JP6785310B2 - Circuit forming device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a circuit forming device that forms a circuit by using a first discharging device that discharges a curable resin and a second discharging device that discharges a metal-containing liquid containing metal fine particles.

In recent years, as described in the following patent documents, a technique for forming a three-dimensional model by a curable resin that is cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays or the like has been developed. Using such a technique, a resin layer is formed of a curable resin, and a circuit is formed using the resin layer.

JP-A-2015-168202

When the circuit is formed by utilizing the technique described in the above patent document, not only the resin layer is formed by the curable resin, but also the wiring is formed by the metal-containing liquid containing metal fine particles. .. As described above, when a circuit is formed by using the curable resin and the metal-containing liquid, a drying step of drying the curable resin and the metal ink may be required, and the drying temperature is low in the drying step. Etc. may require a drying time of 1 hour or more. In such a case, other work is interrupted and the circuit formation efficiency is lowered. Further, in the conventional circuit forming apparatus, one stage for holding the substrate is sequentially moved between a plurality of units such as a unit for printing a curable resin and a unit for printing metal ink. Work is done in each unit. At this time, the unit in which the stage is not located cannot perform the work, and the work efficiency is poor. As described above, the apparatus for forming a circuit using the curable resin and the metal-containing liquid has various problems, and it is considered that the practicality of the circuit forming apparatus will be improved by solving these various problems. .. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to improve the practicality of a circuit forming apparatus.

In order to solve the above problems, the circuit forming apparatus of the present invention includes a resin layer forming unit including a first discharging device for discharging a curable resin and a second discharging device for discharging a metal-containing liquid containing metal fine particles. A plurality of units including at least a wiring forming unit including the wiring forming unit, a plurality of stages on which a substrate is mounted, and a moving device for moving each of the plurality of stages to any one unit of the plurality of units are provided. A rotary table for the moving device to rotate any one of the plurality of stages toward each of the plurality of units, a table-side guide rail provided on the rotary table, and the like. A unit-side guide rail provided in each of the plurality of units and a guide rail provided in each of the plurality of stages, and each stage is rotated by the rotary table toward any one of the plurality of units. At that time, the unit-side guide rail of the unit, the slider that slides across the table-side guide rail, and the table-side guide rail and the unit-side guide rail so as to extend along each of them. It has a power supply terminal provided and a pair of power receiving terminals provided on the slider and in sliding contact with the power supply terminal when the slider slides, and the pair of power receiving terminals are the table side guide rail and the unit. The resin layer is arranged so as to be separated from the side guide rail in each extending direction , and is formed by discharging the curable resin of the first discharge device and the metal-containing liquid of the second discharge device. It is characterized in that a circuit including the wiring to be formed is formed on a substrate.

In the circuit forming apparatus of the present invention, a plurality of stages on which a substrate is placed are provided, and the plurality of stages are any one unit among a plurality of units such as a resin layer forming unit and a wiring forming unit. Moved to. As a result, it is possible to position a plurality of stages on a plurality of units at the same time, and it is possible to perform work on a plurality of substrates held by the plurality of stages in parallel. Further, for example, by preparing a unit for accommodating the stage, the stage is left to stand in the unit, and the stage is dried at a low temperature for a long time and naturally dried, while the other unit is made of a curable resin. It is possible to perform a printing process for a metal-containing liquid or the like. As a result, the circuit can be formed efficiently, and the practicality of the circuit forming apparatus is improved.

It is a top view which shows the circuit forming apparatus. It is a side view which shows the storage unit. It is an enlarged view which shows the rotary table and a resin printing unit. It is sectional drawing in the AA line of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows the linear motor. It is a block diagram which shows the control device. It is sectional drawing which shows the circuit in the state which the resin layer is formed. It is sectional drawing which shows the circuit in the state which the electronic component is mounted in the cavity of a resin layer. It is sectional drawing which shows the circuit in the state which the resin layer is formed in the gap of a cavity. It is sectional drawing which shows the circuit in the state which the metal ink was ejected on the resin layer.

Configuration of Circuit Forming Device FIG. 1 shows the circuit forming device 10. The circuit forming device 10 includes a plurality of stages 20, a resin printing unit 22, a resin curing unit 24, a metal ink printing unit 26, a firing unit 28, a mounting unit 30, a storage unit group 32, and a moving device. A control device (see FIG. 6) 36 is provided. The resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the metal ink printing unit 26, the firing unit 28, the mounting unit 30, the storage unit group 32, and the moving device 34 are the base 38 of the circuit forming device 10. It is placed on top.

Each stage 20 holds a substrate (see FIG. 7) 50, and has a base 52, a holding device 54, and a stage elevating device 56. The base 52 is generally formed in the shape of a rectangular flat plate, and the substrate 50 is placed on the upper surface. The holding device 54 is provided on both sides of the base 52. Then, both edges of the substrate 50 placed on the base 52 are sandwiched by the holding device 54, so that the substrate 50 is fixedly held. Further, the stage elevating device 56 is arranged below the base 52 to raise and lower the base 52.

The resin printing unit 22 is a unit for printing an ultraviolet curable resin in a thin film on a substrate 50 mounted on a base 52 of a stage 20, an inkjet head (see FIG. 6) 60, and a flattening device (FIG. 6). 6) 62 and. The inkjet head 60 ejects an ultraviolet curable resin onto a substrate 50 mounted on a base 52. The inkjet head 60 may be, for example, a piezo method using a piezoelectric element, or a thermal method in which a resin is heated to generate bubbles and discharged from a nozzle. Further, the flattening device 62 flattens the upper surface of the ultraviolet curable resin discharged onto the substrate 50 by the inkjet head 60. For example, the surplus resin is applied while leveling the surface of the ultraviolet curable resin. By scraping with a roller or a blade, the thickness of the UV curable resin is made uniform.

The resin curing unit 24 is a unit that cures the ultraviolet curable resin discharged on the substrate 50, and has an irradiation device (see FIG. 6) 66. The irradiation device 66 includes a mercury lamp or an LED as a light source, and irradiates the ultraviolet curable resin discharged on the substrate 50 with ultraviolet rays. As a result, the ultraviolet curable resin discharged onto the substrate 50 is cured, and the resin layer is formed.

The metal ink printing unit 26 is a unit that prints metal ink on the substrate 50 according to a circuit pattern, and has an inkjet head (see FIG. 6) 68. The inkjet head 68 linearly ejects metal ink onto the substrate 50 mounted on the base 52. Metal ink is a metal ink in which fine particles of metal are dispersed in a solvent. The inkjet head 68 ejects metal ink from a plurality of nozzles by, for example, a piezo method using a piezoelectric element.

The firing unit 28 is a unit that fires the metal ink discharged on the substrate 50, and has a laser irradiation device (see FIG. 6) 70. The laser irradiation device 70 is a device that irradiates the metal ink ejected on the substrate 50 with a laser, and the metal ink irradiated with the laser is fired to form wiring. In addition, firing of metal ink is a phenomenon in which the solvent is vaporized and the metal fine particle protective film is decomposed by applying energy, and the metal fine particles are brought into contact with each other or fused to increase the conductivity. is there. Then, the metal ink is fired to form a metal wiring.

The mounting unit 30 is a unit for mounting an electronic component (see FIG. 8) 72 on a substrate 50, and includes a tape feeder (see FIG. 6) 74, a mounting head (see FIG. 6) 76, and a moving device (see FIG. 6). See) 78 and. The tape feeder 74 sends out the taped electronic components 72 one by one, and supplies the electronic components 72 at the supply position. The mounting head 76 has a suction nozzle (not shown) for sucking and holding the electronic component 72. The suction nozzle sucks and holds the electronic component 72 by sucking air by supplying negative pressure from a positive / negative pressure supply device (not shown). Then, when a slight positive pressure is supplied from the positive / negative pressure supply device, the electronic component 72 is separated. Further, the moving device 78 moves the mounting head 76 between the supply position of the electronic component 72 by the tape feeder 74 and the substrate 50 mounted on the base 52. As a result, in the mounting unit 30, the electronic component 72 supplied from the tape feeder 74 is held by the suction nozzle, and the electronic component 72 held by the suction nozzle is mounted on the substrate 50.

As shown in FIG. 2, the storage unit group 32 has a rack 80, and the inside of the rack 80 is divided into three storage units 82, 84, 86 for storing the stage 20. Specifically, the inside of the rack 80 is divided into three spaces separated in the vertical direction by the shelf board 88. Each space has a size that can accommodate the stage 20, and a part of the moving device 34, which will be described later, is arranged inside each space. Then, the stage 20 is accommodated in each space by the operation of the moving device 34. Therefore, each space functions as a storage unit 82, 84, 86 for storing the stage 20.

As shown in FIG. 1, the moving device 34 includes a rotary table 100, a slide mechanism 102, a linear motor 104, and a rack elevating device (see FIG. 2) 106. The rotary table 100 has a disk shape and is rotatably arranged at a substantially central portion of the base 38, and rotates in a controllable manner by being driven by a rotary motor (see FIG. 6) 108. The resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the metal ink printing unit 26, the firing unit 28, the mounting unit 30, and the storage unit group 32 rotate along the rotation direction of the rotary table 100. They are arranged at 6 equal positions so as to face the outer peripheral edge of the table 100.

The slide mechanism 102 is arranged on a pair of table-side guide rails 110 arranged on the rotary table 100 and each unit such as the resin printing unit 22 (storage units 82, 84, 86 in the storage unit group 32). It has a pair of unit-side guide rails 112 provided, and four sliders 114 arranged on each stage 20. The pair of table-side guide rails 110 are arranged on the upper surface of the rotary table 100 in a state of being parallel to each other and symmetrically with respect to the rotation center of the rotary table 100 in a predetermined size and separated from each other. Further, the pair of unit-side guide rails 112 are parallel to each other and symmetrically centered on a virtual line extending in the radial direction of the rotary table 100, and are separated by the same dimension as the separation dimension of the pair of table-side guide rails 110. In this state, it is arranged in each unit such as the resin printing unit 22. As a result, when the rotary table 100 is rotated to a predetermined position, the pair of table-side guide rails 110 and the pair of unit-side guide rails 112 of any unit are arranged in a straight line. In FIG. 1, a circuit forming apparatus 10 in which a pair of table-side guide rails 110 and a pair of unit-side guide rails 112 of a resin printing unit 22 and a firing unit 28 are linearly arranged is shown. There is. The table-side guide rail 110 and the unit-side guide rail 112 are arranged with a predetermined clearance in order to ensure the rotation of the rotary table 100.

Further, in each stage 20, a pair of sliders 114 are fixed on both side surfaces on one end side in the longitudinal direction, and a pair of sliders 114 are fixed on both side surfaces on the other end side. That is, four sliders 114 are fixed on both side surfaces of the stage 20. Then, a pair of sliders 114 on one side of both side surfaces are slidably fitted to one of a pair of table side guide rails 110 or a pair of unit side guide rails 112, and the side surfaces of both sides are slidably fitted. A pair of sliders 114 on the other side of the slide are slidably fitted to the other of the pair of table-side guide rails 110 or the pair of unit-side guide rails 112. The length dimension of each slider 114 is longer than the clearance between the table side guide rail 110 and the unit side guide rail 112. As a result, as shown in FIG. 3, when the table side guide rail 110 and the unit side guide rail 112 are arranged in a straight line, between the top of the rotary table 100 and each unit such as the resin printing unit 22. , Each stage 20 slides.

Further, the slide mechanism 102 has a power supply mechanism (see FIG. 4) 120 for supplying power from the base 38 to each stage 20. The power supply mechanism 120 includes a table-side power supply wiring 122, a unit-side power supply wiring 124, and a power reception terminal (see FIG. 4) 126. The table-side power feeding wiring 122 is arranged on the upper surface of each of the pair of table-side guide rails 110 along the extending direction of each table-side guide rail 110. The unit-side power supply wiring 124 is arranged on the upper surface of each pair of unit-side guide rails 112 of each unit such as the resin printing unit 22 along the extending direction of each unit-side guide rail 112. Then, power is supplied to the table-side power supply wiring 122 and the unit-side power supply wiring 124 from a power supply source (not shown) arranged on the base 38. Further, as shown in FIG. 4, which is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 3, the power receiving terminal 126 is arranged so as to be exposed on the inner peripheral surface of the slider 114, and is arranged on the table side guide rail 110 or the unit side. With the slider 114 fitted to the guide rail 112, the slider 114 comes into contact with the table-side power supply wiring 122 or the unit-side power supply wiring 124.

As a result, when the stage 20 is located on the rotary table 100, the power receiving terminal 126 comes into contact with the table-side power supply wiring 122 and receives power from the table-side power supply wiring 122. Further, when the stage 20 is located in each unit such as the resin printing unit 22, the power receiving terminal 126 comes into contact with the unit-side power feeding wiring 124 and receives power from the unit-side power feeding wiring 124. Further, when the stage 20 slides between the rotary table 100 and each unit, the power reception by the power receiving terminal 126 is guaranteed.

Specifically, when the stage 20 slides between the rotary table 100 and each unit, when the slider 114 reaches the clearance between the table side guide rail 110 and the unit side guide rail 112, the power receiving terminal 126 supplies power to the table side. The wiring 122 and the unit-side power supply wiring 124 are not in contact with each other. However, the power receiving terminals 126 are arranged on all four sliders 114 provided on the stage 20, and the pair of sliders 114 and the pair of sliders 114 are separated from each other in the sliding direction of the stage 20. It is arranged in a state. That is, the power receiving terminal 126 is arranged in a state of being separated from the front side and the rear side in the slide direction of the stage 20. Therefore, the power receiving terminals 126 arranged on one of the front side and the rear side in the slide direction of the stage 20 reach the clearance between the table side guide rail 110 and the unit side guide rail 112, and the table side power supply wiring 122 and the unit. Even if it does not come into contact with any of the side power supply wirings 124, the power receiving terminals 126 arranged on the other side of the front side and the rear side in the sliding direction of the stage 20 are the table side power supply wiring 122 and the unit side power supply wiring. It is in contact with any of 124. As a result, even when the stage 20 slides between the rotary table 100 and each unit, the power reception by the power receiving terminal 126 is guaranteed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the linear motor 104 has a shaft-shaped table side stator 130 arranged on the rotary table 100 and a shaft-shaped shaft-shaped stator 130 arranged on each unit such as the resin printing unit 22. It has a unit-side stator 132 and a cylindrical mover (see FIG. 5) 134 arranged on each stage 20. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the table-side stator 130 and the unit-side stator 132 is composed of a cylindrical pipe 140 and a plurality of permanent magnets 142 arranged in the pipe 140. .. Each of the plurality of permanent magnets 142 is generally cylindrical, with one end having an N pole and the other end having an S pole. The plurality of permanent magnets 142 are arranged so as to extend on one axis, and the opposite ends of the two adjacent permanent magnets 142 have the same magnetic poles. A spacer (not shown) made of a non-magnetic material is provided between the two adjacent permanent magnets 142. Further, the pipe 140 is provided so as to cover a plurality of permanent magnets 142 arranged so as to extend on one axis, and is made of a non-magnetic material.

Further, the mover 134 is fixed to the lower surface side of the stage 20, and is composed of a plurality of cylindrical coils 146. Each of the plurality of coils 146 is formed into a cylindrical shape by winding a wire rod, and the gap between the wire rods is filled with resin. The plurality of coils 146 are concentrically provided at equal intervals, and an annular spacer (not shown) made of a non-magnetic material is provided between the two adjacent coils 146. A plurality of coils 146 and spacers are fitted to the outer peripheral surface of the shaft-shaped table-side stator 130 or the unit-side stator 132 with a clearance. As a result, power is supplied to the coil 146 of the mover 134, so that the stage 20 slides in the axial direction of the table side stator 130 or the unit side stator 132 in a controllable manner. The electric power is supplied to the mover 134 via the electric power supply mechanism 120. That is, the power received by the power receiving terminal 126 from the table-side power supply wiring 122 or the unit-side power supply wiring 124 is supplied to the mover 134. Further, the length dimension of the mover 134 is longer than the clearance between the table side stator 130 and the unit side stator 132. As a result, when the table-side stator 130 and the unit-side stator 132 are linearly arranged, the linear motor 104 is driven between the top of the rotary table 100 and each unit such as the resin printing unit 22. Slides the stage 20.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the rack elevating device 106 is arranged below the rack 80 of the storage unit group 32, and elevates and elevates the rack 80. As a result, the unit-side guide rail 112 and the unit-side stator 132 arranged in each of the storage units 82, 84, and 86 are replaced with the table-side guide rail 110 and the table-side stator arranged in the rotary table 100. The rack 80 is raised and lowered so that the height is the same as 130, the table side guide rail 110 and the unit side guide rail 112 are arranged linearly, and the table side stator 130 and the unit side stator 132 are linearly arranged. By rotating the rotary table 100 so as to be arranged in, each stage 20 slides controllably between the rotary table 100 and the storage units 82, 84, 86 by the drive of the linear motor 104. ..

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the control device 36 includes a controller 150 and a plurality of drive circuits 152. The plurality of drive circuits 152 include the holding device 54, the stage elevating device 56, the inkjet head 60, the flattening device 62, the irradiation device 66, the inkjet head 68, the laser irradiation device 70, the tape feeder 74, the mounting head 76, and the moving device 78. , Linear motor 104, rack elevating device 106, rotary motor 108. The controller 150 includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and is mainly a computer, and is connected to a plurality of drive circuits 152. As a result, the operation of the stage 20, the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the metal ink printing unit 26, the firing unit 28, the mounting unit 30, and the storage unit group 32 is controlled by the controller 150.

Operation of the circuit forming device In the circuit forming device 10, eight of the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the metal ink printing unit 26, the firing unit 28, the mounting unit 30, and the storage units 82, 84, 86 are configured according to the above-described configuration. A circuit is formed by sequentially moving a plurality of stages 20 between the units via a rotary table 100 and performing work in each unit. In the circuit forming device 10, the seven stages 20 can be sequentially moved between the eight units by the operation of the moving device 34. A method of moving one stage 20 out of the seven stages 20 between the units to form a circuit on the substrate 50 will be described below.

Specifically, the substrate 50 is set on the base 52 of the stage 20, and the stage 20 is moved between the resin printing unit 22 and the resin curing unit 24. Then, in the resin printing unit 22 and the resin curing unit 24, the resin layer 160 is formed on the substrate 50 as shown in FIG. 7. The resin layer 160 has a cavity 162 for mounting the electronic component 72, and ejects the ultraviolet curable resin from the inkjet head 60 and irradiates the ejected ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays by the irradiation device 66. It is formed by repeating.

Specifically, in the resin printing unit 22, the inkjet head 60 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin into a thin film on the upper surface of the substrate 50. At this time, the inkjet head 60 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin so that a predetermined portion on the upper surface of the substrate 50 is generally exposed in a rectangular shape. Subsequently, when the ultraviolet curable resin is discharged in the form of a thin film, the ultraviolet curable resin is flattened by the flattening device 62 so that the film thickness of the ultraviolet curable resin becomes uniform. Then, the stage 20 is moved from the resin printing unit 22 to the resin curing unit 24, and in the resin curing unit 24, the irradiation device 66 irradiates the thin film ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays. As a result, a thin-film resin layer is formed on the substrate 50.

Subsequently, the stage 20 is moved from the resin curing unit 24 to the resin printing unit 22 again. Then, in the resin printing unit 22, the inkjet head 60 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin into a thin film only on the upper portion of the thin film resin layer. That is, the inkjet head 60 ejects the ultraviolet curable resin into a thin film on the thin film resin layer so that a predetermined portion on the upper surface of the substrate 50 is generally exposed in a rectangular shape. Then, the flattening device 62 flattens the thin-film ultraviolet curable resin. Next, the stage 20 is moved from the resin printing unit 22 to the resin curing unit 24 again, and in the resin curing unit 24, the irradiation device 66 irradiates the thin film ultraviolet curable resin with ultraviolet rays. As a result, the thin-film resin layer is laminated on the thin-film resin layer. In this way, in the resin printing unit 22 and the resin curing unit 24, the ejection of the ultraviolet curable resin onto the thin resin layer, the flattening of the ultraviolet curable resin, and the irradiation of ultraviolet rays are repeated. A resin layer 160 having a cavity 162 is formed.

When the resin layer 160 is formed by the procedure described above, the stage 20 is moved to the mounting unit 30. In the mounting unit 30, the electronic component 72 is supplied by the tape feeder 74, and the electronic component 72 is held by the suction nozzle of the mounting head 76. Then, the mounting head 76 is moved by the moving device 78, and the electronic component 72 held by the suction nozzle is moved to a predetermined mounting position of the substrate 50 inside the cavity 162 of the resin layer 160 as shown in FIG. It is installed. The height dimension of the resin layer 160 and the height dimension of the electronic component 72 are substantially the same.

When the electronic component 72 is mounted on the substrate 50 inside the cavity 162, in the resin printing unit 22 and the resin curing unit 24, as shown in FIG. 9, there is a gap between the cavities 162, that is, an inner wall surface that partitions the cavity 162. A resin layer 166 is formed between the surface and the side wall surface of the electronic component 72. Since the resin layer 166 is formed by the same method as the resin layer 160, the description of the method for forming the resin layer 166 will be omitted. The height dimension of the resin layer 166 is substantially the same as the height dimension of the resin layer 160 and the electronic component 72. As a result, the upper surface of the resin layer 160, the upper surface of the resin layer 166, and the upper surface of the electronic component 72 are flush with each other.

Next, when the resin layer 166 is formed in the gap of the cavity 162, the stage 20 is moved to the metal ink printing unit 26. Then, in the metal ink printing unit 26, the metal ink is linearly ejected onto the resin layers 160 and 166 by the inkjet head 68 according to the circuit pattern. At this time, as shown in FIG. 10, the metal ink 168 is linearly ejected so as to connect the electrode 170 of the electronic component 72 and another electrode (not shown). Subsequently, when the metal ink 168 is printed, the stage 20 is moved to the firing unit 28. Then, in the firing unit 28, the ejected metal ink 168 is irradiated with a laser by the laser irradiation device 70. As a result, the metal ink 168 is fired, and the wiring connecting the electrodes is formed.

As described above, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, one stage 20 sequentially moves the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the mounting unit 30, the metal ink printing unit 26, and the firing unit 28, and is UV-curable. A circuit is formed by performing a resin printing step, a step of curing an ultraviolet curable resin, a step of mounting an electronic component 72, a step of printing a metal ink, and a step of firing a metal ink. Further, in a unit different from the unit working on the one stage (hereinafter, may be referred to as "first stage") 20, a stage different from the first stage 20 (hereinafter, "first stage"). By performing the work on the 20 (which may be described as "2 stages"), it is possible to perform various processes in parallel in both the first stage and the second stage 20.

Specifically, for example, while the first stage 20 moves to the resin printing unit 22 and the resin printing unit 22 is working on the first stage 20, the second stage 20 is printed with metal ink. By moving to the unit 26, it becomes possible to perform work on the second stage 20 in the metal ink printing unit 26. That is, various operations are simultaneously executed on both the substrate 50 held on the first stage 20 and the substrate 50 held on the second stage 20. As a result, many circuits can be created at the same time, and the circuit creation ability is improved. In particular, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, since the seven stages 20 are movable between the units, the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the mounting unit 30, the metal ink printing unit 26, and the firing unit 28 It is possible to work on the five units at the same time, and the circuit creation ability is significantly improved.

Further, by improving the circuit creating ability, it is possible to reduce the number of times the metal ink is replenished to the inkjet head 68. Specifically, since metal ink is a metal ink in which fine particles of metal are dispersed in a solvent, the deterioration rate is high due to precipitation of the fine metal particles, deterioration of dispersibility of the fine metal particles, and the like. Therefore, the amount of metal ink used within the predetermined time is replenished to the inkjet head 68. That is, when the number of circuits formed per unit time is small, only a small amount of metal ink can be replenished to the inkjet head 68, and the number of times the metal ink is replenished to the inkjet head 68 increases. On the other hand, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, since the work can be performed simultaneously in the five units, the number of circuits formed per unit time increases. Therefore, it is possible to replenish the inkjet head 68 with a large amount of metal ink, and it is possible to reduce the number of times the metal ink is replenished to the inkjet head 68.

Further, the metal ink and the ultraviolet curable resin contain a volatile component such as a solvent, and a drying step may be required depending on the type and amount of the volatile component. Specifically, if the printed ultraviolet curable resin is not dried before being irradiated with ultraviolet rays, the ultraviolet curable resin may not be properly cured by irradiation with ultraviolet rays. Further, if the printed metal ink is not dried before the laser is irradiated, the metal ink may not be properly fired by the laser irradiation. Therefore, a step of drying the ultraviolet curable resin or the metal ink may be required before the printed ultraviolet curable resin or the metal ink is irradiated with the ultraviolet rays or the laser. In this drying step, in order to prevent denaturation of the components due to heating, natural drying may be preferable without heating, and in natural drying, it may be left for 1 hour or more. As described above, if the stage 20 is left in the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the mounting unit 30, the metal ink printing unit 26, and the firing unit 28 for a long time, the work efficiency is lowered.

Therefore, the circuit forming apparatus 10 is provided with the storage unit group 32, and the storage units 82, 84, 86 of the storage unit group 32 are naturally dried. That is, when the ultraviolet curable resin or metal ink is printed on the substrate 50 and the ultraviolet curable resin or metal ink needs to be naturally dried, the stage 20 holding the printed substrate 50 is stored. It is housed in units 82, 84, 86. As a result, in the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the mounting unit 30, the metal ink printing unit 26, and the firing unit 28, the stage 20 is not left to stand for a long time, and it is possible to prevent a decrease in work efficiency. It becomes. In particular, in the storage unit group 32, three storage units 82, 84, 86 are provided so that the three stages 20 can be left unattended, and the natural drying process can be performed on many substrates 50. It will be possible. Further, the three storage units 82, 84, 86 are arranged so as to be separated from each other in the vertical direction, and by raising and lowering the rack 80 by the rack lifting device 106, the storage units 82, 84, It is possible to store the stage 20 in the 86. As a result, it is possible to reduce the arrangement space of the storage units 82, 84, 86.

Furthermore, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, since seven stages 20 can be moved between the eight units, it is possible to form the circuit most efficiently. Specifically, if the stage 20 is located in all eight units, the stage 20 cannot be moved between the units. Therefore, in order to move the stage 20 between the units, it is necessary that the stage 20 is not located in at least one unit. On the other hand, the larger the number of stages 20, the higher the success rate of circuit shape. Therefore, by using the number of stages 20 which is one less than the number of units, that is, by using seven stages 20 in the circuit forming apparatus 10, it is possible to form the circuit most efficiently.

Further, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, a rotary table 100 is adopted as a moving device 34 for moving the stage 20, and each unit such as a resin printing unit 22 is arranged along the outer peripheral edge of the rotary table 100. There is. As a result, the moving distance of the stage 20 can be reduced, and the circuit can be formed efficiently.

By the way, in the above embodiment, the circuit forming apparatus 10 is an example of the circuit forming apparatus. Stage 20 is an example of a stage. The resin printing unit 22 is an example of a resin layer forming unit. The metal ink printing unit 26 is an example of a wiring forming unit. The mobile device 34 is an example of a mobile device. The inkjet head 60 is an example of the first ejection device. The inkjet head 68 is an example of the second ejection device. The rotary table 100 is an example of a rotary table. The rack lifting device 106 is an example of a lifting device. The table side guide rail 110 is an example of the table side guide rail. The unit-side guide rail 112 is an example of the unit-side guide rail. The slider 114 is an example of a slider. The table-side power supply wiring 122 and the unit-side power supply wiring 124 are examples of power supply terminals. The power receiving terminal 126 is an example of a power receiving terminal.

The present invention is not limited to the above examples, and can be carried out in various embodiments with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art. For example, in the above embodiment, eight units of the resin printing unit 22, the resin curing unit 24, the metal ink printing unit 26, the firing unit 28, the mounting unit 30, and the storage units 82, 84, 86 are adopted. It is possible to employ any number of units. However, in the circuit forming apparatus 10, since the formation of the resin layer and the wiring is indispensable, the resin printing unit 22 and the metal ink printing unit 26 must be adopted without fail. On the other hand, curable resins such as ultraviolet curable resins and metal inks may be cured by natural drying depending on the type, so that the resin curing unit 24 and the firing unit 28 may be adopted as necessary. Further, the mounting unit 30 and the storage units 82, 84, 86 may also be adopted as needed. In addition to the above units, various units such as a unit for drying an ultraviolet curable resin or the like with an infrared lamp or the like, a unit for firing metal ink with an electric furnace or the like may be adopted.

Further, in the above embodiment, the rotary table 100 is adopted as the moving device for moving the stage 20, but a moving device for moving the stage 20 in the XY direction may be adopted. When a moving device for moving the stage 20 in the XY direction is adopted, by arranging a plurality of units side by side in at least one of the X direction and the Y direction, the stages can be efficiently placed between the units. It is possible to move 20.

10: Circuit forming device 20: Stage 22: Resin printing unit (resin layer forming unit) 26: Metal ink printing unit (wiring forming unit) 34: Moving device 60: Inkjet head (first ejection device) 68: Inkjet head (first ejection device) 2 Discharge device) 100: Rotating table 106: Rack lifting device (lifting device) 110: Table side guide rail 112: Unit side guide rail 114: Slider 122: Table side power supply wiring (power supply terminal) 124: Unit side power supply wiring (power supply) Terminal) 126: Power receiving terminal

Claims (4)

A plurality of units including at least a resin layer forming unit including a first discharging device for discharging a curable resin and a wiring forming unit including a second discharging device for discharging a metal-containing liquid containing metal fine particles.
Multiple stages on which the board is placed and
A moving device for moving each of the plurality of stages to any one unit of the plurality of units is provided.
The moving device
A rotary table for rotating any one of the plurality of stages toward each of the plurality of units, and
The table side guide rail provided on the rotary table and
A unit-side guide rail provided in each of the plurality of units,
Provided on each of the plurality of stages, when each stage is rotated by the rotary table toward any one unit of the plurality of units, the unit-side guide rail of the one unit and the unit-side guide rail of the one unit. A slider that slides across the table side guide rail,
A power supply terminal provided so as to extend along each of the table-side guide rail and the unit-side guide rail,
A pair of power receiving terminals provided on the slider and in sliding contact with the power feeding terminal when the slider slides.
Have,
The pair of power receiving terminals are arranged in a state of being separated from each other in the extending directions of the table side guide rail and the unit side guide rail.
A circuit forming apparatus for forming a circuit on a substrate including a resin layer formed by discharging a curable resin of the first discharging device and wiring formed by discharging a metal-containing liquid of the second discharging device. The plurality of units
The circuit forming apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the circuit forming apparatus is arranged along the rotation direction of the rotary table. The circuit forming apparatus according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein the number of the plurality of stages is one less than the number of the plurality of units. Two or more of the plurality of units are arranged so as to be separated in the vertical direction.
The moving device
1. A claim 1 comprising an elevating device for elevating and lowering the stages in order to move each of the plurality of stages toward each of two or more units arranged in a vertically separated state. The circuit forming apparatus according to any one of claims 3 .

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