JP2015076554A - Resin sealing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a resin sealing device capable of cleaning a mold at a proper timing.SOLUTION: A resin sealing device (200) includes: frame supply sections (101, 102) for supplying a frame for production or a dummy frame to a mold (100); resin supply sections (105, 106) for supplying a resin for production or a cleaning resin to the mold (100); and a device control section (150). When a condition for cleaning the mold (100) is satisfied from a detection result of a mechanical force required for removing a compact, which is obtained after the frame for production has been sealed with the resin for production, from the mold (100), the device control section (150) switches a frame supplied to the mold (100) from the frame for production to the dummy frame, and also switches a resin supplied to the mold (100) from the resin for production to the cleaning resin.

Description

  The present invention relates to a resin sealing device for sealing a lead frame on which a semiconductor chip is mounted with resin.

  In general, a semiconductor chip is mounted on a lead frame and sealed with resin. In a normal sealing process, a lead frame on which a semiconductor chip is mounted is placed in a mold, and molten resin is poured into a space (cavity) inside the mold.

  While the resin sealing of the production lead frame is repeated, in the resin sealing device, a part of the production resin as a sealing material adheres to the inner surface of the mold. As this deposit is gradually accumulated, high-quality resin sealing may be hindered. In order to remove deposits on the inner surface of the mold regularly or irregularly, it is necessary to clean the inner surface of the mold.

  For example, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-119736) proposes cleaning a mold using a cleaning resin and a dummy frame for mold cleaning. As the cleaning resin, a resin having a different color or reflectance from that of the production resin is used. A dummy frame is a frame on which no semiconductor chip is mounted.

  In the resin sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, the production resin and the cleaning resin are supplied into the mold by the same supply device (chute). At a specific location on the chute, the difference in resin color or reflectance is recognized by the camera, and the type of resin is determined. When the cleaning resin is supplied, a dummy frame is supplied to the mold. This makes it possible to automate the cleaning of the mold. Further, a dummy frame is used for cleaning the mold. Thereby, since the semiconductor chip is not wasted, the mold can be cleaned at a low cost.

JP 59-119736 A

  In the resin sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is required that the camera can clearly distinguish between the cleaning resin and the production resin. In order to facilitate discrimination with the camera, the color or reflectance must be clearly different between the production resin and the cleaning resin. Therefore, there are great restrictions on usable production resin and cleaning resin. In other words, in the resin sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to perform mold cleaning unless a visual difference is clear between the two types of resins.

  If the difference in color or reflectance between the cleaning resin and the production resin cannot be clearly discriminated by the camera, it is impossible to accurately grasp the charging timing of the cleaning resin. For this reason, the problem that the combination of a lead frame and resin shifts, for example occurs. Specifically, the production frame may be resin-sealed with a cleaning resin, or the dummy frame may be resin-sealed with a production resin. In the former case, the production frame after resin sealing is wasted. In the latter case, there arises a problem that defective products are mixed in the product.

  Furthermore, in the resin sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1, an operator puts production resin and cleaning resin into a chute in advance. Therefore, the cleaning interval of the mold is determined by the operator. However, the interval between the cleaning resins is not always optimal. For example, if the charging interval of the cleaning resin is too short, the mold is frequently cleaned, and productivity may be reduced. On the other hand, if the charging interval of the cleaning resin is too long, there is a high possibility that deposits will accumulate in the mold, and therefore there is a high possibility that the quality of the resin sealing will deteriorate.

  The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object thereof is to provide a resin sealing device capable of cleaning a mold at an appropriate timing.

  A resin sealing device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a frame supply unit that supplies a mold with a production frame on which a semiconductor chip is mounted or a dummy frame on which a semiconductor chip is not mounted, and a production frame with resin sealing A resin supply unit that supplies the mold with a production resin or cleaning resin for cleaning the mold, and a machine required to remove the molded product after the production frame is sealed with the production resin And a control unit for controlling the mold, the frame supply unit, and the resin supply unit. The control unit determines whether the condition for cleaning the mold is satisfied from the detection result of the mechanical force by the detection unit, and if the condition for cleaning is satisfied, The supplied frame is switched from the production frame to the dummy frame, and the resin supplied to the mold is switched from the production resin to the cleaning resin.

  ADVANTAGE OF THE INVENTION According to this invention, the resin sealing apparatus which can clean a metal mold | die at an appropriate timing is realizable.

It is a schematic diagram showing the whole apparatus mechanism part of the resin sealing apparatus 200 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structure regarding control of the resin sealing apparatus 200 which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed typically the structure of the metal mold | die 100 shown in FIG. It is a figure explaining the 1st process of resin sealing (production product) in metallic mold 100. It is a figure explaining the 2nd process of resin sealing (production product) in metallic mold 100. It is a figure explaining the 3rd process of resin sealing (production product) in metallic mold 100. It is a figure explaining the 4th process of resin sealing (production product) in metallic mold 100. It is a figure which shows the state which installed the dummy frame in the metal mold | die 100 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration for determining whether or not a mold needs to be cleaned according to the first embodiment. 5 is a flowchart for illustrating a mold cleaning process according to the first embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the process of step S4 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the process of step S5 shown in FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the detail of the process of step S6 shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration for determining whether or not a mold needs to be cleaned according to the second embodiment. 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a mold cleaning process according to the second embodiment. 12 is a flowchart for illustrating another example of a mold cleaning process according to the second embodiment.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following drawings, the same or corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will not be repeated.

  In this specification, the “molded product” refers to a lead frame after the resin sealing step, that is, a lead frame integrated with a resin. In particular, a molded product composed of a combination of a production resin and a production frame is referred to as a “production product” in this specification.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the entire device mechanism portion of a resin sealing device 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. With reference to FIG. 1, the outline | summary of a structure of the resin sealing apparatus 200 is demonstrated previously.

  The resin sealing device 200 includes a mold 100, a production frame supply unit 101, a dummy frame supply unit 102, a production resin supply unit 105, and a cleaning resin supply unit 106. In the example shown in FIG. 1, four molds 100 </ b> A to 100 </ b> D are arranged along the X direction as the mold 100. Below, when it is not necessary to distinguish in particular, metal mold | dies 100A-100D are named the "metal mold | die 100" generically.

  The production frame supply unit 101 stores a production frame supplied to the mold 100. The production resin supply unit 105 supplies a production resin for resin-sealing a semiconductor chip mounted on the production frame to the mold 100.

  The resin sealing device 200 constitutes a so-called multi-press in which components other than the mold 100 (for example, a material supply mechanism and a transport mechanism) are shared. The dummy frame supply unit 102 has a dedicated magazine for storing a dummy frame for cleaning (cleaning) the mold 100.

  A cleaning resin used for cleaning the mold 100 is disposed in the cleaning resin supply unit 106. The cleaning resin supply unit 106 is disposed at a different location from the production resin supply unit 105. That is, the cleaning resin is arranged at a position different from the production resin.

  The resin sealing device 200 further includes a device control unit 150 for controlling the device mechanism unit. The apparatus control unit 150 controls the production frame supply unit 101 and the production resin supply unit 105 to seal the semiconductor chip mounted on the production frame with the production resin.

  A mechanical force required to remove the product from the mold 100 is detected by a sensor (not shown). The apparatus control unit 150 determines whether the mold 100 needs to be cleaned based on the detected magnitude of the force. When the apparatus control unit 150 determines that the mold 100 needs to be cleaned, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the dummy frame supply unit 102 and the cleaning resin supply unit 106 to switch the production frame to the dummy frame. The production resin is switched to the cleaning resin. A cleaning resin and a dummy frame are supplied to the mold 100, and resin sealing is performed.

  Next, each component of the resin sealing device 200 will be described in detail. In addition to the above components, the resin sealing device 200 includes a production frame preheating unit 103, a dummy frame preheating unit 104, a release resin supply unit 107, a loader unit 108, an unloader unit 109, and a gate break unit. 110, a cull discard unit 111, a product storage unit 112, a loader X-axis guide rail 113, and an unloader X-axis guide rail 114.

  The production frame supply unit 101 has magazines 101A to 101D corresponding to the molds 100A to 100D, respectively. The production frame is pulled out from the magazines 101A to 101D by a conveyance hand (not shown) and arranged in the production frame preheating unit 103. The production frame preheating unit 103 heats the production frame. The temperature of the production frame rises to a specific temperature and thereafter is maintained at that temperature.

  The dummy frame supply unit 102 includes dummy frame magazines 102A to 102B. The dummy frames are pulled out from the dummy frame magazines 102 </ b> A to 102 </ b> B by a conveyance hand (not shown) and arranged in the dummy frame preheating unit 104. The dummy frame preheating unit 104 heats the dummy frame. The temperature of the dummy frame rises to a specific temperature and thereafter is maintained at that temperature.

  The production resin, the cleaning resin, and the release resin are disposed in the production resin supply unit 105, the cleaning resin supply unit 106, and the release resin supply unit 107, respectively. A tablet-like resin (hereinafter collectively referred to as tablet resin) is supplied from each resin supply unit. The production resin supply unit 105, the cleaning resin supply unit 106, and the release resin supply unit 107 are installed at different positions. Therefore, the production resin, the cleaning resin, and the release resin are arranged at different positions. Inside the device control unit 150, the type of resin and the arrangement location of each resin are associated with each other. Therefore, the apparatus control unit 150 can appropriately select different types of resins according to the contents of the work.

  The release resin is used after using the cleaning resin. A dummy frame is used for resin sealing with a release resin. First, the production resin adhering to the mold 100 is peeled off by the cleaning resin to clean the inner surface of the mold 100. Next, a release resin is supplied to the mold 100, and the dummy frame is resin-sealed. Thereby, the wax effect which makes it difficult to reattach the production resin to the surface of the mold 100 can be produced.

  The tablet resin accommodated in each of the resin supply units 105 to 107 and the frame accommodated in each of the frame supply units 101 and 102 are conveyed by the loader unit 108 on the loader X-axis guide rail 113. The loader X-axis guide rail 113 is laid over the entire X direction on the base. Therefore, the loader unit 108 can supply the tablet resin and the frame to each of the molds 100A to 100D.

  In the mold 100, the frame is sealed with resin. In the present embodiment, the mold 100 is maintained at a constant temperature regardless of the type of resin. However, when the curing temperature differs according to the type of resin, the temperature of the mold 100 may be adjusted according to the type of resin.

  Similar to the loader X-axis guide rail 113, the unloader X-axis guide rail 114 is laid over the entire X direction on the base. The unloader unit 109 is movable along the X direction on the unloader X-axis guide rail 114.

  The unloader unit 109 takes out the molded product from the mold 100 and moves it onto the gate break unit 110. The molded product is cooled by being placed in the gate break portion 110 for a predetermined time. In the case of a product, an unnecessary portion called a cull portion is separated (gate-breaked) from the cooled molded product.

  After the cull part is separated from the molded product (product), the product is stored in magazines 112A to 112D of the product storage unit 112 by a storage loader (not shown). On the other hand, the molded product (dummy) to which the dummy frame is applied is discarded by the cull discarding unit 111. The apparatus control unit 150 controls the production frame supply unit 101 and the dummy frame supply unit 102 to determine whether the frame supplied to each of the molds 100A to 100D is a production frame or a dummy frame. be able to. Based on the determination result, the device control unit 150 executes the above processing.

  FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration relating to control of the resin sealing device 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 2, apparatus control unit 150 controls production frame supply unit 101, dummy frame supply unit 102, production resin supply unit 105, cleaning resin supply unit 106, release resin supply unit 107, and loader unit 108. Then, the resin and the frame are supplied to the mold 100. Furthermore, the device control unit 150 controls the mold 100 to perform resin sealing. Further, the device control unit 150 controls the unloader unit 109 and the storage loader 115 to take out the molded product from the mold 100. When the molded product is a product, the cull part is separated from the molded product, and the molded product from which the cull part is separated is stored in the product storage unit 112. On the other hand, when the molded product is a dummy (in the case of a combination of a dummy frame and a cleaning resin or a release resin), the molded product is discarded by the cull discard unit 111.

  The apparatus control unit 150 stores the housing positions of the production frame and the dummy frame. Therefore, the apparatus control unit 150 can distinguish between the production frame and the dummy frame. Similarly, since the housing position of the production resin, the cleaning resin, and the release resin is stored in the apparatus control unit 150, different types of resins can be distinguished. Therefore, the apparatus control unit 150 can accurately control the selection of the molds 100A to 100D, the resin sealing conditions in the molds 100A to 100D, and the storage position of the molded product.

  The sensor 120 detects a mechanical force required to take out the molded product from the mold 100. The detection result (detection value) of the sensor 120 is sent to the device control unit 150. The apparatus control unit 150 determines whether or not the mold 100 needs to be cleaned based on the detection value from the sensor 120. When it is determined that the mold 100 needs to be cleaned, the apparatus control unit 150 performs a cleaning operation. If it is determined that cleaning of the mold 100 is unnecessary, the apparatus control unit 150 continues production of the product.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the mold 100 shown in FIG. Referring to FIG. 3, the mold 100 includes a known configuration for transfer molding. Specifically, the mold 100 includes an upper mold 1 and a lower mold 2. In this embodiment, the upper mold 1 is fixed, while the lower mold 2 is movable. However, the upper die 1 may be movable and the lower die 2 may be fixed.

  A semiconductor chip 12 is mounted on the production frame 11. The production frame 11 is placed on the lower mold 2. Due to the upward movement of the lower mold 2, the production frame 11 is sandwiched between the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2. Thereby, the sealed space for resin-sealing the product to be molded is formed. This sealed space is referred to as a cavity 130. In the mold 100, a cull 135, a runner 136, and a pot 137 are formed in addition to the cavity 130.

  The type of lead frame (in other words, the type of semiconductor package) applicable to the resin sealing device 200 according to this embodiment is not particularly limited. Therefore, FIG. 3 schematically shows the shape of the cavity 130.

  The mold 100 is provided with a plunger 132 and movable pins 133 and 134. The movable pins 133 and 134 are respectively ejected from the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 and moved back to the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2 by moving the ejector plates 5 and 6 by a driving mechanism (not shown). Is possible.

  The movable pins 133 and 134 function as ejector pins for taking out the molded product from the mold 100. Further, the movable pin 133 or the movable pin 134 can also function as a pin for pressing the production frame 11 when molten resin is introduced into the cavity 130. In the following description, the movable pin 133 functions as a pin that holds the production frame 11.

  Then, the outline | summary of resin sealing is demonstrated. As shown in FIG. 4, the resin 131 (tablet resin) preheated by the preheating process is set on the plunger 132. Since the production frame 11 is supplied to the mold 100, the production resin is selected as the resin 131. The movable pin 133 protrudes from the upper mold 1 and presses the production frame 11 against the lower mold 2.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 5, the molten resin 131 is pushed out by the plunger 132. The resin 131 is introduced into the cavity 130 through a resin flow path including the cull 135 and the runner 136.

  Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6, the movable pin 133 is pulled back before the resin 131 is cured. The resin 131 introduced into the cavity 130 is cured by heat and curing. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 7, the mold opening is performed by moving the lower mold 2 downward. “Mold opening” is an operation of opening a mold after completion of molding. The movable pins 133 and 134 protrude from the upper mold 1 and the lower mold 2, respectively. As a result, the molded product (production product) is taken out from the mold 100.

  In addition, the resin sealing process using a dummy frame is the same as the process shown in FIGS. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the semiconductor chip 12 is not mounted on the dummy frame 21. The resin applied to the dummy frame 21 is a cleaning resin or a release resin.

  For example, it is conceivable to perform cleaning when the number of times of resin sealing with the production frame and the production resin reaches a preset number. In this case, the cleaning interval is fixed to some extent. However, when the cleaning interval is fixed, it is difficult to always optimize both the production efficiency and the cleaning effect.

  The smaller the number of times set in advance (that is, the more frequently cleaning is performed), the lower the possibility that deposits of production resin will accumulate on the inner surface of the mold 100. However, a product cannot be produced while cleaning is being performed. Therefore, if cleaning is performed frequently, the production efficiency decreases. In addition, there is a possibility that the mold is being cleaned more than necessary. On the other hand, if the cleaning interval is long, the quality of the resin sealing may be deteriorated due to accumulation of production resin deposits on the inner surface of the mold 100.

  When a part of the production resin accumulates on the inner surface of the mold 100 as a deposit, the mechanical force required to take out the molded product from the mold 100 changes. In this embodiment, the mechanical force is directly detected by the sensor 120 (see FIG. 2). The apparatus control unit 150 can detect a change in mechanical force required to take out the molded product from the mold 100 based on the detection value from the sensor 120. Therefore, the mold 100 can be cleaned at a more appropriate timing. A reduction in production efficiency can be prevented by appropriate intervals between cleaning operations. Furthermore, the quality of resin sealing can be maintained.

  Hereinafter, each embodiment will be described in detail. Hereinafter, the mold 100A will be described as a representative among the molds 100A to 100D. In each of the molds 100B to 100D, a process similar to the process shown below can be executed independently of the process in the mold 100A.

<Embodiment 1>
In the first embodiment, the sensor 120 detects a mold opening load of the mold 100A in the case of molding a product as a mechanical force required for taking out the molded product from the mold 100. When the load detected by the sensor 120 is equal to or greater than a preset load, the apparatus control unit 150 determines that the condition for cleaning the mold 100A is satisfied. In this case, the apparatus control unit 150 switches the production frame to the dummy frame and switches the production resin to the cleaning resin to perform resin sealing.

  The load when the mold 100A opens is closely related to the ease of releasing the molded product from the mold 100A (mold release property). By using the load when the mold 100A is opened to determine whether or not the mold 100A needs to be cleaned, the mold 100A can be removed from the surface due to accumulation of deposits on the surface of the mold 100A. It can be noticed noticeably.

  Therefore, according to this embodiment, the mold can be cleaned at an appropriate timing. By performing mold cleaning at an appropriate timing, it is possible to maintain a high quality resin seal of the product.

  FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration for determining whether or not the mold needs to be cleaned according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 9, sensor 120 is attached to the movable part of lower mold 2 and measures a load when lower mold 2 moves in order to remove product 10 from mold 100 </ b> A.

  The sensor 120 includes a strain gauge 121 and a Wheatstone bridge circuit 122. When a force is applied to the strain gauge 121, the resistance value of the strain gauge 121 changes. The Wheatstone bridge circuit 122 converts a change in resistance value of the strain gauge 121 into a change in voltage.

  The device control unit 150 receives the output voltage from the sensor 120 as a signal indicating a value indicating a load. The device control unit 150 receives the output from the sensor 120 and acquires the measured value of the load. In order to acquire the measured value of the load, the device control unit 150 may include an AD conversion circuit for converting an analog signal from the sensor 120 into a digital signal.

  The device control unit 150 determines whether or not the load measured by the sensor 120 is equal to or greater than a preset load G01. When the load measured by the sensor 120 is equal to or greater than the load G01, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the dummy frame supply unit 102 and the cleaning resin supply unit 106 to place the dummy frame and the cleaning resin on the mold 100A. Supply. Furthermore, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100A and performs resin sealing under a sealing condition for cleaning. Thereby, the cleaning process of the mold 100A is executed.

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart for illustrating a mold cleaning process according to the first embodiment. Referring to FIG. 10, first, when the resin sealing device 200 is activated, in step S <b> 1, the device control unit 150 confirms (reads) a setting for using the automatic cleaning function of the mold 100. In the following description, it is assumed that the setting that the apparatus control unit 150 uses the automatic cleaning function is read when the resin sealing apparatus 200 is activated. Note that the operator can also select a setting that does not use the automatic cleaning function.

  In step S1, it is determined that the automatic cleaning function is to be used. Next, in step S2, a product is produced using the production frame and the production resin.

  Step S2 includes steps S21 to S25. Step S21 and step S22 can be performed simultaneously. In step S <b> 21, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the transport hand and pulls out the production frame stored in the magazine of the production frame supply unit 101. The production frame drawn from the production frame supply unit 101 is mounted on the mold 100A by the loader unit 108 via the production frame preheating unit 103. In step S22, the apparatus control unit 150 causes the loader unit 108 to move the production resin from the production resin supply unit 105 and mount it on the mold 100A.

  In step S <b> 23, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100 to move the lower mold 2. Next, as described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 7, the production frame 11 is resin-sealed with production resin.

  In step S24, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100 to open the mold. At the same time, the sensor 120 measures the load applied to the lower mold 2 when the mold is opened.

  In step S <b> 25, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the unloader unit 109 to take out a resin-sealed molded product (that is, a product) from the mold 100 and move the product to the gate break unit 110. The molded product is gate-breaked at the gate break portion 110.

  In step S <b> 26, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the storage loader 115 (see FIG. 2) to store the product in the magazines 112 </ b> A to 112 </ b> D of the product storage unit 112.

  In step S3, the apparatus control unit 150 determines whether the load measured (detected) by the sensor 120 is equal to or greater than a preset load G01. If the measured load is less than load G01 (NO in step S3), the process returns to step S2. That is, the resin sealing of the product is repeated.

  When the measured load is equal to or greater than load G01 (NO in step S3), the processes in steps S4 to S6 are executed. First, in step S4, the mold 100A is cleaned using a dummy frame and a cleaning resin. Next, in step S5, a release operation is performed using the dummy frame and the release resin. Subsequently, in step S6, resin sealing (dummy shot) is performed using the dummy frame and the production resin. Details of the processing of steps S4 to S6 will be described later.

  In step S <b> 7, the apparatus control unit 150 requests the operator to confirm whether automatic production is to be resumed. If the operator selects automatic production (YES in step S7), apparatus control unit 150 resumes the process in step S2. That is, the apparatus control unit 150 uses the production frame and the production resin to control the mold 100A under the sealing conditions suitable for production of the product to resume production. On the other hand, if the operator does not select automatic production (NO in step S7), apparatus control unit 150 does not resume production of the product in mold 100A. In this case, a series of processing ends.

  FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the process of step S4 shown in FIG. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, the specific content of the process in step S4 is basically the same as the process in step S2. However, the apparatus control unit 150 counts the number of cleaning operations, and ends the cleaning operation when the number of cleaning operations reaches a predetermined number of times SH1 set in advance.

  Specifically, in step S41, device controller 150 sets the count value to zero. Next, in step S <b> 42, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the transport hand and pulls out the dummy frame from the dummy frame supply unit 102. The dummy frame pulled out from the dummy frame supply unit 102 is mounted on the mold 100A by the loader unit 108 via the dummy frame preheating unit 104. In step S43, the apparatus control unit 150 causes the loader unit 108 to move the cleaning resin from the cleaning resin supply unit 106 and mount it on the mold 100A.

  In step S44, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100, moves the lower mold 2, and performs resin sealing. As a result, the dummy frame is sealed with the cleaning resin.

  In step S45, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100 to open the mold. In step S <b> 46, the device control unit 150 controls the unloader unit 109 to take out the resin-sealed molded product from the mold 100 and move the molded product to the gate break unit 110. In step S <b> 47, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the storage loader 115 (see FIG. 2) to discard the molded product in the cull discard unit 111.

  In step S48, the apparatus control unit 150 adds 1 to the current count value to generate a new count value. This count value represents the number of cleaning operations (the number of cleaning shots).

  In step S49, the apparatus control unit 150 determines whether the count value has reached a predetermined number of times SH1. The predetermined number of times SH1 is not particularly limited as long as it is an integer of 1 or more, and can be set to an arbitrary value. If the count value is less than the predetermined number of times SH1 (NO in step S49), the processes of steps S42 to S48 are executed. Therefore, the cleaning operation is repeated. On the other hand, when the count value reaches a predetermined number of times SH1 (YES in step S49), the cleaning operation is finished.

  FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the process of step S5 shown in FIG. The process shown in FIG. 12 is basically the same as the process shown in FIG. 11, and the processes in steps S51 to S59 correspond to the processes in steps S41 to S49. However, in step S53, the apparatus control unit 150 causes the loader unit 108 to move the release resin from the release resin supply unit 107 and mount it on the mold 100A. Accordingly, in step S54, the dummy frame is resin-sealed with the release resin. Thereafter, the molded product is taken out from the mold 100A and discarded in the cull discarding unit 111 (steps S55 to S57).

  In step S58, the device control unit 150 adds 1 to the current count value to generate a new count value. This count value represents the number of release operations (number of release shots).

  In step S59, apparatus control unit 150 determines whether the count value has reached a predetermined number of times SH2. The predetermined number of times SH2 is not particularly limited as long as it is an integer of 1 or more, and can be set to an arbitrary value. If the count value is less than the predetermined number of times SH2 (NO in step S59), the processes in steps S52 to S58 are executed. Therefore, the mold release operation is repeated. On the other hand, when the count value reaches a predetermined number of times SH2 (YES in step S59), the mold release operation is completed.

  FIG. 13 is a flowchart for explaining the details of the process of step S6 shown in FIG. The processing shown in FIG. 13 is basically the same as the processing shown in FIG. 11 and FIG. 12, and the processing in steps S61 to S69 corresponds to the processing in steps S41 to S49. However, in step S63, the apparatus control unit 150 causes the loader unit 108 to move the production resin from the production resin supply unit 105 and mount it on the mold 100A. Therefore, in step S64, the dummy frame is resin-sealed with production resin. Thereafter, the molded product is taken out from the mold 100A and discarded in the cull discarding unit 111 (steps S65 to S67).

  In step S68, the apparatus control unit 150 adds 1 to the current count value to generate a new count value. This count value represents the number of dummy shots.

  In step S69, apparatus control unit 150 determines whether the count value has reached a predetermined number of times SH3. The predetermined number of times SH3 is not particularly limited as long as it is an integer of 1 or more, and can be set to an arbitrary value. If the count value is less than the predetermined number of times SH3 (NO in step S69), the processes in steps S62 to S68 are executed. Therefore, the dummy shot is repeated. On the other hand, when the count value reaches a predetermined number of times SH3 (YES in step S69), the dummy shot ends.

  The operation of the resin sealing device can be stopped at any step according to the operator's judgment.

  As described above, according to the first embodiment, the device control unit 150 determines whether or not the mold 100 needs to be cleaned based on the mold opening load of the mold 100A in the case of molding a product. Thereby, the quality of resin sealing can be maintained, preventing the fall of production efficiency. In addition, since the mold 100 can be automatically cleaned, it is not necessary to stop the operation of the mold 100 for manual cleaning. Therefore, also from this point, it is possible to minimize the decrease in productivity due to the cleaning of the mold.

  Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the apparatus control unit 150 is suitable for the processing of each step of steps S4, S5, and S6 based on the difference in location of the production resin, the cleaning resin, and the release resin. Resin and frame can be selected. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a resin sealing device that can automatically and reliably clean the mold 100 without providing visual restrictions on the resin. Furthermore, useless use of the production frame can be prevented. Or it can prevent that the expense concerning metal mold | die cleaning becomes expensive.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, since the release resin is applied after the mold cleaning with the cleaning resin is completed, it is possible to prevent the production resin from adhering to the mold 100 for a long period of time.

  Further, according to the first embodiment, the molded product to which the dummy frame is applied is discarded by the cull discard unit 111. For this reason, the molded product at the time of cleaning work, mold release work, and dummy shot can be reliably discarded. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the dummy from being mixed into the product.

<Embodiment 2>
In the second embodiment, the sensor 120 detects the torque of the motor required to move the movable pin 133 or the movable pin 134 of the mold 100 as the mechanical force required to take out the molded product from the mold 100. . The movable pins 133 and 134 of the mold 100 are pins that project / retract into the cavity 130 of the mold 100 during resin sealing (see FIG. 3).

  The device control unit 150 calculates the sliding resistance from the torque detected by the sensor 120. When the calculated sliding resistance is equal to or greater than a preset value, the apparatus control unit 150 determines that a condition for cleaning the mold 100A is satisfied. In this case, the apparatus control unit 150 switches the production frame to the dummy frame and switches the production resin to the cleaning resin to perform resin sealing.

  When the ease of separation of the molded product from the mold 100A (releasability) decreases, the sliding resistance of the movable pins 133 and 134 increases. By using the sliding resistance of the movable pins 133 and 134 for determining whether or not the mold 100A needs to be cleaned, the releasability of the mold 100 due to accumulation of deposits on the surface of the mold 100A is remarkable. Can be detected. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, according to the second embodiment, the mold can be cleaned at an appropriate timing.

  FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram for explaining a configuration for determining whether or not a mold needs to be cleaned according to the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 14, movable pin 133 performs an operation of projecting from the surface of upper mold 1 and pulling back to the surface of upper mold 1 when ejector plate 5 is moved by servo motor 141. When the ejector plate 6 is moved by the servo motor 142, the movable pin 134 protrudes from the surface of the lower mold 2 and pulls back to the surface of the lower mold 2.

  As shown in FIG. 3 and the like, the movable pins 133 and 134 perform the protrusion / retraction operation in the cavity 130. However, in FIG. 14, the cavity 130 is not shown to schematically show the mold 100.

  Each of the sensors 120a and 120b is a torque sensor. The sensors 120a and 120b detect the torques of the servo motors 141 and 142, respectively. The torque values detected by the sensors 120 a and 120 b are sent to the device control unit 150.

  The device control unit 150 calculates the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 based on the torque value detected by the sensor 120a. Similarly, the device control unit 150 calculates the sliding resistance of the movable pin 134 based on the torque value detected by the sensor 120b. Since various known methods can be applied to the method for calculating the sliding resistance from the motor torque, detailed description will not be repeated here.

  The movable pin 133 protrudes from the upper mold 1 of the mold 100A and presses the production frame against the lower mold 2 when the production frame is resin-sealed with production resin. After the resin is injected into the cavity 130, the movable pin 133 is pulled back. While the resin sealing of the product is repeated, the production resin may gradually adhere to the clearance between the movable pin 133 and the upper mold 1 due to a weak wax effect or the like. Thereby, the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 can be gradually increased.

  In one embodiment, the device control unit 150 determines whether or not the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 at this time is equal to or higher than a preset sliding resistance F01. When the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 becomes equal to or higher than the sliding resistance F01, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the dummy frame supply unit 102 and the cleaning resin supply unit 106 to clean the mold 100A with the dummy frame. Supply resin. Furthermore, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100A and performs resin sealing under a sealing condition for cleaning. Thereby, the cleaning process of the mold 100A is executed.

  FIG. 15 is a flowchart for explaining an example of a mold cleaning process according to the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 15, the mold cleaning process according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the mold cleaning process according to the first embodiment (see FIG. 10). In the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, the processes of steps S23a and S3a are executed in place of the processes of steps S23 and S3 shown in FIG. Therefore, in the following, the processing of steps S23a and S3a will be described in detail.

  In step S23a, the apparatus control unit 150 controls the mold 100A and seals the production frame 11 with production resin. At this time, the device control unit 150 calculates the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133.

  The apparatus control unit 150 controls the servo motor 141 to project the movable pin 133 from the upper mold 1 before introducing the resin into the cavity 130 of the mold 100A. When the resin is introduced into the cavity 130, the device control unit 150 controls the servo motor 141 to pull back the movable pin 133 before the resin is cured.

  The sensor 120 a detects the torque of the servo motor 141 when the movable pin 133 protrudes from the upper mold 1. However, the sensor 120a may detect the torque of the servo motor 141 when the protruding movable pin 133 returns to the upper mold 1. The device control unit 150 calculates the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 from the torque value detected by the sensor 120a according to a predetermined formula.

  In step S3a, the apparatus control unit 150 determines whether or not the calculated sliding resistance is equal to or greater than a preset sliding resistance F01. When the calculated sliding resistance is less than sliding resistance F01 (NO in step S3a), the process returns to step S2. On the other hand, when the calculated sliding resistance is greater than or equal to sliding resistance F01 (YES in step S3a), the process proceeds to step S4, and a cleaning operation is performed.

  In another embodiment, the device control unit 150 can calculate the sliding resistance of the movable pin 134. The movable pin 134 functions as, for example, an ejector pin. Therefore, the movable pin 134 protrudes from the lower mold 2 when the product is removed from the mold 100A. For example, the production resin may not easily come off from the surface of the mold 100A (lower mold 2) while the resin sealing of the product is repeated. Alternatively, the production resin may gradually adhere to the clearance between the movable pin 134 and the lower mold 2. Therefore, the sliding resistance of the movable pin 134 can be increased.

  FIG. 16 is a flowchart for explaining another example of the mold cleaning process according to the second embodiment. Referring to FIG. 16, the processes in steps S24a and S3a are executed instead of the processes in steps S24 and S3 shown in FIG. Since the process of step S3a is the same as the process shown in FIG. 15, the following description will not be repeated.

  In step S24a, the apparatus control unit 150 performs mold opening by controlling the mold 100A. At this time, the device control unit 150 controls the servo motor 142 to project the movable pin 134 from the lower mold 2. The sensor 120 b (torque sensor) detects the torque of the servo motor 142 when the movable pin 134 protrudes from the lower mold 2. The device controller 150 calculates the sliding resistance of the movable pin 134 from the torque value detected by the sensor 120b according to a predetermined formula.

  In step S24a, the torque of the servo motor 141 when the movable pin 133 protrudes from the upper mold 1 may be detected by the sensor 120a. In this case, the device control unit 150 may calculate the sliding resistance of the movable pin 134 from the torque value detected by the sensor 120a.

According to the second embodiment, the same effect as that of the first embodiment can be obtained.
Although the present invention has been described with reference to the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to the present embodiment. That is, it goes without saying that improvements and design changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  For example, the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined to determine whether or not a cleaning operation is necessary. For example, when the mold opening load of the mold 100A is equal to or greater than the load G01 and the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 (or the movable pin 134) is equal to or greater than the sliding resistance F01, the apparatus control unit 150 performs the cleaning. It may be determined that work is necessary.

  Alternatively, when the mold opening load of the mold 100A is less than the load G01, but the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 (or the movable pin 134) is equal to or higher than the sliding resistance F01, the apparatus control unit 150 performs the cleaning operation. May be determined to be necessary. Conversely, when the sliding resistance of the movable pin 133 (or the movable pin 134) is less than the sliding resistance F01 but the mold opening load of the mold 100A is equal to or greater than the load G01, the apparatus control unit 150 performs the cleaning operation. May be determined to be necessary.

  In the resin sealing device, the cleaning resin tablet and the release resin tablet may be arranged at different heights in the same resin supply unit. By arranging the cleaning resin and the release resin at the same location, the apparatus size can be reduced. For example, the resin sealing device includes a mechanism for detecting the height of the resin tablet, so that the cleaning resin and the release resin can be distinguished. Therefore, the cleaning resin and the release resin can be distinguished and transported.

  Specifically, the cleaning resin and the release resin are supplied to the cleaning resin supply unit 106. The height of the tablet is clearly different between the cleaning resin and the release resin (as a guide, for example, 1 mm or more). The cleaning resin and the release resin are aligned by the parts feeder of the cleaning resin supply unit 106. The aligned cleaning resin and release resin are measured for tablet height by a light / reflection sensor (not shown). Based on the tablet height at this time, the apparatus control unit 150 determines whether the resin is a cleaning resin or a release resin. The tablet height that is the determination criterion is preset in the apparatus control unit 150. Note that the method for detecting the height of the resin tablet is not limited to the method using the light / reflection type sensor, and may be another height detection method such as contact-type height detection.

  For example, in the present embodiment, the number of molds is four, but it may be three or less or five or more.

  In the present embodiment, the cleaning resin and the release resin are prepared separately, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a release resin may not be used, and a cleaning resin having the wax effect of the release resin may be used.

  In the present embodiment, the production frame supply unit 101 and the dummy frame supply unit 102 realize the “frame supply unit” in the present invention. Similarly, the production resin supply unit 105 and the cleaning resin supply unit 106 realize the “resin supply unit” in the present invention. The “resin supply unit” in the present invention may include a release resin supply unit 107 in addition to the production resin supply unit 105 and the cleaning resin supply unit 106.

  In FIG. 1, the position of the cleaning resin supply unit 106 and the position of the release resin supply unit 107 are different along the X direction (planarly), but are perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1 (perpendicular to the X direction). Direction).

  Furthermore, the resin sealing is not limited to the resin sealing by transfer molding, but can be applied to other resin sealing using a plurality of molds. Moreover, the loader and the unloader may be combined.

  The embodiment disclosed this time is to be considered as illustrative in all points and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is defined by the terms of the claims, rather than the description above, and is intended to include any modifications within the scope and meaning equivalent to the terms of the claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Upper mold | type, 2nd mold | type, 5,6 Ejector plate 10 Production goods, 11 Production frame, 12 Semiconductor chip, 21 Dummy frame, 100,100A-100D Mold, 101 Production frame supply part, 101A-101D, 112A ˜112D magazine, 102 dummy frame supply unit, 102A to 102B dummy frame magazine, 103 production frame preheating unit, 104 dummy frame preheating unit, 105 production resin supply unit, 106 cleaning resin supply unit, 107 release resin supply unit, 108 Loader section, 109 Unloader section, 110 Gate break section, 111 Cull disposal section, 112 Product storage section, 113 Loader X-axis guide rail, 114 Unloader X-axis guide rail, 115 Storage loader, 120, 120a, 120 Sensor, 121 Strain gauge, 122 Wheatstone bridge circuit, 130 Cavity, 131 Resin, 132 Plunger, 133, 134 Movable pin, 135 cal, 136 runner, 137 pot, 141, 142 Servo motor, 150 Device controller, 200 Resin sealing Device, S1-S7, S21-S26, S23a, S24a, S41-S49, S51-S59, S61-S69 Step, SH1, SH2, SH3 times.

Claims (5)

A frame supply unit for supplying a mold with a production frame on which a semiconductor chip is mounted or a dummy frame on which the semiconductor chip is not mounted;
A resin supply unit for supplying the mold with a production resin for resin-sealing the production frame or a cleaning resin for cleaning the mold;
A detection unit for detecting a mechanical force required to remove the molded product after sealing the production frame with the production resin from the mold; and
A control unit for controlling the mold, the frame supply unit, and the resin supply unit;
The control unit determines whether a condition for cleaning the mold is satisfied from a detection result of the mechanical force by the detection unit, and the condition for the cleaning is satisfied The resin sealing is performed by switching the frame supplied to the mold from the production frame to the dummy frame and switching the resin supplied to the mold from the production resin to the cleaning resin. apparatus. The mold has an upper mold and a lower mold,
The resin according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects, as the mechanical force, a load required to open the upper mold and the lower mold after the production frame is sealed with the production resin. Sealing device. The mold has a movable pin capable of protruding into the cavity of the mold and pulling back the mold from the cavity;
The resin sealing device has a motor for moving the movable pin,
The detection unit detects the torque of the motor required for the movement of the movable pin as the mechanical force,
The control unit according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the condition for the cleaning is satisfied based on a sliding resistance obtained from the torque detected by the detection unit. Resin sealing device.   The movable pin performs the protruding operation so as to press the production frame against the mold in advance before resin sealing the production frame, and the production resin is introduced into the cavity of the mold. The resin sealing device according to claim 3, wherein the return operation is performed after the operation.   The resin sealing device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the movable pin performs the protruding operation when the molded product is removed from the mold.

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