JP2014009040A - Substrate supply method and substrate supply apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate supply method and an apparatus thereof capable of detecting whether an insulating substrate supplied to a processing stage is single or not without fail.SOLUTION: In a substrate supply apparatus, after an insulating substrate 4 supplied to a processing stage S2 is sucked on a surface plate 9 with predetermined suction force P1, each suction pad 2 is allowed to perform suction at suction force P2 smaller than the suction force P1 at timing when a pickup unit 1 is allowed to rise. Thus, in the case where two insulating substrates 4 are supplied to the processing stage S2 in a closely adhered state by mistake, the lower insulating substrate 4 is left on the surface plate 9 receiving suction force of size P1, but the upper insulating substrate 4 rises while being sucked on each suction pad 2 receiving suction force of size P2. So that if the insulating substrate 4 is sucked on each suction pad 2 after the rise of the pickup unit 1, it can be determined that the two insulating substrates 4 were supplied to the processing stage S2 in a closely adhered state.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate supply method and a substrate supply apparatus in which a plurality of stacked insulating substrates are supplied to a processing stage one by one.

  When manufacturing chip resistors, chip capacitors, etc., the insulating substrates such as alumina substrates stacked in the magazine are adsorbed by suction pads and lifted one by one, and after transporting the insulating substrates to the processing stage by this suction pad, 2. Description of the Related Art Substrate supply apparatuses that form resistors, electrodes, and the like on an insulating substrate supplied on a processing stage are widely used. In such a substrate supply apparatus, if two insulating substrates are attracted to the suction pad in a state where they are overlapped with each other, the subsequent process will be hindered. Various measures are taken.

  For example, in the substrate supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the suction pad slightly lifts the first insulating substrate at the uppermost stage, image detection is performed on the boundary line between the first and second insulating substrates. However, if a boundary line remains in the captured image, it is determined that there is an abnormality, and the lifting operation is stopped and re-executed so that the two insulating substrates are not conveyed to the processing stage in close contact. Further, in the substrate supply apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 2, when the suction pad lifts the uppermost insulating substrate, the first sheet is obtained by injecting compressed air from the injection nozzle to the side surface of the insulating substrate. The insulating substrate and the second insulating substrate are reliably prevented from coming into close contact with each other.

JP 2000-103545 A Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 61-122240

  By the way, in recent years, a thin alumina substrate having a thickness of about 0.2 to 0.05 mm is sometimes used as an insulating substrate, and in such an insulating substrate having a thin plate thickness and good surface smoothness, Patent Document 1 Even if the measures disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H11-133, etc. are taken, the accuracy of abnormality determination based on image detection is reduced, or the separation operation due to the injection of compressed air becomes incomplete, so that two insulating substrates are in close contact with each other There is a risk of being conveyed to the processing stage as it is. In that case, since it is not possible to determine whether or not the supplied insulating substrate is one on the processing stage, a printing process, a scribing process, or the like is performed on the two-layered insulating substrate, and the printing mask is damaged or not. This leads to problems such as generation of non-defective products.

  The present invention has been made in view of such a state of the art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate supply method capable of reliably detecting whether or not a single insulating substrate is supplied to a processing stage. And providing an apparatus thereof.

  In order to achieve the above-described object, the present invention adsorbs the first substrate of a plurality of stacked insulating substrates with a suction pad to separate it from the second substrate, and sucks the insulating substrate onto the suction pad. In the substrate supply method in which the insulating substrate is removed from the suction pad and sucked onto the processing stage after being transported to the processing stage as it is, the insulating substrate is placed on the processing stage with a predetermined suction force P1. After the suction, when the suction pad is raised in a direction away from the processing stage, a suction force P2 (P1> P2) smaller than the suction force P1 is applied from the suction pad to the insulating substrate. did.

  When the suction pad is suctioned with a suction force P2 smaller than the suction force P1 for sucking the insulating substrate at the timing of raising the suction pad after the suction of the insulating substrate onto the processing stage in this way, If two insulating substrates are accidentally supplied, the lower insulating substrate receives the adsorption force P1 and remains on the processing stage, but the upper insulating substrate receives the adsorption force P2 and is adsorbed to the adsorption pad. Rise. Therefore, if the insulating substrate is adsorbed after the suction pad is lifted, it can be determined that two insulating substrates are supplied in close contact with the processing stage. In this case, the process on the processing stage is stopped and the suction pad is stopped. The process may be performed again after removing the insulating substrate adsorbed on the substrate.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a suction pad capable of sucking an insulating substrate, a transport means capable of transporting the suction pad, a suction means provided on a processing stage, and the suction pad. A suction control unit capable of controlling a suction operation, the uppermost one of a plurality of stacked insulating substrates is sucked by the suction pad, and the transfer unit is held with the insulating substrate being sucked by the suction pad. In the substrate supply apparatus in which the insulating substrate is sucked onto the processing stage by the suction unit after being transported to the processing stage by the suction unit, the suction unit holds the insulating substrate on the processing stage with a predetermined suction force P1. When the conveying means raises the suction pad in a direction away from the processing stage, the suction control means operates the suction pad. Te, small suction force than the suction force P1 to the insulating substrate from the adsorption pad P2 (P1> P2) is to be applied.

  The substrate supply apparatus configured as described above includes suction control means capable of controlling the suction operation of the suction pad, and the processing stage is insulated at the timing when the suction pad is raised after the suction of the insulating substrate onto the processing stage. Since the suction pad is suctioned with a suction force P2 smaller than the suction force P1 for sucking the substrate, when two insulating substrates are accidentally supplied onto the processing stage, the lower insulating substrate is the suction means. However, the upper insulating substrate is attracted to the suction pad and raised by receiving the suction force P2. Therefore, if the insulating substrate is adsorbed after the suction pad is lifted, it can be determined that two insulating substrates are supplied in close contact with the processing stage. In this case, the process on the processing stage is stopped and the suction pad is stopped. The process may be performed again after removing the insulating substrate adsorbed on the substrate.

  In the substrate supply method of the present invention, at the timing when the suction pad is raised after the insulating substrate is sucked onto the processing stage, the suction pad is suctioned with a suction force P2 smaller than the suction force P1 at which the processing stage sucks the insulating substrate. As a result, when two insulating substrates are accidentally supplied on the processing stage, the lower insulating substrate receives the adsorption force P1 and remains on the processing stage, but the upper insulating substrate has the adsorption force P2. In response, it is adsorbed by the suction pad and rises. Therefore, if the insulating substrate is adsorbed after the suction pad is lifted, it can be determined that two insulating substrates are in close contact with the processing stage, and even a thin insulating substrate is supplied to the processing stage. Whether or not there is one insulating substrate can be reliably detected.

  Further, the substrate supply apparatus of the present invention includes a suction control unit capable of controlling the suction operation of the suction pad, and the processing stage is the insulating substrate at a timing when the suction pad is lifted after the suction of the insulating substrate onto the processing stage. Since the suction pad is sucked by the suction force P2 smaller than the suction force P1 for sucking the two, if the two insulating substrates are mistakenly supplied on the processing stage, the lower insulating substrate is the suction means. The upper insulating substrate receives the suction force P2 and is lifted by being sucked by the suction pad. Therefore, if the insulating substrate is adsorbed after the suction pad is lifted, it can be determined that two insulating substrates are in close contact with the processing stage, and even a thin insulating substrate is supplied to the processing stage. Whether or not there is one insulating substrate can be reliably detected.

It is a lineblock diagram of a substrate supply device concerning an example of an embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the board | substrate supply operation | movement in the process stage of this board | substrate supply apparatus. It is explanatory drawing which shows the board | substrate separation operation | movement in the process stage of this board | substrate supply apparatus.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate supply apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention includes a pickup unit 1 that can transport between a substrate supply stage S1 and a processing stage S2. A plurality of suction pads 2 are provided. A vacuum pump 3 is connected to each suction pad 2. By sucking each suction pad 2 by turning on the vacuum pump 3, the insulating substrate 4 is sucked to the suction pad 2 with a predetermined suction force P 2. It has become so. An adsorption control means 5 is connected to the vacuum pump 3, and the adsorption operation of the vacuum pump 3 is on / off controlled by the adsorption control means 5. Although the magnitude of the suction force P2 of the suction pad 2 with respect to the insulating substrate 4 can be changed in several stages by the suction control means 5, in the case of this embodiment, the suction force of the suction pad 2 with respect to the insulating substrate 4 P2 is assumed to be constant.

  The substrate supply stage S1 is provided with a magazine 6 having an open upper surface, and a plurality of insulating substrates 4 are stacked and stored in the magazine 6. The insulating substrate 4 is an alumina substrate used as a large substrate such as a chip resistor or a chip capacitor. In this embodiment, a thin alumina substrate having a vertical and horizontal dimension of 50 × 60 mm and a thickness of about 0.15 mm is used. ing. Elevating means (not shown) made of an air cylinder or the like is disposed at the lower part of the magazine 6 so that the uppermost position of the insulating substrate 4 in the magazine 6 is always constant. A photoelectric sensor 7 is disposed on the upper side of the magazine 6 so that double adsorption to the suction pad 2 can be detected by the photoelectric sensor 7. An injection nozzle 8 is disposed on the upper side of the magazine 6 so that compressed air can be injected from the injection nozzle 8 onto the side surface of the uppermost insulating substrate 4.

  A surface plate 9 is installed on the processing stage S2, and a vacuum pump 10 serving as a suction means is connected to the lower surface side of the surface plate 9. The vacuum pump 10 communicates with a plurality of suction holes 9a formed in the surface plate 9. As described later, the vacuum pump 10 is turned on to suck each suction hole 9a, thereby processing stage S2. The insulating substrate 4 supplied to is attached to the surface plate 9 with a predetermined suction force P1. However, when this suction force P1 is compared with the above-described suction force P2 of the suction pad 2, the relationship is set such that the suction force P1 is larger than the suction force P2 (P1> P2).

  In the substrate supply apparatus configured as described above, when the pickup unit 1 is lowered at the substrate supply stage S1 and approaches the magazine 6, the suction control means 5 turns on the vacuum pump 3 to store in the magazine 6. The uppermost insulating substrate 4 is attracted to each suction pad 2 with a predetermined suction force P2. When the pickup unit 1 is raised in this state, the uppermost first insulating substrate 4 is lifted while being adsorbed by each suction pad 2, and the pickup unit 1 is directly moved from the substrate supply stage S1 to the processing stage S2. It is conveyed to. In the processing stage S2, when the pickup unit 1 is lowered and brought close to the surface plate 9, the suction control means 5 is operated by a vacuum pump immediately before the insulating substrate 4 adsorbed by each suction pad 2 is placed on the surface plate 9. 3 is stopped, and the vacuum pump 10 provided on the surface plate 9 is turned on. As a result, the insulating substrate 4 is separated from the respective suction pads 2 and is sucked onto the surface plate 9 with a predetermined suction force P1, so that processing such as printing and scribing can be performed on the insulating substrate 4. In this way, after the insulating substrate 4 is adsorbed on the surface plate 9, the pickup unit 1 is raised and returned from the processing stage S2 to the substrate supply stage S1, and the same operation as described above is repeated again.

  Here, when each suction pad 2 of the pickup unit 1 lifts the insulating substrates 4 in the magazine 6 one by one, compressed air is sprayed from the spray nozzle 8 onto the side surface of the first insulating substrate 4 that has been lifted. The first and second insulating substrates 4 are prevented from coming into close contact with each other so that they can be easily separated. Further, the boundary line between the first and second insulating substrates 4 is image-detected by the photoelectric sensor 7, and when the boundary line remains in the captured image, it is determined that there is an abnormality and the lifting operation by the pickup unit 1 is performed. Therefore, the possibility of being transported to the processing stage S2 while the two insulating substrates 4 are in close contact with each other is low. However, in the case of the present embodiment, a thin alumina substrate having a thickness of about 0.15 mm is used as the insulating substrate 4, so that even if such separation means and image detection means are provided, the pickup unit 1 is not insulated substrate. There is a possibility that the two sheets 4 may be conveyed to the processing stage S2 while being in close contact with each other.

  Therefore, in the substrate supply apparatus according to this embodiment, after the insulating substrate 4 supplied to the processing stage S2 is adsorbed on the surface plate 9, the adsorption control means 5 moves the vacuum pump 3 at a timing when the pickup unit 1 is raised. Is turned on, the suction force P1, P2 of different magnitude is applied to the insulating substrate 4 from both the surface plate 9 and each suction pad 2. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, when two insulating substrates 4 are erroneously supplied onto the surface plate 9 of the processing stage S2, these insulating substrates 4 receive an adsorption force having a magnitude of P1, and the surface plate 9 Adsorbed on top. When the vacuum pump 3 is turned on at the timing when the pickup unit 1 is lifted after the suction, when each suction pad 2 is sucked, as shown in FIG. 3, the lower insulating substrate 4 is sucked to a size of P1. However, the upper insulating substrate 4 is lifted while being adsorbed to each of the adsorbing pads 2 by receiving an adsorbing force having a magnitude of P2. Therefore, the presence or absence of the insulating substrate 4 is detected using an optical sensor, a suction sensor, etc. (not shown), and if the insulating substrate 4 is sucked to each suction pad 2 after the pickup unit 1 is lifted, it will be performed at the processing stage S2. The above process (printing or scribing process, etc.) may be stopped and the insulating substrate 4 adsorbed on each adsorption pad 2 may be removed and re-executed.

  As described above, in the substrate supply apparatus according to this embodiment, the insulating substrate 4 housed in the magazine 6 is attracted to each suction pad 2 of the pickup unit 1 from the substrate supply stage S1 to the processing stage S2. After the pickup unit 1 is lowered at this processing stage S2 and the insulating substrate 4 is sucked onto the surface plate 9, the suction pads 2 are turned on at the timing when the pickup unit 1 is lifted. Since each suction pad 2 is suctioned with a suction force P2 smaller than the suction force P1 that sucks the insulating substrate 4 by the surface plate 9, the insulating substrates 4 are normally supplied to the processing stage S2 one by one. The insulating substrate 4 is not attracted to each suction pad 2 of the pickup unit 1 rising from the surface plate 9, and the insulating substrate 4 attracted on the surface plate 9 is not attracted. Steps will be performed in processed stage S2 may be performed. On the other hand, when two insulating substrates 4 are accidentally supplied to the processing stage S2, the lower insulating substrate 4 receives an adsorption force of P1 and remains on the surface plate 9, but the upper substrate 4 Since the insulating substrate 4 is lifted while being attracted to each suction pad 2 by receiving the suction force of the magnitude of P2, if the insulating substrate 4 is attracted to each suction pad 2 after the pickup unit 1 is lifted, the processing stage It can be determined that two insulating substrates 4 are supplied in close contact with S2. Therefore, even if the insulating substrate 4 is a thin alumina substrate, it is possible to reliably detect the picking (supply), and it is not necessary to make troublesome adjustments for various insulating substrates 4 having different thicknesses and sizes. Become.

  In the above embodiment, a constant suction force P2 is always applied from each suction pad 2 of the pickup unit 1 to the insulating substrate 4. For example, the pickup unit 1 is processed from the substrate supply stage S1. The suction force P3 when moving toward the stage S2 (forward path) may be different from the suction force P2 when the pickup unit 1 moves (return path) from the processing stage S2 toward the substrate supply stage S1. In this case, if the above-described relationship of the adsorption force P1> the adsorption force P2 is maintained, the magnitude of the adsorption force P3 can be set to an appropriate value.

  Further, in the above embodiment example, when the pickup unit 1 is lowered at the processing stage S2 and brought close to the surface plate 9, immediately before the insulating substrate 4 adsorbed to each suction pad 2 is placed on the surface plate 9, The suction control means 5 stops the suction operation of the vacuum pump 3, but the suction operation of the vacuum pump 3 does not necessarily have to be stopped if the relationship of the suction force P1> the suction force P2 is maintained. It is also possible to place the insulating substrate 4 on the surface plate 9 with the suction pads 2 being sucked.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Pickup unit 2 Suction pad 3 Vacuum pump 4 Insulating substrate 5 Suction control means 6 Magazine 7 Photoelectric sensor 8 Injection nozzle 9 Surface plate 9a Suction hole 10 Vacuum pump S1 Substrate supply stage S2 Processing stage

Claims (2)

The uppermost one of the stacked insulating substrates is adsorbed by a suction pad and separated from the second one, and the insulating substrate is conveyed to the processing stage while adsorbing the insulating substrate to the adsorption pad, and then the insulating substrate In the substrate supply method in which is removed from the suction pad and sucked onto the processing stage,
After adsorbing the insulating substrate on the processing stage with a predetermined adsorbing force P1, when the adsorbing pad is raised in a direction away from the processing stage, the adsorbing force P1 is applied to the insulating substrate from the adsorbing pad. The substrate supply method is characterized in that a smaller adsorption force P2 (P1> P2) is applied. A plurality of sheets comprising a suction pad capable of sucking the insulating substrate, a transport means capable of transferring the suction pad, a suction means provided on the processing stage, and a suction control means capable of controlling the suction operation of the suction pad. The uppermost one of the stacked insulating substrates is adsorbed by the suction pad, and the insulating substrate is conveyed to the processing stage by the conveying means while adsorbing the insulating substrate to the adsorption pad, and then the insulating substrate is sucked. In the substrate supply apparatus adapted to be adsorbed on the processing stage by means,
After the suction means sucks the insulating substrate onto the processing stage with a predetermined suction force P1, the suction control means moves the suction pad upward in a direction away from the processing stage. A substrate supply apparatus, wherein a suction pad is operated so that a suction force P2 (P1> P2) smaller than the suction force P1 is applied to the insulating substrate from the suction pad.