WO2025047389A1 - Molded product formation method and sealing resin - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention addresses the problem of providing a molded product formation method which makes it possible to: provide a compression molding device and a compression molding method that make it possible to prevent occurrence of molding failure due to irregular winding, residual gas, and dust generation during molding and that make it possible to form a molded product having a thin resin portion; make handling before resin sealing easier; and prevent occurrence of breakage during handling. As a means for solving this problem, a molded product formation method according to the present invention comprises a carrier placement step for placing a carrier (C) such that the carrier (C) is in contact with the bottom of a cavity (108) of a mold, a resin placement step for placing a resin (Rm) in the cavity (108), a temporary molded product formation step for forming a temporary molded product by sealing the carrier (C) in the resin (Rm), and a molded product formation step for forming a molded product (Wp) by applying heat or pressure while a workpiece (W) including an electronic component is in contact with the temporary molded product.

Description

Method for forming molded product and sealing resin

The present invention relates to a method for forming a molded product and a sealing resin.

One example of a resin sealing device and resin sealing method that seals a workpiece having electronic components with sealing resin and processes it into a molded product is one that uses a compression molding method.

The compression molding method is a technique for resin sealing by supplying a predetermined amount of sealing resin to a sealing area (cavity) provided in a sealing mold comprising an upper mold and a lower mold, placing a workpiece in the sealing area, and clamping it with the upper and lower molds. As an example, when using a sealing mold with a cavity in the upper mold, a technique is known in which the sealing resin is supplied all at once to the center position on the workpiece and molded. On the other hand, when using a sealing mold with a cavity in the lower mold, a technique is known in which a release film (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "film") that covers the mold surface including the cavity and the sealing resin are supplied and molded (Patent Document 1: See JP 2019-145550 A).

JP 2019-145550 A

　Conventionally, the so-called lower die cavity movable compression molding method was widely adopted, in which the workpiece is held in the upper die, a cavity is provided in the lower die, and sealing resin (granular resin, for example) is supplied into the cavity, as it was thought to be advantageous in terms of preventing deformation of the workpiece caused by contact due to the flow of the sealing resin or the flow of the wire.

However, in a configuration in which the workpiece is held in the upper die and the cavity is provided in the lower die, there is an issue that if the workpiece is thin or large, it is difficult to hold it in the upper die and it is prone to falling. Furthermore, when granular resin is used as the sealing resin, there are issues such as dust generation during molding due to friction between the resin particles, and handling is difficult, as well as issues that it is difficult to supply (spray) the sealing resin evenly over the entire area inside the cavity provided in the lower die, which can easily result in uneven spreading. There is also an issue that the air contained in the gaps between the particles when the sealing resin is sprayed and the gas components that degas from the sealing resin when melted do not escape, which can easily result in molding defects remaining in the molded product as voids, etc.

On the other hand, when using a solid resin with a fixed shape as the sealing resin, rather than a granular or liquid resin, regardless of the cavity arrangement, the following problem became clear. Specifically, when attempting to form a molded product thin enough that the resin thickness after resin sealing (specifically, the thickness of the resin part above or below the workpiece after resin sealing) is 0.4 mm or less, the thickness of the sealing resin (solid resin) before resin sealing must also be made thin. However, the sealing resin (solid resin) before resin sealing is naturally in a state before it has fully hardened, so it has low rigidity (brittle) and low strength, and this has revealed the problem that it is extremely susceptible to breakage during handling (particularly during transportation).

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a compression molding device and compression molding method that can prevent molding defects caused by uneven distribution, residual gas, and dust generation during molding, can form molded products with thin resin parts, can facilitate handling before resin sealing, and can prevent breakage during handling, as well as a molding method and sealing resin.

The present invention solves the above problems by using the solutions described below as embodiments.

The method for forming a molded product according to one embodiment includes a carrier placing step of placing a carrier, which is a plate-like member, so as to contact the bottom surface of a cavity of a mold; a resin placing step of placing resin in the cavity after the carrier placing step; a temporary molded product forming step of forming a temporary molded product by sealing the carrier placed in the carrier placing step with the resin placed in the resin placing step; and a molded product forming step of forming a molded product by heating or pressurizing a workpiece having electronic components in contact with the temporary molded product.

It is also preferable to include a carrier peeling step of peeling the carrier from the molded product, and a step of forming the temporary molded product by sealing the carrier peeled in the carrier peeling step with the resin.

The sealing resin according to one embodiment is composed of a carrier, which is a plate-like member, and a resin, and is required to have an exposed portion in which the carrier is exposed in a portion of the sealing resin.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the sealing resin has a resin sealing portion on the surface on which the exposed portion is formed, where the carrier is not exposed outside the exposed portion.

In one embodiment, the method for forming a sealing resin is a method for forming a sealing resin used in compression molding of a workpiece, and is required to include a forming step for forming the sealing resin, which is a solid resin fixed to one side of a base resin with the carrier exposed.

By performing compression molding using the sealing resin formed according to the above embodiment, it is possible to prevent molding defects caused by uneven distribution, residual gas, and dust generation during molding. In addition, it is possible to facilitate handling of the sealing resin, and it is possible to prevent breakage during handling, especially when forming a thin molded product in which the thickness of the resin part is 0.4 mm or less. In addition, by applying this to a configuration in which a cavity is provided in the upper mold and the workpiece is held in the lower mold, it is possible to solve problems such as the workpiece falling.

It is also preferable that a powder resin is used as the base resin, and the forming process includes a step of tableting the powder resin to form the sealing resin, which is a solid resin of a predetermined shape to which the carrier is fixed.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the predetermined shape is a shape in which, in a plan view, the carrier is disposed in the center and the base resin is disposed on the periphery so as to cover the outer periphery of the carrier.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the forming process includes a step of returning the carrier peeled off from the compression molded product to the device that forms the sealing resin and using it again when forming the sealing resin.

In one embodiment, the sealing resin forming device is a sealing resin forming device that forms the sealing resin used in compression molding of a workpiece, and is required to include a tableting die that holds a base resin and a carrier and tablets the carrier to form the sealing resin, which is a solid resin of a predetermined shape to which the carrier is fixed.

In addition, the sealing resin in another embodiment is a sealing resin used in compression molding of a workpiece, and is required to be a solid resin that is fixed to one side of the base resin with the carrier exposed.

According to the present invention, it is possible to form a sealing resin that can provide the following effects. In other words, by using the sealing resin according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent molding defects caused by uneven distribution, residual gas, and dust generation during molding, and it is possible to realize a compression molding device and compression molding method that can form a molded product with a thin resin portion. It is also possible to facilitate handling before resin sealing. It is also possible to prevent breakage during handling.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an example of an apparatus for forming a sealing resin according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing an example of a first pressing device of the forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of a first mold of the forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 4 is a front cross-sectional view showing another example of the first mold of the forming apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a method for forming a sealing resin according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram following FIG. Fig. 7A is a plan view showing an example of a sealing resin according to an embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 7B is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in Fig. 7A, and Fig. 7C is a cross-sectional view showing another example of the sealing resin. FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram following FIG. FIG. 9 is a plan view showing an example of a compression molding apparatus in which the sealing resin according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 10 is a side view showing an example of the second press unit of the compression molding apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 11 is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of the second mold of the compression molding apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of a compression molding method in which the sealing resin according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram following FIG. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram following FIG. 15A to 15C are front cross-sectional views showing an example of a molded product formed in a compression molding apparatus and a compression molding method in which a sealing resin according to an embodiment of the present invention is used, in which FIG. 15A shows the state before the carrier peeling process, FIG. 15B shows the state after the carrier peeling process, and FIG. 15C shows the state after the cutting process. FIG. 16 is a side view showing an example of the third press unit of the compression molding apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 17 is a front cross-sectional view showing an example of a third mold of the compression molding apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of a compression molding method in which the sealing resin according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram following FIG. FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram following FIG. FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of a compression molding method in which the sealing resin according to the embodiment of the present invention is used. FIG. 22 is an explanatory diagram illustrating another example of a compression molding method in which the sealing resin according to the embodiment of the present invention is used.

(Sealing resin forming device)
The sealing resin R according to the embodiment of the present invention is a resin used for compression molding of a workpiece (molded product) W. First, a molding device 1 for the sealing resin R (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a "forming device") will be described. The forming device 1 may be provided either inside or outside the compression molding device 2. Here, FIG. 1 is a plan view (schematic diagram) showing an example of the forming device 1. For convenience of explanation, arrows in the figure indicate the left-right direction (X direction), the front-back direction (Y direction), and the up-down direction (Z direction) of the device. In addition, in all the figures for explaining each embodiment, members having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and repeated explanations thereof may be omitted.

The workpiece W to be molded is configured with electronic components. Examples of electronic components include coil sheets, semiconductor chips, MEMS chips, passive elements, heat sinks, conductive materials, spacers, etc. The workpiece W may be configured to consist of only electronic components, or may be configured to be mounted on a substrate (wire bonding mounting, flip chip mounting, etc.). Examples of substrates include rectangular or circular plate-shaped members such as resin substrates, ceramic substrates, metal substrates, carrier plates, lead frames, and wafers. The number of electronic components that make up the workpiece W is not particularly limited, and may be set to one or more.

In this embodiment, the base resin Rm to which the carrier C is fixed is used as the sealing resin R (details of the forming device and forming method will be described later). As an example, the carrier C is a plate-like member formed from a metal material (e.g., copper, copper alloy, etc.) with a thickness of approximately 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, but is not limited to this.

In this embodiment, a thermosetting resin (such as, but not limited to, an epoxy resin containing a filler) is used as the base resin Rm and the sealing resin R. In addition, a powder resin (powdered resin) that is a thermosetting resin (property) is preferably used as the base resin Rm (details will be described later). However, this is not limited to this, and a configuration may be used in which a granular resin, a crushed resin, a solid resin, a liquid resin, or a resin that is a combination of two or more of these resins is used.

Examples of film F that can be suitably used include film materials with excellent heat resistance, ease of peeling, flexibility, and extensibility, such as PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), ETFE (polytetrafluoroethylene polymer), PET, FEP, fluorine-impregnated glass cloth, polypropylene, and polyvinylidine chloride. Film F is also used when forming sealing resin R in resin forming section 50, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 1, the forming device 1 mainly comprises a base resin supply unit 10D that supplies base resin Rm and carrier C, and a resin forming unit 10E that uses base resin Rm and carrier C to form sealing resin R. As an example, the base resin supply unit 10D and the resin forming unit 10E are arranged in this order along the X direction in FIG. 1. However, the above configuration is not limited, and the equipment configuration within the unit, the number of units, the order in which the units are arranged, etc. may be changed. Also, a configuration including units other than those described above (not shown) may be used.

The forming device 1 also has a guide rail 20 that is linearly arranged between the units, and a transport device (first loader) 21 that transports the base resin Rm and the carrier C is arranged to be movable between the units along the guide rail 20. However, this is not limited to the above configuration, and the transport device may be configured to include a robot hand or the like instead of a loader.

In addition, in the forming device 1, a control unit 80 that controls the operation of each mechanism in each unit is disposed in the base resin supply unit 10D (it may also be configured to be disposed in another unit).

Next, the base resin supply unit 10D provided in the forming device 1 will be described in detail. The base resin supply unit 10D includes a carrier supply section 30 that supplies carriers C, and a base resin supply section 40 that supplies base resin Rm. As an example, the carrier supply section 30 is configured with a storage section (e.g., a stocker, etc.) in which multiple carriers C are stored (a pickup, stage, etc. may be provided as appropriate). The base resin supply section 40 is configured with a dispenser that supplies base resin Rm, a conveying device, etc. When the carriers C and base resin Rm are conveyed from the base resin supply unit 10D to the resin forming unit 10E, the first loader 21 may be used as the conveying device, or another conveying device (not shown) may be used (direct spraying from a dispenser, etc. may also be adopted for the base resin Rm).

Next, the resin forming unit 10E provided in the forming device 1 will be described in detail. The resin forming unit 10E is provided with a resin forming section 50 as a device that forms the sealing resin R using the base resin Rm and the carrier C. In this embodiment, two resin forming units 10E (three or more or just one) are provided, and one resin forming section 50 (two or more) is provided per resin forming unit 10E (see FIG. 1). However, this configuration is not limited to this.

The resin forming section 50 is equipped with a tableting die (first die) 102 having a pair of dies (for example, a combination of multiple die blocks, die plates, die pillars, etc., made of alloy tool steel, and other components) that are opened and closed. It also has a press device (first press device) 150 that drives the first die 102 to open and close. As an example, two first press devices 150 are provided, but it may be possible to provide one device, or multiple devices (three or more) (not shown). A side view (schematic diagram) of the first press device 150 is shown in FIG. 2, and a front cross-sectional view (schematic diagram) of the first die 102 is shown in FIG. 3.

Here, as shown in FIG. 2, the first press device 150 is configured to include a pair of platens 154, 156, a plurality of tie bars 152 on which the pair of platens 154, 156 are supported, and a drive device for moving (raising and lowering) the platen 156. Specifically, the drive device is configured to include a drive source (e.g., an electric motor) 160 and a drive transmission mechanism (e.g., a ball screw or a toggle link mechanism) 162 (however, this is not limited to this). In this embodiment, the upper platen 154 in the vertical direction is set as a fixed platen (a platen fixed to the tie bars 152), and the lower platen 156 is set as a movable platen (a platen slidably held by the tie bars 152 and raised and lowered). However, this is not limited to this, and the platens may be set upside down, i.e., the upper side may be set as a movable platen and the lower side as a fixed platen, or both the upper and lower sides may be set as movable platens (neither is shown).

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the first mold 102 is provided with a first upper mold 104 on the vertical side and a first lower mold 106 on the vertical side as a pair of molds arranged between the pair of platens 154, 156 in the first press device 150. The first upper mold 104 is attached to the upper platen (in this embodiment, the fixed platen 154), and the first lower mold 106 is attached to the lower platen (in this embodiment, the movable platen 156). The first upper mold 104 and the first lower mold 106 approach and move away from each other to close and open the mold (the vertical direction (up and down direction) is the mold opening and closing direction). In the first mold 102 according to this embodiment, the first upper mold 104 constitutes a so-called "pestle mold", and the first lower mold 106 constitutes a so-called "mortar mold".

Next, the first lower mold 106 of the first mold 102 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the first lower mold 106 includes a lower mold chase (first lower mold chase) 110, a cavity piece (first cavity piece) 126 held therein, and a clamper (first clamper) 128. The first lower mold chase 110 is fixed to the upper surface of a support plate (first support plate) 114 via a support pillar (first support pillar) 112. A cavity (first cavity) 108 is provided on the upper surface (surface on the first upper mold 104 side) of the first lower mold 106. A carrier C and a predetermined amount of base resin Rm are accommodated in this first cavity 108.

The first clamper 128 is configured in a ring shape to surround the first cavity piece 126, and is assembled to the upper surface of the first support plate 114 via a push pin (first push pin) 122 and a clamper spring (first clamper spring) 124 (for example, a biasing member such as a coil spring) so as to be spaced apart (floating) from the upper surface of the first support plate 114 and movable up and down (however, this assembly structure is not limited). The first cavity piece 126 constitutes the inner part (bottom part) of the first cavity 108, and the first clamper 128 constitutes the side part of the first cavity 108. As an example, the upper surface of the first cavity piece 126 (the surface facing the first upper mold 104) is formed in a flat shape. The shape and number of first cavities 108 provided in one first lower mold 106 are set appropriately (one or multiple).

Here, the first press device 150 is provided with a lower die film supply section (first lower die film supply section) 111 that supplies film F to cover the die surface 106a (predetermined area) including the inner surface of the first cavity 108 in the first lower die 106. As an example, the film F is in a roll shape, but it may also be in a strip shape.

The first lower mold 106 is also provided with suction paths (holes, grooves, etc.) (not shown) that communicate with a suction device at the boundaries with the first clamper 128 and the first cavity piece 126. This allows the film F supplied from the first lower mold film supply unit 111 to be adsorbed and held on the mold surface 106a, including the inner surface of the first cavity 108.

In addition, in this embodiment, a first lower die heating mechanism (not shown) is provided that heats the first lower die 106 to a predetermined temperature. This first lower die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 80. As an example, the heater is built into the first lower die chase 110 and is configured to apply heat to the entire first lower die 106 and to the carrier C and base resin Rm contained in the first cavity 108. At this time, the first lower die 106 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 50°C to 80°C) at which the thermal curing (main curing) of the base resin Rm is unlikely to proceed.

Next, the first upper die 104 of the first mold 102 will be described in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the first upper die 104 has a tableting plate (first plate) 142 held (fixed) by an upper die chase (first upper die chase) 140. This tableting plate (first plate) 142 presses the carrier C and a predetermined amount of base resin Rm contained in the first cavity 108 of the first lower die 106 to form (tablet) the sealing resin R having a predetermined shape to which the carrier C is fixed (the formation method will be described in detail later). As an example, the lower surface of the first plate 142 (the surface facing the first lower die 106) is formed flat.

Here, the first press device 150 is provided with an upper die film supply section (first upper die film supply section) 113 that supplies film F to cover the die surface 104a (predetermined area) of the first upper die 104. As an example, the film F is in a roll shape, but it may also be in a strip shape.

Furthermore, the first upper mold 104 has suction paths (holes, grooves, etc.) that communicate with a suction device provided in the first plate 142, etc. (not shown). This allows the film F supplied from the first upper mold film supply unit 113 to be adsorbed and held on the mold surface 104a.

In addition, in this embodiment, a first upper die heating mechanism (not shown) is provided that heats the first upper die 104 to a predetermined temperature. This first upper die heating mechanism includes a heater (e.g., an electric wire heater), a temperature sensor, a power source, etc., and heating is controlled by the control unit 80. As an example, the heater is built into the first upper die chase 140 and is configured to apply heat to the entire first upper die 104. At this time, the first upper die 104 is heated to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 50°C to 80°C) at which the thermal curing (main curing) of the base resin Rm held (contained) in the first lower die 106 does not proceed easily.

Note that the above-mentioned first mold 102 has a structure that includes a movable clamper (first clamper 128) as an example, but as another example, it may have a structure that does not include a movable clamper as shown in Figure 4.

(Method of forming sealing resin)
Next, a method for forming the sealing resin R according to this embodiment (hereinafter, may be simply referred to as the "forming method") will be described. As an example, the forming method can be carried out using the above-mentioned forming apparatus 1. Here, Figs. 5 to 8 are explanatory diagrams of main steps.

First, the first preparation step is carried out. The first preparation step includes the following steps. A heating step (first lower mold heating step) is carried out in which the first lower mold 106 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (a temperature at which the base resin Rm and the sealing resin R do not fully cure, for example, 50°C to 80°C) and heated by the first lower mold heating mechanism. In addition, a heating step (first upper mold heating step) is carried out in which the first upper mold 104 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (a temperature at which the base resin Rm and the sealing resin R do not fully cure, for example, 50°C to 80°C) and heated by the first upper mold heating mechanism. In addition, a lower mold film supply step (first lower mold film supply step) is carried out in which the first lower mold film supply unit 111 is operated to supply new film F and adsorb it to cover a predetermined area of the mold surface 106a including the inner surface of the first cavity 108 in the first lower mold 106. In addition, the first upper die film supply unit 113 is operated to supply new film F, and an upper die film supply process (first upper die film supply process) is carried out in which the film F is adsorbed to cover a predetermined area of the die surface 104a of the first upper die 104.

　Before or after the first preparation step, or in parallel with it, a formation step is carried out to form the base resin Rm with the carrier C fixed thereto as the sealing resin R.

As an example of the forming process, the carrier supply unit 30 supplies the carrier C. In addition, in the base resin supply unit 40, a predetermined amount of base resin Rm is supplied by a dispenser or the like (not shown). Next, in the resin forming unit 50, the carrier C and the base resin Rm are tableted (an example of "temporary molding") to form a solid sealing resin R ("temporary molded product") formed in a predetermined shape with the carrier C fixed thereto. Note that "solid" includes a state in which the resin is melted to the so-called B stage or a state immediately before melting, since the resin is tableted while being heated to a temperature at which it does not fully harden. As an example, the carrier C is placed in the lower mold 106 before the base resin Rm is supplied, but the carrier C may also be attached to the underside of the film F of the upper mold 104.

Specifically, in the tableting process, the carrier C supplied from the carrier supply unit 30 is transported by a transport device (e.g., the first loader 21, etc.) and accommodated in a predetermined position (e.g., the center position) in the first cavity 108 of the first lower mold 106. Next, a predetermined amount of base resin Rm supplied from the base resin supply unit 40 is transported by a transport device (e.g., the first loader 21, etc.) or directly sprayed from a dispenser or the like and accommodated in the first cavity 108 of the first lower mold 106. As an example, in the first cavity 108, the base resin Rm is placed on the carrier C previously accommodated (see FIG. 5). Next, the first press device 150 is operated to close the first mold 102 that has been heated to the above-mentioned predetermined temperature (see FIG. 6). At this time, the first cavity piece 126 rises relatively within the first cavity 108, and the carrier C and base resin Rm are compressed (sandwiched and pressed) between the first cavity piece 126 and the first plate 142. This forms a solid sealing resin R that has a predetermined shape with the carrier C fixed thereto and is not thermally cured (mainly cured).

As an example, the above-mentioned "predetermined shape" is a shape in which, as shown in FIG. 7A (a plan view of the exposed surface of the carrier C facing upward) and FIG. 7B (a cross-sectional view of line A-A in FIG. 7A), the carrier C is arranged in the center in a plan view, and the base resin Rm (in a solid state after tableting) is arranged on the periphery so as to cover the outer periphery Ca of the carrier C (note that a positioning step (not shown) for the work W may be provided on the resin surface in order to sandwich the work W from above and below). This can increase the adhesion between the carrier C and the base resin Rm, thereby preventing unintended peeling from occurring. Note that the end of the base resin Rm does not necessarily need to extend to the outside, and as shown in FIG. 7C (a cross-sectional view similar to FIG. 7B), the carrier C and the base resin Rm may be almost the same. Alternatively, a base resin Rm having a recess formed therein may be prepared, and the carrier C may be attached to the recess. Alternatively, a flat carrier C may be attached to a base resin Rm that is simply flat and has no recess. The above-mentioned adhesion includes adhesion.

It is important that the above tableting process is carried out at a temperature at which the thermal curing (full curing) of the base resin Rm does not proceed easily (the first lower die 106 and the first upper die 104 are heated to a temperature at which the thermal curing (full curing) does not proceed easily) so that the formed sealing resin R can be thermally cured (full cured) in the subsequent resin sealing process. As described above, the "temperature at which the thermal curing does not proceed easily" depends on the material of the base resin Rm, but is specifically about 50°C to 80°C (about 70°C in this embodiment).

Furthermore, it is preferable to use a powder resin as the base resin Rm. This allows the amount of resin to be adjusted and supplied with extremely high precision compared to when granular resin or crushed resin is used. However, it is not limited to powder resin.

After the tableting process, the first mold 102 is opened and the used film F is separated from the sealing resin R (with the carrier C fixed to the lower surface side) to enable removal of the sealing resin R (first mold opening process) (see FIG. 8). In this embodiment, by providing the lower mold film supply process and upper mold film supply process described above, the film F is placed on both the mold surface 106a of the first lower mold 106 and the mold surface 104a of the first upper mold 104, which makes it easier to release the sealing resin R formed by tableting and prevents damage caused by resin adhesion to the mold.

Furthermore, after or in parallel with the first mold opening process, the first lower mold film supply unit 111 and the first upper mold film supply unit 113 are operated to send out the used film F from within the first mold 102 and send new film F into the first mold 102 and set it therein, thereby carrying out a film supply process (first lower mold film supply process, first upper mold film supply process).

The above are the main steps in the method for forming the sealing resin R according to this embodiment. However, the above order of steps is only an example, and the order of steps can be changed or steps can be performed in parallel as long as no problems occur.

As mentioned above, when trying to form a molded product Wp with a resin thickness of 0.4 mm or less after resin sealing (compression molding) (specifically, the thickness Da of the resin part at the upper position of the workpiece W after resin sealing or the thickness Db of the resin part at the lower position as shown in FIG. 15C), the thickness of the sealing resin (solid resin) before resin sealing must also be thin. However, the sealing resin (solid resin) before resin sealing is naturally in a state before it is fully hardened, so it has low rigidity (brittle) and low strength, and therefore there is a problem that it is extremely prone to breakage during handling (particularly during transportation). It has been confirmed that this is particularly noticeable in the case of sealing resin (solid resin) formed by tableting. In contrast, by performing resin sealing (compression molding) using the sealing resin R according to this embodiment, the problem can be solved, that is, the occurrence of breakage during handling (particularly during transportation) of the sealing resin R can be prevented, and a molded product Wp with a thin resin part can be formed. Furthermore, the inventor's experiments have demonstrated that it is possible to achieve a shape where Da = Db = 0.1 mm.

In addition, by performing resin sealing (compression molding) using the sealing resin R of the above configuration, it is possible to solve or reduce the problems that were previously caused by granular resin, such as uneven distribution, residual gas, and dust generation during molding, as well as the difficulty of handling.

(Compression molding device and compression molding method)
Next, an outline of a compression molding apparatus 2 and a compression molding method for resin sealing (compression molding) a workpiece W using the sealing resin R according to the present embodiment will be described. Here, FIG. 9 is a plan view (schematic view) showing an example of the compression molding apparatus 2.

As shown in FIG. 9, the compression molding device 2 mainly comprises a supply unit 10A for supplying the workpiece W, a press unit 10B for sealing the workpiece W with resin and processing it into a molded product Wp, and a storage unit 10C for storing the molded product Wp. As an example, the supply unit 10A, press unit 10B, and storage unit 10C are arranged in this order along the X direction in FIG. 9. However, this is not limited to the above configuration, and the equipment configuration within the unit, the number of units, and the order in which the units are arranged may be changed. For example, the supply unit 10A and the storage unit 10C may be arranged in reverse in the X direction, or may be arranged to be concentrated in one position or the other (not shown). In addition, the configuration may include units other than those described above (not shown).

In addition, the compression molding device 2 has a guide rail 22 that is linearly provided between each unit, and a transport device (second loader) 23 that transports the workpiece W and sealing resin R (may be used for transporting items other than the workpiece W and sealing resin R) and a transport device (third loader) 24 that transports the molded product Wp (may be used for transporting items other than the molded product Wp) are provided so as to be movable between predetermined units along the guide rail 22. However, the configuration is not limited to the above, and a configuration may be provided with a common (single) transport device (loader) that transports the workpiece W, sealing resin R, molded product Wp, etc. (not shown). In addition, the transport device may be configured to include a robot hand or the like instead of a loader.

In addition, the compression molding device 2 has a control unit 90 that controls the operation of each mechanism in each unit and is located in the supply unit 10A (although it may be configured to be located in another unit).

The press unit 10B is equipped with a resin sealing section 70 that seals the workpiece W with resin and processes it into a molded product Wp. In this embodiment, there are two press units 10B (three or more, or just one) equipped with the resin sealing section 70, and one press unit 10B is equipped with one resin sealing section 70 (two or more) (see FIG. 9). However, this configuration is not limited to this. The resin sealing section 70 is equipped with a pair of sealing dies (for example, a pair of dies (for example, dies made of alloy tool steel, dies plates, dies pillars, etc., and other members assembled thereto) that are opened and closed by a press device.

Here, as an example, the steps of a compression molding method performed using a compression molding device 2 equipped with a second press device 250 (see FIG. 10) and a second mold 202 (see FIG. 11) will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 to 14.

First, the second preparation step is performed. Specifically, a heating step (second upper die heating step) is performed in which the second upper die 204 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C) and heated by the second upper die heating mechanism. A heating step (second lower die heating step) is also performed in which the second lower die 206 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C) and heated by the second lower die heating mechanism. A lower die film supply step (second lower die film supply step) is also performed in which the second lower die film supply unit 211 is operated to supply new film F and adsorb it to cover a predetermined area of the die surface 206a of the second lower die 206. An upper die film supply step (second upper die film supply step) is also performed in which the second upper die film supply unit 213 is operated to supply new film F and adsorb it to cover a predetermined area of the die surface 204a including the inner surface of the second cavity 208 in the second upper die 204.

Before or after the second preparation step, or in parallel with it, a resin preparation step is carried out to prepare a base resin Rm with a carrier C fixed thereto as the sealing resin R. Specifically, the sealing resin R formed by the forming device 1 described above is prepared.

After the second preparation step, a setting step is performed in which the sealing resin R and the workpiece W are set in the sealing mold (second mold 202). As shown in FIG. 12, the workpiece W is sandwiched between two sealing resins R arranged so that the carriers C are on the outside, and is held (including placed) on the holding portion 205.

As an example of the above-mentioned setting process, one sealing resin R (for convenience of explanation, referred to as "first sealing resin R") prepared in the resin preparation process is transported by a transport device (e.g., second loader 23, etc.) and placed on the holding part 205 with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed facing down. Next, the work W supplied from the supply magazine 12 is transported by a transport device (e.g., second loader 23, etc.) and placed on the first sealing resin R. Next, the other sealing resin R (for convenience of explanation, referred to as "second sealing resin R") prepared in the resin preparation process is transported by a transport device (e.g., second loader 23, etc.) and placed on the work W with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed facing up.

Or, as another example of the setting process, the first sealing resin R and the second sealing resin R prepared in the resin preparation process and the workpiece W supplied from the supply magazine 12 are stacked so that the workpiece W is sandwiched between the two (first and second) sealing resins R arranged so that the carriers C are on the outside (i.e., the first sealing resin R is prepared with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed on the bottom side, the workpiece W is placed on the first sealing resin R, and the second sealing resin R is placed on the workpiece W with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed on the top side). Next, the first sealing resin R, the workpiece W, and the second sealing resin R in this stacked state are transported by a transport device (e.g., the second loader 23, etc.) and placed on the holding part 205. In this case, there is an advantage in that the workpiece W and the two sealing resins R are transported to the second mold 202 in one go, rather than being transported separately. In addition, the first sealing resin R and the second sealing resin R can be supplied simultaneously to the heated sealing mold (second mold 202), which has the advantage that the thermal history does not change.

After all the above steps are performed, a resin sealing step is performed in which the work W is sealed with sealing resin R (in this embodiment, sandwiched between two sealing resins R) and processed into a molded product Wp. Specifically, the second mold 202 is closed, and a mold closing step (second mold closing step) is performed in which the sealing resin R is heated and pressurized against the work W (see FIG. 13). At this time, the second clamper 228 abuts against the lower plate 242 (mold surface 206a) via the film F, and the second cavity piece 226 is relatively lowered in the second cavity 208. This mold closing step thermally hardens the sealing resin R to complete the resin sealing (compression molding), and a molded product Wp having the shape shown in FIG. 15A is formed. In this embodiment, the work W is sandwiched from above and below by sealing resin R with a carrier C and compressed from above and below as shown in FIG. 12, but as another example, as shown in FIG. 21, the sealing resin R with the carrier C may be only one of the top and bottom, and the other may be sealing resin R without a carrier C.

After the second mold closing step, the second mold 202 is opened, and a mold opening step (second mold opening step) is performed in which the molded product Wp is separated from the used film F so that the molded product Wp can be removed (see FIG. 14). Next, a molded product removal step is performed in which the molded product Wp (as an example, held by the holding portion 205 of the lower plate 242) is removed from the second mold 202 by a conveying device (e.g., the third loader 24, etc.) and conveyed to the storage unit 10C.

After or in parallel with the molded product removal process, the second lower die film supply unit 211 and the second upper die film supply unit 213 are operated to carry out a film supply process (second lower die film supply process, second upper die film supply process) in which the used film F is sent out from within the second die 202 and a new film F is sent into and set within the second die 202.

Furthermore, after the molded product removal process, a carrier peeling process is carried out in which the carrier C is peeled off from the molded product Wp using a carrier peeling device 16. As a result, a molded product Wp having the shape shown in FIG. 15B is formed. Note that in this process, the molded product Wp may be inverted midway and the upper and lower carriers C may be peeled off in sequence using one peeling mechanism, or the molded product Wp may not be inverted and the upper and lower carriers C may be peeled off separately using two peeling mechanisms.

After the carrier peeling process, a process is carried out in which the carrier C peeled off from the molded product Wp is transported from the storage unit 10C to the resin forming unit 10E (or the base resin supply unit 10D) by a transport device (e.g., the third loader 24, etc.) (the carrier C can be finally returned to the resin forming section 50). Note that if the carrier C is used as a heat sink or the like in the final product, it is not necessarily necessary to peel off the carrier C.

With the above configuration, the carrier C can be peeled off from the molded product Wp and reused in the forming process in which the sealing resin R (i.e., the base resin Rm to which the carrier C is fixed) is formed in the forming device 1. This makes it possible to reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the number of parts (total number of carriers C required). In addition, since there is no need to prepare many carriers C in advance, it is possible to miniaturize the device, particularly in terms of the size of the storage section for the carrier C (e.g., a stocker) and the installation space.

Furthermore, after the carrier peeling process, a cutting process is carried out to cut the molded product Wp at a predetermined position (the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 15B). Specifically, a cutting device 18 is used to cut the area of the molded product Wp from which the carrier C has been peeled in the thickness direction, and the outer edge is removed. This makes it possible to form a molded product Wp (final target shape) having the shape shown in FIG. 15C, i.e., a thin resin thickness (resin thickness in the upper or lower part of the workpiece W).

After the cutting process, a storage process is carried out in which the molded product Wp (in this embodiment, the carrier C has been peeled off and the specified positions have been cut off) is stored in the storage magazine 14. Note that the carrier peeling device 16 and the cutting device 18 may be provided separately from the compression molding device 2, in which case the molded product Wp may be stored in a state in which it has not been peeled off or cut.

The above are the main steps of the compression molding method performed using the compression molding device 2 (when equipped with the second mold 202). However, the above order of steps is only an example, and the order of steps can be changed or steps can be performed in parallel as long as no problems occur.

Next, as another example, the steps of a compression molding method performed using a compression molding device 2 equipped with a third press device 350 (see FIG. 16) and a third mold 302 (see FIG. 17) will be described with reference to FIGS. 18 to 20.

First, the third preparation step is performed. Specifically, a heating step (third upper die heating step) is performed in which the third upper die 304 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C) and heated by the third upper die heating mechanism. A heating step (third lower die heating step) is also performed in which the third lower die 306 is adjusted to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 100°C to 300°C) and heated by the third lower die heating mechanism. A lower die film supply step (third lower die film supply step) is also performed in which the third lower die film supply unit 311 is operated to supply new film F and adsorb it to cover a predetermined area of the die surface 306a including the inner surface of the third cavity 308 in the third lower die 306. A top die film supply step (third upper die film supply step) is also performed in which the third upper die film supply unit 313 is operated to supply new film F and adsorb it to cover a predetermined area of the die surface 304a of the third upper die 304.

Before or after the third preparation step, or in parallel with it, a resin preparation step is carried out to prepare a base resin Rm with a carrier C fixed thereto as the sealing resin R. Specifically, the sealing resin R formed by the forming device 1 described above is prepared.

After the third preparation step, a setting step is carried out in which the sealing resin R and the workpiece W are set in the sealing mold (third mold 302). As shown in FIG. 18, the workpiece W is sandwiched between two sealing resins R arranged so that each carrier C is on the outside, and is held (including placed) in the third cavity 308 (on the third cavity piece 326).

As an example of the above-mentioned setting process, one sealing resin R (for convenience of explanation, referred to as "first sealing resin R") prepared in the resin preparation process is transported by a transport device (e.g., second loader 23, etc.) and placed in the third cavity 308 (on the third cavity piece 326) with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed facing down. Next, the work W supplied from the supply magazine 12 is transported by a transport device (e.g., second loader 23, etc.) and placed on the first sealing resin R. Next, the other sealing resin R (for convenience of explanation, referred to as "second sealing resin R") prepared in the resin preparation process is transported by a transport device (e.g., second loader 23, etc.) and placed on the work W with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed facing up.

Or, as another example of the setting process, the first sealing resin R and the second sealing resin R prepared in the resin preparation process and the workpiece W supplied from the supply magazine 12 are stacked so that the workpiece W is sandwiched between the two (first and second) sealing resins R arranged so that the carriers C are on the outside (i.e., the first sealing resin R is prepared with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed on the lower side, the workpiece W is placed on the first sealing resin R, and the second sealing resin R is placed on the workpiece W with the surface on which the carrier C is exposed on the upper side). Next, the first sealing resin R, the workpiece W, and the second sealing resin R in this stacked state are transported by a transport device (e.g., the second loader 23, etc.) and placed in the third cavity 308 (on the third cavity piece 326). In this case, there is an advantage in that the workpiece W and the two sealing resins R are transported to the third mold 302 in one go, rather than being transported separately. In addition, the first sealing resin R and the second sealing resin R can be supplied simultaneously to the heated sealing mold (third mold 302), which has the advantage that the thermal history does not change.

After all of the above steps are performed, a resin sealing step is performed in which the workpiece W is sealed with sealing resin R (sandwiched between two sealing resins R in this embodiment) and processed into a molded product Wp. Specifically, the third mold 302 is closed, and a mold closing step (third mold closing step) is performed in which the sealing resin R is heated and pressurized against the workpiece W (see FIG. 19). At this time, the third clamper 328 abuts against the upper plate 342 (mold surface 304a) via the film F, and the third cavity piece 326 rises relatively within the third cavity 308. This mold closing step thermally hardens the sealing resin R to complete the resin sealing (compression molding), and a molded product Wp having the shape shown in FIG. 15A (i.e., the same shape as when the second mold 202 is used) is formed. In this embodiment, the workpiece W is sandwiched between sealing resin R with a carrier C from above and below and compressed and molded from above and below as shown in FIG. 18, but as another example, as shown in FIG. 22, sealing resin R with a carrier C may be used only on one side, and the other side may be sealing resin R without a carrier C.

After the third mold closing step, the third mold 302 is opened, and the molded product Wp is separated from the used film F to enable removal of the molded product Wp (third mold opening step) (see FIG. 20). Next, the molded product removal step is performed in which the molded product Wp (as an example, held by the holding portion 305 of the upper plate 342) is removed from the third mold 302 by a conveying device (e.g., the third loader 24, etc.) and conveyed to the storage unit 10C.

After or in parallel with the molded product removal process, the third lower die film supply unit 311 and the third upper die film supply unit 313 are operated to send out the used film F from the third die 302 and to send and set new film F into the third die 302, thereby carrying out a film supply process (third lower die film supply process, third upper die film supply process).

Furthermore, after the molded product removal process, a carrier peeling process is carried out in which the carrier C is peeled off from the molded product Wp using a carrier peeling device 16. As a result, a molded product Wp having the shape shown in FIG. 15B is formed. Note that in this process, the molded product Wp may be inverted midway and the upper and lower carriers C may be peeled off in sequence using one peeling mechanism, or the molded product Wp may not be inverted and the upper and lower carriers C may be peeled off separately using two peeling mechanisms.

After the carrier peeling process, a process is carried out in which the carrier C peeled off from the molded product Wp is transported from the storage unit 10C to the resin forming unit 10E (or the base resin supply unit 10D) by a transport device (e.g., the third loader 24, etc.) (the carrier C can be finally returned to the resin forming section 50). Note that if the carrier C is used as a heat sink or the like in the final product, it is not necessarily necessary to peel off the carrier C.

With the above configuration, the carrier C can be peeled off from the molded product Wp and reused in the forming process in which the sealing resin R (i.e., the base resin Rm to which the carrier C is fixed) is formed in the forming device 1. This makes it possible to reduce manufacturing costs by reducing the number of parts (total number of carriers C required). In addition, since there is no need to prepare many carriers C in advance, it is possible to miniaturize the device, particularly in terms of the size of the storage section for the carrier C (e.g., a stocker) and the installation space.

Furthermore, after the carrier peeling process, a cutting process is carried out to cut the molded product Wp at a predetermined position (the position indicated by the dashed line in FIG. 15B). Specifically, a cutting device 18 is used to cut the area of the molded product Wp from which the carrier C has been peeled in the thickness direction, and the outer edge is removed. This makes it possible to form a molded product Wp (final target shape) having the shape shown in FIG. 15C, i.e., a thin resin thickness (resin thickness in the upper or lower part of the workpiece W).

After the cutting process, a storage process is carried out in which the molded product Wp (in this embodiment, the carrier C has been peeled off and the product has been cut at a predetermined position) is stored in the storage magazine 14. It is also possible to store the molded product Wp without carrying out the carrier peeling process or the cutting process (i.e., in a state in which the product has not been peeled or cut). The carrier peeling device 16 and the cutting device 18 may be provided separately from the compression molding device 2, in which case the molded product Wp in a state in which it has not been peeled or cut may be stored.

The above are the main steps of the compression molding method performed using the compression molding device 2 (when equipped with the third mold 302). However, the above order of steps is only an example, and the order of steps can be changed or steps can be performed in parallel as long as no problems occur.

As explained above, according to the present invention, it is possible to form a sealing resin that can provide the following effects. In other words, by using the sealing resin according to the present invention, it is possible to prevent molding defects caused by uneven distribution, residual gas, and dust generation during molding, and it is possible to realize a compression molding device and compression molding method that can form a molded product with a thin resin part. In addition, it is possible to facilitate handling before resin sealing. In addition, it is possible to prevent breakage during handling.

Furthermore, with the forming method according to the present invention, the carrier can be peeled off from the molded product and reused in the forming process in which the sealing resin is formed, which reduces the number of parts, thereby lowering manufacturing costs and enabling the miniaturization of the device, mainly the carrier storage section.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Claims (4)

a carrier placing step of placing a carrier, which is a plate-like member, on a bottom surface of a cavity of a mold so as to be in contact with the bottom surface of the mold;
a resin placing step of placing a resin in the cavity after the carrier placing step;
a temporary molded product forming step of forming a temporary molded product by sealing the carrier placed in the carrier placing step with the resin placed in the resin placing step;
a molded product forming step of forming a molded product by heating or pressurizing a workpiece having electronic components and the temporary molded product while they are in contact with each other. a carrier peeling step of peeling the carrier from the molded product;
2. The method for forming a molded product according to claim 1, further comprising the step of forming the temporary molded product by sealing the carrier peeled off in the carrier peeling step with the resin. A sealing resin including a carrier that is a plate-shaped member and a resin,
The sealing resin has an exposed portion where the carrier is exposed in a part of the sealing resin. 4. The sealing resin according to claim 3, wherein the sealing resin has a resin sealing portion on the surface on which the exposed portion is formed, the resin sealing portion being outside the exposed portion and from which the carrier is not exposed.

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