liquid having an inherent function can be formed by adding a coloring material such as a pigment or a dye or a functional material such as a lyophilic or liquid repellent surface modifying material to the main material. In this embodiment, for example, a white pigment is added. The functional liquid resin material is a material for forming a resin film. The resin material is not particularly limited as long as the material is liquid at normal temperature and becomes a polymer by polymerization. Furthermore, a resin material having a low viscosity is preferable, and it is preferably in the form of an oligomer. A monomer form is more preferable. The photopolymerization initiator is an additive that acts on a crosslinkable group of the polymer to advance the crosslinking reaction. For example, benzyldimethyl ketal or the like can be used as the photopolymerization initiator. The solvent or the dispersion medium adjusts the viscosity of the resin material. By setting the viscosity at which the functional liquid can be easily discharged from the droplet discharge head, the droplet discharge head can stably discharge the functional liquid.

  FIG. 4A is a schematic plan view showing the head unit. As shown in FIG. 4A, in the head unit 47, two liquid droplet ejection heads 49 are arranged with an interval in the sub-scanning direction (X direction). Plates 51 (see FIG. 4B) are respectively arranged. A plurality of nozzles 52 are arranged in each nozzle plate 51. In this embodiment, it can be said that the nozzle rows 60B to 60E in which the fifteen nozzles 52 are arranged along the sub-scanning direction are arranged on each nozzle plate 51 at intervals in the Y direction. In addition, the nozzle rows 60B to 60E in the two droplet discharge heads 49 are arranged on a straight line along the X direction. The nozzle rows 60B and 60E are arranged at equal intervals from the center of the carriage 45 in the Y direction. Similarly, the nozzle rows 60C and 60D are arranged at equal intervals from the center of the carriage 45 in the Y direction. Therefore, the distance between the + Y side curing unit 48 and the nozzle row 60B is the same as the distance between the −Y side curing unit 48 and the nozzle row 60E. Also, the distance between the + Y side curing unit 48 and the nozzle row 60C is the same as the distance between the −Y side curing unit 48 and the nozzle row 60D.

  FIG. 4B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a main part for explaining the structure of the droplet discharge head. As shown in FIG. 4B, the droplet discharge head 49 includes a nozzle plate 51, and a nozzle 52 is formed on the nozzle plate 51. A cavity 53 communicating with the nozzle 52 is formed at a position above the nozzle plate 51 and facing the nozzle 52. A functional liquid (liquid) 54 is supplied to the cavity 53 of the droplet discharge head 49.

  A vibration plate 55 that vibrates in the vertical direction and expands or contracts the volume in the cavity 53 is installed above the cavity 53. A piezoelectric element 56 that extends in the vertical direction and vibrates the vibration plate 55 is disposed at a location facing the cavity 53 on the upper side of the vibration plate 55. The piezoelectric element 56 expands and contracts in the vertical direction to pressurize and vibrate the diaphragm 55, and the diaphragm 55 pressurizes the cavity 53 by expanding and reducing the volume in the cavity 53. As a result, the pressure in the cavity 53 varies, and the functional liquid 54 supplied into the cavity 53 is discharged through the nozzle 52.

  As shown in FIGS. 3B and 4A, the curing unit 48 is disposed at positions on both sides of the head unit 47 in the main scanning direction (relative movement direction). An irradiating device for irradiating ultraviolet rays that cure the discharged droplets is disposed inside the curing unit 48. The irradiation device includes a light emitting unit and a heat radiating plate. A number of LED (Light Emitting Diode) elements are arranged in the light emitting unit. This LED element is an element that emits ultraviolet light, which is ultraviolet light, upon receiving power. An irradiation port 48 a is formed on the lower surface of the curing unit 48. Then, ultraviolet light emitted from the irradiation device is irradiated toward the semiconductor substrate 1 from the irradiation port 48a.

  When the droplet discharge head 49 receives a nozzle drive signal for controlling and driving the piezoelectric element 56, the piezoelectric element 56 expands and the diaphragm 55 reduces the volume in the cavity 53. As a result, the functional liquid 54 corresponding to the reduced volume is discharged as droplets 57 from the nozzles 52 of the droplet discharge head 49. The semiconductor substrate 1 coated with the functional liquid 54 is irradiated with ultraviolet light from the irradiation port 48a so that the functional liquid 54 containing a curing agent is solidified or cured.

(Storage section)
FIG. 5A is a schematic front view showing the storage portion, and FIG. 5B and FIG. 5C are schematic side views showing the storage portion. As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the storage unit 12 includes a base 74. An elevating device 75 is installed inside the base 74. As the lifting device 75, the same device as the lifting device 16 installed in the supply unit 8 can be used. A lifting plate 76 is connected to the lifting device 75 on the upper side of the base 74. The lifting plate 76 is lifted and lowered by the lifting device 75. A rectangular parallelepiped storage container 18 is installed on the lifting plate 76, and the semiconductor substrate 1 is stored in the storage container 18. The same container as the storage container 18 installed in the supply unit 8 is used as the storage container 18.

  The semiconductor substrate 1 placed on the rail 12 b as a relay place by the transport unit 13 is moved from the rail 12 b to the storage container 18 by the transport unit 13. Or after moving to the middle of the storage container 18 from the rail 12b by the transport unit 13, for example, as shown in FIG. 5C, located below the rail 12b, between the rails 12b, 12b in the Y direction, An extrusion device 80 having the same configuration as the extrusion device 23 and capable of being raised to a position facing the semiconductor substrate 1 in the middle position by a lifting device (not shown) is provided, and the transfer unit 13 moves the semiconductor substrate 1 to the rail 12b. When the transfer unit 13 is retracted from the rail 12b, the extrusion device 80 is lifted so as to face the side surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 and the extrusion pin. The semiconductor substrate 1 may be moved to the storage container 18 by projecting 23a in the + X direction.

  As described above, a predetermined number of semiconductor substrates 1 are stored in the storage container 18 by repeatedly storing the semiconductor substrate 1 in the storage container 18 and moving the storage container 18 in the Z direction by the lifting device 75. After that, the operator replaces the storage container 18 in which the semiconductor substrate 1 is stored with the empty storage container 18. Thus, the operator can carry the plurality of semiconductor substrates 1 together to the next process.

(Transport section)
Next, the transport unit 13 for transporting the semiconductor substrate 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 6 and 7.
The transport unit 13 includes a support body 83 provided on the top of the apparatus, and a rotation mechanism including a motor, an angle detector, a speed reducer, and the like is installed inside the support body 83. The output shaft of the motor is connected to the speed reducer, and the output shaft of the speed reducer is connected to the first arm portion 84 disposed below the support body 83. In addition, an angle detector is installed in connection with the output shaft of the motor, and the angle detector detects a rotation angle around an axis parallel to the Z direction (third direction) of the output shaft of the motor. Accordingly, the rotation mechanism can detect the rotation angle of the first arm portion 84 and rotate it to a desired angle.

  A rotation mechanism 85 is installed on the first arm portion 84 at the end opposite to the support body 83. The rotation mechanism 85 includes a motor, an angle detector, a speed reducer, and the like, and has the same function as the rotation mechanism installed inside the support body 83. The output shaft of the rotation mechanism 85 is connected to the second arm portion 86. Accordingly, the rotation mechanism 85 can detect the rotation angle of the second arm portion 86 and rotate it to a desired angle.

  On the second arm portion 86, a lifting device 87 and a rotation mechanism (drive unit) 88 are disposed at the end opposite to the rotation mechanism 85. The elevating device 87 includes a linear motion mechanism, and the grip portion 13a can be moved up and down with respect to the second arm portion 86 by expanding and contracting in the Z direction by driving the linear motion mechanism. For this linear motion mechanism, for example, a mechanism similar to the lifting device 16 of the supply unit 8 can be used. The rotation mechanism 88 has the same configuration as the rotation mechanism 85 described above, and rotates the grip portion 13a around the axis 13c (see FIG. 6C) parallel to the Z direction with respect to the second arm portion 86. .

6A is a front view in which the grip portion 13a is provided on the −Z side of the arm portion 13b, FIG. 6B is a plan view (however, the arm portion 13b is not shown), and FIG. 6C. Is a left side view.
The gripping portion 13a is provided so as to be able to rotate and move in the θZ direction (rotation direction about the Z axis) with respect to the arm portion 13b by the rotation mechanism 88, and the position in the XY plane varies. A direction parallel to the XY plane will be described as the x direction, and a direction parallel to the XY plane and orthogonal to the x direction will be described as the y direction (Z direction is common).

  The grip portion 13a is rotatable in the θZ direction with respect to the arm portion 13b, and is provided so as to be movable in the Z direction with respect to the fixed portion 100 used in a fixed state when the semiconductor substrate 1 is gripped. The moving part 110 is provided.

  The fixed part 100 is mainly composed of a Z-axis member 101, a suspension member 102, a connecting member 103, a connecting plate 104, a clamping plate (first gripping part) 105, and a fork part (supporting part) 106. The Z-axis member 101 extends in the Z direction and is provided on the arm portion 13b so as to be rotatable around the Z axis. The suspension member 102 is formed in a plate shape extending in the x direction, and is fixed to the lower end of the Z-axis member 101 at the center in the x direction. The connecting plate 104 is disposed in parallel with the suspension member 102 with a gap therebetween, and is connected to the suspension member 104 by the connecting member 103 at both ends in the x direction. The sandwiching plate 105 is formed in a plate shape extending in the x direction, and is fixed to the lower end of the connecting plate 104 at the + y side edge on the + Z side surface, as shown in FIG. . Of the + Z side surfaces of the clamping plate 105, the −y side edge side is a clamping surface 105 a when the semiconductor substrate 1 is clamped.

  The fork portion 106 supports the lower surface (the surface on the −Z side) of the semiconductor substrate 1 sandwiched by the sandwiching surface 105a from below, and extends from the side surface on the −y side of the sandwiching plate 105 in the y direction. And a plurality (four in this case) are provided at intervals in the x direction. The arrangement interval and the number of the fork portions 106 are set so that they can be supported at least at one place, preferably at two or more places in the length direction even when the length of the semiconductor substrate 1 varies depending on the model.

  The moving part 110 is mainly composed of an elevating part 111 and a gripping plate (second gripping part) 112. The elevating unit 111 is composed of an air cylinder mechanism or the like and moves up and down along the Z-axis member 101. The holding plate 112 is provided so as to be able to move up and down integrally with the lifting unit 111, and is shorter than the gap length in the x direction between the connecting members 103 and 103, and is shorter than the gap between the suspension member 102 and the connecting plate 104. An insertion portion 112a having a small width and inserted in the gap between the connection members 103 and 103 and the gap between the suspension member 102 and the connection plate 104 so as to be movable in the Z direction, and below the insertion portion 112a A sandwiching plate 112b that is positioned below the suspension member 102 and extends in the x direction with substantially the same length as the sandwiching plate 105 is integrally formed.

  The grip plate 112 composed of the insertion portion 112a and the sandwiching plate 112b moves integrally in the Z direction in accordance with the elevation of the elevation portion 111. When the holding plate 112 is lowered, it is possible to hold and hold one end edge of the semiconductor substrate 1 with the holding plate 105, and when the holding plate 112 is raised, the holding plate 112 is separated from the holding plate 105. The grip on the semiconductor substrate 1 is released.

  The sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112 capable of gripping the semiconductor substrate 1 form a gripping region 13d that continuously extends in the x direction with a length extending across the sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112 in the facing gap. As shown in FIG. 6B, the length L1 of the clamping plate 105, the gripping plate 112, and the gripping region 13d is formed larger than the length L2 of the fork portion 106.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation center axis (axis) 13c when the gripping portion 13a is rotated by the rotation mechanism 88 is shown in FIG. 6C regarding the y direction that is the length direction of the fork portion 106. In this way, it is set so as to be located in the region where the fork portion 106 is arranged. Further, the rotation center axis 13c is arranged at the approximate center of the gripping region 13d with respect to the x direction, which is the length direction of the sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112, as shown in FIG.

  When the semiconductor substrate 1 is transported by the transport unit 13 described above, the fork unit 106 supports the semiconductor substrate 1 from below, and therefore the pre-processing unit 9 on which the transported semiconductor substrate 1 is placed on the surface. The first and second relay locations 9a and 9b, the processing locations 11a and 11b of the cooling unit 11, and the first and second relay locations 14a and 14b of the post-processing unit 14 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the placement unit 140) include: As shown in FIG. 7, a groove portion 141 is provided at a position corresponding to the fork portion 106 during conveyance. A plurality of suction portions 142 for sucking and holding the semiconductor substrate 1 placed on the placement portion 140 are disposed near the groove portion 140 in the placement portion 141.

  Then, by inputting the output of the detector arranged in the transport unit 13 to detect the position and posture of the gripping unit 13a, by driving the rotation mechanism 85 and the like to move the gripping unit 13a to a predetermined position, The semiconductor substrate 1 held by the holding part 13a can be transferred to a predetermined processing part.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of a control system related to the printing apparatus 7.
As shown in FIG. 8, the operations of the supply unit 8, the pretreatment unit 9, the application unit 10, the posttreatment unit 14, and the storage unit 12 described above are comprehensively controlled by the control unit CONT.

(Printing method)
Next, a printing method using the above-described printing apparatus 7 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for illustrating a printing method.
As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 9, the printing method includes a carry-in process S <b> 1 for carrying in the semiconductor substrate 1 from the storage container 18, a pre-treatment process S <b> 2 for pre-treating the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 carried in, Cooling step S3 for cooling the semiconductor substrate 1 whose temperature has increased in step S2, printing step S4 for drawing and printing various marks on the cooled semiconductor substrate 1, and post-processing for the semiconductor substrate 1 printed with various marks The post-processing step S5 to be performed and the storage step S6 for storing the post-processed semiconductor substrate 1 in the storage container 18 are mainly configured.

  When processing the semiconductor substrate 1 in each of the above steps, first, the semiconductor substrate 1 is supported by the fork portion 106 from below while holding one side edge of the semiconductor substrate 1 with the gripping portion 13a in the transport portion 13. Grip. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6C, the semiconductor substrate 1 is placed on the clamping plate 105 and the fork unit 106 in a state where the grip plate 112 is separated from the clamping plate 105 by the elevating unit 111. After that, as shown in FIG. 7A, the holding plate 112 is lowered by the elevating part 111 and the side edge of the semiconductor substrate 1 is held and held between the holding 105.

  At this time, since the length of the gripping region 13d is larger than the length of the fork portion 106 and larger than the long side of the semiconductor substrate 1, for example, even when the semiconductor substrate 1 is warped due to heating during pretreatment. By holding the one side edge of the semiconductor substrate 1 in a lump, it can be stably held in a state where the warp is corrected.

  Then, after the gripping portion 13a is moved to a predetermined height by the lifting device 87, the semiconductor substrate 1 gripped by the gripping portion 13a is driven by controlling the rotation angle of the rotation mechanisms 85, 88, etc. It moves along the XY plane to a position facing the mounting part 140.

  At this time, the gripping portion 13a rotates around the rotation center axis 13c by the operation of the rotation mechanism 88. However, since the rotation center axis 13c is located in a region where the fork portion 106 is disposed in the y direction, that is, Since the semiconductor substrate 1 is located in the region where the semiconductor substrate 1 is supported, for example, the rotation center axis 13c is compared with the case where the rotation center axis 13c is located in the gripping region 13d formed by the gripping plate 112 and the sandwiching plate 105. The distance from the outer edge of the semiconductor substrate 1 is shortened. That is, the radius of rotation when the semiconductor substrate 1 rotates is reduced, and as a result, the centrifugal force acting on the semiconductor substrate 1 is reduced.

Similarly, when the gripping portion 13a is rotated around the rotation center axis 13c, the rotation center axis 13c is disposed at the approximate center of the gripping region 13d in the x direction, and therefore the outer edge of the semiconductor substrate 1 from the rotation center axis 13c. The distance to the portion is shortened, and the radius of rotation when the semiconductor substrate 1 is rotationally moved is reduced. As a result, the centrifugal force acting on the semiconductor substrate 1 is reduced.
That is, with the rotation of the gripping portion 13a and the semiconductor substrate 1, it is possible to avoid an increase in the size of the apparatus by reducing the separation distance of peripheral devices in order to avoid interference with the semiconductor substrate 1, and by centrifugal force. The semiconductor substrate 1 can be prevented from being displaced with respect to the grip portion 13a, and stable conveyance can be performed. In addition, since the gripping force (clamping force) with respect to the semiconductor substrate 1 can be reduced, the driving force of the elevating unit 111 can also be reduced, and further miniaturization can be achieved.

  The transport unit 13 that transports the semiconductor substrate 1 to a position facing the predetermined mounting unit 140 lowers the gripping unit 13 a by driving the lifting device 87, and as shown in FIG. The semiconductor substrate 1 is delivered to the surface. At this time, since the groove portion 141 is formed in the placement portion 140 at a position and size corresponding to the fork portion 106, the fork portion 106 enters the groove portion 141 when the semiconductor substrate 1 is delivered, Interference is avoided.

  The semiconductor substrate 1 delivered to the surface of the mounting part 140 is subjected to a predetermined process (for example, a cooling process) while being sucked and held on the surface of the mounting part 140 by the suction part 142, or a coating process. Or is transported to a stage where pre-processing is performed.

  The semiconductor substrate 1 transported by the transport unit 13 described above is subjected to pretreatment of the semiconductor substrate 1 (surface modification treatment in a heated state) in the pretreatment step S2, and after cooling in the cooling step S3, printing is performed. In step S4, various marks are printed on the semiconductor device 3. The semiconductor substrate 1 on which the various mark printing processing has been performed is subjected to post-processing in the post-processing step S 5, then stored in the storage container 18 in the storage step S 6, and unloaded via the storage container 18.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, since the length of the gripping region 13d is larger than the length of the fork portion 106 and larger than the long side of the semiconductor substrate 1, even when the semiconductor substrate 1 is warped. In addition to being able to hold the wafer in a state in which the warp has been corrected, it is possible to carry out a stable transfer process, and to hold the semiconductor substrate 1 at one edge, so that the apparatus can be downsized as compared with the case where both sides are held. it can.

  In the present embodiment, the rotation center axis 13c is located in the region where the fork portion 106 is arranged in the y direction, and is located in the approximate center of the gripping region 13d in the x direction. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the semiconductor substrate 1 from being displaced with respect to the gripping portion 13a due to centrifugal force and to carry out more stable conveyance.

  As described above, the preferred embodiments according to the present invention have been described with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the examples. Various shapes, combinations, and the like of the constituent members shown in the above-described examples are examples, and various modifications can be made based on design requirements and the like without departing from the gist of the present invention.

For example, in the above embodiment, the sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112 are configured to form the gripping region 13d that continuously extends in the x direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, as shown in FIG. As described above, a plurality of gripping portions 112c are separately provided at positions facing the sandwiching plate 105 in the gripping plate 112b with an interval in the x direction, and a gripping region is formed between the separated gripping portions 112c and the sandwiching plate 105. A configuration in which the semiconductor substrate 1 is provided intermittently in the x direction over a range equal to or longer than the length of the semiconductor substrate 1 may be employed.
In this configuration, even when foreign matter is attached to the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1 or when the warpage is locally large, it is possible to grip a region different from these locations. Even when an unexpected situation occurs, stable conveyance processing is possible.

In addition, the sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112 shown in the above embodiment may be configured to be formed of an elastic material instead of a rigid body. For example, at least one of the sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112 may be formed of an elastic material such as a rubber material.
By holding the semiconductor substrate 1 using the elastic material in this manner, it is possible to avoid an excessive clamping force from acting on the semiconductor substrate 1 due to elastic deformation of the elastic material, and to apply an impact to the semiconductor substrate 1. Can be absorbed.
Further, at least a part of the sandwiching plate 105 and the gripping plate 112 shown in the above embodiment may be lightened by providing a predetermined hole. For example, as shown in FIG. 11, it is good also as a structure which forms the holding | grip board 112 in the shape of the bent wire.
Further, in the case of a wire shape, the grip portion can be easily formed at a low cost. Needless to say, the holding plate 105 may be formed of an elastic material.
Furthermore, the grip 112c shown in FIG. 10 may be formed of an elastic material such as a rubber material.

Further, at least one of the sandwiching plate 105 and the holding plate 112 may be formed of a conductive material.
In this case, adverse effects of static electricity on the semiconductor substrate 1 can be eliminated, and damage to the semiconductor device 3 and the like due to static electricity can be avoided. At least one of the sandwiching plate 105 and the holding plate 112 may be made of metal, may be formed of a conductive film on the surface, or may be made of conductive rubber. Moreover, you may perform an electroconductive process with a predetermined material.

  In the above embodiment, the distance measuring unit 121 in the detection device 120 is configured to project the detection light L onto the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The structure using the distance part 121 may be sufficient.

In the above embodiment, the ultraviolet curable ink is used as the UV ink. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and various active light curable inks that can use visible light and infrared light as the curable light are used. be able to.
Similarly, various active light sources that emit active light such as visible light can be used as the light source, that is, an active light irradiation unit can be used.

  Here, in the present invention, the “actinic ray” is not particularly limited as long as it can impart energy capable of generating a starting species in the ink by the irradiation, and is broadly divided into α rays, γ rays, X-rays, ultraviolet rays, visible rays, electron beams and the like are included. Among these, from the viewpoints of curing sensitivity and device availability, ultraviolet rays and electron beams are preferable, and ultraviolet rays are particularly preferable. Therefore, as the actinic ray curable ink, it is preferable to use an ultraviolet curable ink that can be cured by irradiating ultraviolet rays as in the present embodiment.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Semiconductor substrate (base material), 3 ... Semiconductor device, 7 ... Printing apparatus, 9 ... Pre-processing part, 10 ... Application | coating part (printing part, discharge device), 13a ... Gripping part, 13c ... Center axis of rotation (axis line) 13d: gripping region, 14: control unit, 45 ... carriage (moving means), 48 ... curing unit (irradiation unit), 49 ... droplet ejection head (ejection head), 52 ... nozzle, 54 ... functional liquid (liquid) 57 ... droplet, 88 ... rotating mechanism (driving unit), 90 ... housing, 90a ... opening, 92 ... cover member, 93 ... holding device, 96 ... fixing member, 97 ... fastening member, 97b ... head portion (gripping) Part), 105 ... clamping plate (first gripping part), 106 ... fork part (supporting part), 112 ... gripping plate (second gripping part), 140 ... mounting part, 141 ... groove part

Claims (12)

A gripping part that is disposed in a gripping region along the first direction and grips the substrate;
A plurality of support portions extending in the second direction intersecting the first direction from the gripping region and supporting the base material;
Driving the grip portion and the support portion around an axis extending in a third direction intersecting the first direction and the second direction, and moving the grip portion and the support portion along a plane including the first direction and the second direction. And
The length of the said holding | grip area | region is longer than the length of the said support part, The conveying apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the conveying apparatus of Claim 1,
The conveyance device is characterized in that the gripping region is formed by a plurality of the gripping portions arranged at intervals in the first direction. In the conveying apparatus of Claim 1,
The conveying apparatus, wherein the gripping region is formed by the gripping portion extending for a length extending over the gripping region. In the conveyance apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 3,
The conveying apparatus, wherein the axis is disposed in a region where the support portion is disposed in the second direction. In the conveyance apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 4,
The transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the axis is disposed at a substantially center of the gripping region with respect to the first direction. In the conveyance apparatus as described in any one of Claim 1 to 5,
The gripping portion includes a first gripping portion fixed to the driving portion, and a second gripping portion that moves relative to the first gripping portion so as to be separated and accessible in the third direction. Conveying device to do. The transport apparatus according to claim 6, wherein
At least one of the first grip portion and the second grip portion is formed of a conductive material. In the conveyance apparatus of Claim 6 or 7,
At least one of the first grip part and the second grip part is formed of an elastic material. In the conveying apparatus of Claim 8,
At least one of the first gripping part and the second gripping part has a wire shape. A transport device according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
A printing apparatus comprising: a discharge unit that discharges liquid droplets that are cured with actinic rays to the substrate transported by the transport device. The printing apparatus according to claim 10.
A stage on which the base material transported by the transport device is placed;
The printing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the stage includes a groove portion and a suction portion that sucks and holds the base material at a position corresponding to the support portion. The printing apparatus according to claim 10 or 11,
The ejection unit applies the droplets to a semiconductor device provided on a surface of the base material.

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