JPH09108604A - Dispenser - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) Abstract: A dispenser capable of accurately detecting the remaining amount of a coating material in a material container without being influenced by the physical properties of the coating material used. SOLUTION: A cylindrical material container 1 having a coating nozzle 2 attached to its tip and a coating material 3 injected into the material container 1
Has a movable cap 4 inserted into the material container 1 in a state of being in contact with the upper layer surface, and a material extruding mechanism for discharging the coating material 3 from the coating nozzle 2 by applying air pressure to the movable cap 4; Movable cap 4 in container 1
And a detection mechanism that detects the position of the movable cap 4 from the output signal of the sensor 13 by using the shaft 9 as an object to be detected.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a dispenser used for applying a bonding material to a chip mounting surface (die pad surface) of a lead frame in a die bonding process for bonding a semiconductor chip to a lead frame. .

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing the structure of a die bonding apparatus having a dispenser. The die bonder 50 shown in FIG.
Lead frame carrying section 52, dispenser 53, bonding head section 54, lead frame housing section 55
It is composed of

The lead frame supplying section 51 takes out the molded lead frames 56 one by one and supplies them onto the guide rail 52a of the lead frame conveying section 52. The lead frame carrying section 52 is provided with the guide rails 5.
2 the lead frame 56 supplied on the pusher 52
While being pushed out by b, the lead frame 56 is sequentially conveyed along the guide rail 52a by the three clamp levers 52c arranged at a constant interval. The dispenser 53 applies the liquid bonding material injected into the material container (syringe) 53a by air pressure to the coating nozzle 53.
It is discharged from b, and the discharged bonding material is applied to the chip mounting surface (die pad surface) of the lead frame 56 in a predetermined coating pattern. The bonding head part 54 transfers the semiconductor chip 58 divided into individual pieces from the wafer 57 to the chip mounting surface of the lead frame 56 while sucking and holding the semiconductor chip 58 by the collet 54a, and bonding the both by using the bonding material previously applied. It is what is joined. The lead frame storage unit 55 stores the chip-mounted lead frames 56 one by one in the magazine 55a.

By the way, the remaining amount of the bonding material injected into the material container 53a gradually decreases as the application to the lead frame 56 is repeated. When the remaining amount of the bonding material in the material container 53a becomes zero, defective bonding of the semiconductor chip 58 occurs due to blanking. Therefore, generally, compressed air is supplied from the upper part of the material container 53a for a time set by a timer. The number of times of supplying (the number of times of applying the bonding material) is counted by a counter 59 provided separately as shown in FIG. 8, and when the count value reaches a preset reference count value, the bonding material is exhausted. (Zero remaining amount) was detected.

[0005]

However, in the prior art, the reference count value for the remaining amount of the bonding material in the material container 53a was set depending on the experience of the operator, so that the detection of the remaining amount of zero varies. However, it was not possible to accurately detect the loss of the bonding material.
Therefore, in order to avoid blank driving with zero remaining amount, there is no choice but to set a reference counter value while allowing for a predetermined amount of margin, which results in waste of bonding material and the number of times the die bonder is stopped. There was a problem such as an increase.

Therefore, in the prior art, there is an idea to detect the remaining amount of the bonding material using a sensor. To give a typical example, one is to attach a sensor 60 above the material container 53a, as shown in FIG.
The sensor light is reflected by the upper layer surface of the bonding material 61 injected into the container, and the remaining amount of the bonding material is detected by sensing the reflected light. The other is shown in FIG. 9 (b). Thus, the sensor 60 is attached to the outer peripheral surface of the material container 53a, and the remaining amount of the bonding material 61 is detected when the upper layer surface of the bonding material 61 is below the detection position L of the sensor 60.

However, in the former case, the bonding material 6
When 1 is highly viscous, the upper surface of the material on which the light of the sensor 60 reflects is not necessarily flat, so that the remaining amount of the bonding material cannot be accurately detected due to the deviation of the optical axes of the incident light and the reflected light. there were. Also in the latter case, when the bonding material 61 has a high viscosity, the bonding material 61 adheres and remains on the inner peripheral surface of the material container 53a, and the sensor 60 detects the remaining bonding material 61.
There has been a problem that the upper layer of the material that should be originally detected cannot be detected, resulting in erroneous detection. Further, in both cases, when the bonding material 61 is transparent, the sensor 60 does not sense at all, and thus there is a problem that detection cannot be performed.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and its purpose is to accurately detect the remaining amount of the coating material in the material container without being influenced by the physical properties of the coating material. It is to provide a dispenser that can.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to achieve the above-mentioned object, and includes a cylindrical material container having a coating nozzle at its tip and a coating material injected into the material container. It has a movable cap that is inserted into the material container in contact with the upper layer surface, and a material extrusion mechanism that discharges the coating material from the coating nozzle by applying air pressure to the movable cap, and a movable inside the material container. A structure including a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the cap is adopted.

In the dispenser having the above structure, when the air pressure is applied to the movable cap for a predetermined time by the material extruding mechanism, the movable cap is pushed in one direction by the air pressure, and a fixed amount is applied according to the pushing amount. Material is expelled from the application nozzle. At this time,
Since the position of the movable cap in the material container corresponds to the remaining amount of coating material, it is possible to accurately detect the remaining amount of coating material by detecting the position of the movable cap with the detection mechanism. Become.

[0011]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention. In the dispenser shown in FIG. 1, a coating nozzle 2 for spot coating is provided on the tip of a cylindrical material container (syringe) 1.
Is installed. The coating nozzle 2 may have various shapes depending on the coating pattern (dot coating, line coating, etc.) on a predetermined surface to be coated.

A liquid coating material 3 is poured into the material container 1. As the coating material 3, for example, in the context of semiconductor manufacturing, there are encapsulating resins for semiconductor chips, die bonding paste for fixing semiconductor chips, cream solder, adhesives, marking liquids, and the like. Further, a movable cap 4 is inserted in the material container 1 formed by injecting the coating material 3. The movable cap 4 is formed in a disk shape having an outer diameter substantially the same as the inner diameter of the material container 3, and is movably inserted in the material container 1 in its axial direction (vertical direction in the drawing). Further, the movable cap 4 is inserted and arranged in the material container 1 with its lower surface side in contact with the upper layer surface of the coating material 3.

On the other hand, an adapter 5 is attached to the rear end of the material container 1. The adapter 5 is engaged and fixed to the collar portion 1a at the rear end of the container via a sealing material 6. The lower end of the adapter 5 is fitted to the rear end of the material container 1 by a predetermined amount, so that the material container 1 and the adapter 5 are coaxially connected to each other. Further, a guide hole 7 corresponding to a shaft diameter, which will be described later, and an escape hole 8 having a slightly larger hole diameter are formed coaxially in the center of the adapter 5. Of these, the shaft 9 is inserted into the guide hole 7 located below.

The shaft 9 serves as an object to be detected by a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the movable cap 4 in the material container 1. The shaft 9 is located in the escape hole 8 and below the seal member 10. It is slidably supported by the guide hole 7. Further, the lower end 9a of the shaft 9 is in contact with the upper surface of the movable cap 4, and while keeping this state, the shaft 9 which is the object to be detected can slide following the movement of the movable cap 4.

In addition, on the upper outer peripheral surface of the adapter 5,
A sensor mounting hole 11 and an air supply hole 12 are vertically provided at a predetermined interval. Among these, the sensor mounting hole 11 is formed above the mounting position of the seal member 10 and in a state of communicating with the escape hole 8, and the air supply hole 12 is below the mounting position of the seal member 10 and the escape hole. It is formed in a state of communicating with 8. A non-contact sensor (proximity sensor) 13, which is an active component of the detection mechanism, is attached to the sensor mounting hole 11. Sensor 13
The ON / OFF signal is switched depending on whether or not the shaft 9 is present at the detection position L. On the other hand, a joint 14 is attached to the air supply hole 12, and an air supply device is connected to the joint 14 via an air tube (not shown).

Here, the length of the shaft 9 which is the object to be detected of the detection mechanism is determined when the movable cap 4 is at the lowest position in the material container 1, that is, when the remaining amount of the coating material 3 becomes zero. The shaft upper end 9b is set so as to be displaced from the detection position L of the sensor 13. Further, when compressed air is supplied from an air supply device (not shown) through the air supply hole 12, the space of the escape hole 8 sealed by the seal member 10 and the space above the cap so as to apply the air pressure to the movable cap 4. Air introduction hole (not shown) that communicates with the space
Is drilled in the adapter 5.

Next, the operation function of the dispenser of the first embodiment will be described. First, in one coating operation, compressed air is supplied for a predetermined time from an air supply device (not shown) which is a drive source of the material extruding mechanism.
Then, the air pressure accompanying the supply of the compressed air is applied to the movable cap 4 in the material container 1 through the escape hole 8 and the air introduction hole (not shown). As a result, the movable cap 4 is pushed downward by a predetermined amount, and a fixed amount of the coating material 3 is discharged from the coating nozzle 2 at the tip of the container according to the pushing amount. At this time, the shaft 9 slides following the movement of the movable cap 4, so that the shaft 9 is pushed downward by the air pressure.
Is also displaced downward.

After that, when the number of times of coating is repeated, the remaining amount of the coating material 3 in the material container 1 gradually decreases. Until the remaining amount of the coating material 3 becomes zero, the detection position L of the sensor 13 is blocked and the shaft 9 is arranged in the vicinity thereof, so that the output signal of the sensor 13 during that period is held in the ON state. On the other hand, when the movable cap 4 reaches the lower limit position and the remaining amount of the coating material 3 becomes zero, the upper end 9b of the shaft 9 deviates from the detection position L of the sensor 13, so that it is kept in the ON state until then. The output signal of the sensor 13 is switched to the off state. Therefore, by stopping the die-bonding device or the like at the switching timing of the output signal of the sensor 13, it is possible to eliminate problems such as waste of the coating material 3 and defective bonding due to blanking.

As described above, in the first embodiment, the degree of decrease of the coating material 3 is replaced by the movement of the movable cap 4, and the shaft 9 which slides by linking with the movement of the movable cap 4 is used as the object to be detected. Since the position of the movable cap 4 can be detected based on the output signal of the sensor 13,
The remaining amount of the coating material 3 can be uniquely obtained from the detection result. In addition, regardless of the physical properties of the coating material 3 (viscosity, reflectance, color, etc.), the degree of decrease of the coating material 3 is reflected in the movement of the movable cap 4. However, it is possible to accurately detect the remaining amount.

In the first embodiment, the shaft 9 is supported by the seal member 10 in order to apply the air pressure to the movable cap 4, but the shaft 9 is not supported.
Depending on the frictional force generated between the seal member 10 and the seal member 10, there is a possibility that the shaft 9 may not slide smoothly due to the movement of the movable cap 4. Therefore, a dispenser configuration for solving the above-mentioned concern will be described below as a second embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows a second dispenser according to the present invention.
It is a sectional side view showing an embodiment. In the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicated description will be omitted. In the dispenser shown in FIG. 2, the seal member 6 is provided at the rear end of the material container 1.
The adapter 5 is attached via. An adapter plug 15 is integrally connected to the adapter 5 by screwing.

As shown in FIG. 3, the adapter plug 15 includes a fitting portion 15a which is a fitting portion for the material container 1, and a coupling portion 15 having an outer diameter smaller than that and having a male screw.
b, and the connecting portion 15b is screwed into the plug attaching portion 16 (FIG. 2) on the adapter 5 side. A guide hole 15c for guiding the shaft 9 is formed in the center of the adapter plug 15, and the guide hole 1
Four air introduction holes 15d are concentrically formed around 5c at equal pitches.

In addition, the upper surface of the movable cap 4 is shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 5, a recess 4a corresponding to the outer diameter of the shaft 9 is formed. The recess 4a is for supporting the shaft 9 in an upright state together with the guide hole 15c of the adapter plug 15, and the lower end 9a of the shaft 9 inserted into the guide hole 15c is fitted in the recess 4a. As a result, the shaft 9 can be slid smoothly by linking to the movement of the movable cap 4 without generating a frictional force due to the seal member.

Further, a shaft accommodating cylinder 17 is formed integrally with the adapter 5 so as to communicate with the plug mounting hole 16. The shaft accommodating cylinder 17 is a shaft 9 that serves as a detection target.
For housing the opening of the upper end of the joint 1
4 closed. One end of an air tube 18 is connected to the joint 14, and the other end of the tube is connected to an air supplier 19 which is a drive source of the material extruding mechanism. On the other hand, a sensor mounting hole 11 is formed in the root portion of the shaft housing cylinder 17, and a sensor 13, which is an active component of the detection mechanism, is mounted in the sensor mounting hole 11. The length of the shaft 9 which is the detection target is the same as that of the first embodiment.
Is set so that the upper end 9b of the shaft is displaced from the detection position of the sensor 13 at the time of the lowest (when the remaining amount of the coating material 3 becomes zero).

In the dispenser of the second embodiment having the above structure, when compressed air is supplied from the air supply device 19 which is a drive source of the material extruding mechanism for a predetermined time, it is sent into the adapter 5 through the air tube 18. Be done. Thereby, the air pressure by the compressed air is applied to the movable cap 4 through the air introduction hole 15d (FIG. 2) of the adapter plug 15. Therefore, the movable cap 4 is pushed downward by a predetermined amount, and a fixed amount of the coating material 3 is applied from the coating nozzle 2 at the tip of the container according to the pushing amount.
Is exhaled. At this time, since the shaft 9 slides smoothly following the movement of the movable cap 4,
The shaft 9 is also displaced downward by the amount that the movable cap 4 is pushed downward by the air pressure.

After that, the remaining amount of the coating material 3 decreases as the number of coatings increases, but the shaft 9 is placed at the detection position of the sensor 13 until the remaining amount of the coating material 3 in the material container 1 reaches zero. Since they are arranged close to each other, the output signal of the sensor 13 between them is held in the ON state. In contrast, FIG.
As shown in, when the movable cap 4 reaches the lower limit position and the remaining amount becomes zero, the upper end 9b of the shaft deviates from the sensor detection position, and the sensor output signal switches from the ON state to the OFF state.

As described above, in the second embodiment, the remaining amount of the coating material 3 can be uniquely obtained without being influenced by the physical properties of the coating material 3 as in the first embodiment. Since the shaft 9 can be smoothly slid by being linked to the movement of the movable cap 4 without generating a frictional force by the seal member, the remaining amount of the coating material 3 can be detected with extremely high reliability. .

In each of the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the purpose is to accurately detect the time when the remaining amount of the coating material 3 becomes zero and avoid problems such as blank driving. Although only one sensor 13 is used, for example, in addition to the sensor 13 for detecting the remaining amount zero, a sensor for grasping the zero remaining time in advance may be separately provided. As a result, on the operator side, the replenishing work of the coating material 3 or the coating material 3 which is necessary when the remaining amount is zero
In preparation for the replacement work with the material container 1 filled with, it is possible to prepare and wait for the preparation, so the down time (dead time) of the device due to zero remaining amount can be shortened as much as possible. The rate is improved.

FIG. 6 shows a third dispenser according to the present invention.
It is a sectional side view showing an embodiment. In the dispenser shown in FIG. 6, the linear sensor 20 is adopted as a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the movable cap 4 in the material container 1. The linear sensor 20 includes a slidable sensor shaft 20a, which linearly detects the cap position from the protrusion amount of the sensor shaft 20a, and is attached to the upper end of the adapter 5 mounted on the material container 1. Further, the sensor shaft 20a of the linear sensor 20
Is led out into the material container 1 through an escape hole 8 and a guide hole 7 formed in the adapter 5, and its lower end is abutted against the upper surface of the movable cap 4. The rest of the configuration is almost the same as that of the first embodiment, so the description is omitted.

In the third embodiment, when air pressure is applied to the movable cap 4 to eject the coating material 3 from the coating nozzle 2, the sensor shaft 20a slides in conjunction with the movement of the movable cap 4. Therefore, if the shaft protrusion amount when the sensor shaft 20a is in the lowest position is grasped as a reference amount in advance, the shaft protrusion amount detected by the linear sensor 20 and the previously grasped reference amount are compared to determine the coating material 3 The remaining amount can be detected in real time. As a result, it becomes possible to finely control the operating status of various devices and the usage status of the coating material 3, and thus the productivity can be improved. Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments described above, the coating amount of the coating material must be indirectly controlled from the supply time of the compressed air, but in the case of the third embodiment, the inner diameter of the material container 1 And the moving amount of the movable cap 4 detected by the linear sensor, it is possible to directly grasp and manage the applied amount of the applied material. Therefore, the sliding resistance between the material container 1 and the movable cap 4 and the head difference of the applied material 3 can be measured. It is also possible to eliminate variations in the coating amount due to factors such as the above.

The dispenser according to the present invention is not limited to the semiconductor manufacturing field such as the die bonding process described above, but can be applied to all fields such as the manufacturing field of electric parts and mechanical parts, and household products and toy products. It can be widely adopted when a liquid material is applied to a portion to be applied.

[0032]

As described above, according to the dispenser of the present invention, since the position of the movable cap in the material container corresponds to the remaining amount of the coating material, the position of the movable cap is detected by the detection mechanism. By detecting, the remaining amount of the coating material can be accurately detected without being affected by the physical properties of the coating material used. As a result, it is possible to solve various problems (for example, defective chip joining in a die bonding apparatus) caused by blank driving that have occurred in the past. In addition, the device can be stopped when the coating material once injected into the material container is completely used up,
Not only is there no waste of coating material, but it is also expected that the operating rate will be greatly improved by reducing the number of machine stoppages due to setup changes.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view showing a first embodiment of a dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view showing a second embodiment of the dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a structural explanatory view of an adapter plug.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a part of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view for explaining a remaining amount detecting operation in the second embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view showing a third embodiment of the dispenser according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a die bonding apparatus including a dispenser.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a conventional remaining amount detecting means.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing another example of a conventional remaining amount detecting means.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Material Container 2 Coating Nozzle 3 Coating Material 4 Movable Cap 5 Adapter 9 Shaft (Detected Object) 12 Air Supply Hole 13 Sensor 18 Air Tube 19 Air Supplyer 20 Linear Sensor

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A cylindrical material container having a coating nozzle attached to a tip thereof, and a movable cap inserted into the material container in contact with an upper layer surface of the coating material injected into the material container. ,
A material extruding mechanism for ejecting the coating material from the coating nozzle by applying air pressure to the movable cap, and a detection mechanism for detecting the position of the movable cap in the material container are provided. Dispenser.