JPH09314663A - Laminator - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [PROBLEMS] To provide a laminator newly provided with an effective heating means for softening a resist during lamination. A laminator for continuously laminating a film 2 having a photosensitive resist adhered on one surface thereof onto a substrate 1 by a pair of laminating rolls 4 is provided.
A film guide 5 for guiding the film portion before being laminated to the laminating roll 4 is provided. When guiding the film portion before being laminated, the film guide 5 comes into contact with the surface of the film portion to which the resist is not attached. The film guide 5 is provided with a heater 6. By the heater 6, the film guide 5
The temperature of the contact surface of the film portion before being laminated is increased. Another heater 7 is held at the front end of the heating unit 13. The heater 7 heats the film portion before the lamination, at a position facing the surface to which the resist is attached and closely facing the film portion.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is for temporarily attaching the front end of a film having a photosensitive resist attached to one surface to the front end of a substrate and continuously laminating the film on the substrate by a laminating roll. Regarding the laminator of. Such a laminator is used, for example, to laminate a photosensitive resist film on a substrate for a printed circuit or a glass substrate for a flat display, prior to an exposure step of transferring a pattern of an electric circuit or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art An example of a typical laminator in which a front end of a photosensitive resist film is temporarily attached to a front end of a substrate and then the film is continuously laminated on the substrate by a pair of laminating rolls (compression rolls) is known. Japanese Patent Publication Sho 62-4
It is disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 9169. In this laminator, the substrate is conveyed toward the film temporary tacking position by the entrance side conveyor, temporarily stopped at the film temporary tacking position, and then the film front end is temporarily tacked to the front end by the film temporary tacking device. It is sent in between and the film is laminated. The film portion before being laminated is guided by the fill guide while the surface not coated with the resist is brought into contact with the film guide arranged on the front side of the laminating roll, and is fed between the pair of laminating rolls. .

Good mutual adhesion is required between the substrate and the photosensitive resist film, and it can be said that such adhesion is determined by the following conditions.

1. Laminating roll pressure and temperature 2. Temperature of resist and substrate during lamination 3. Laminating speed 4. Characteristics of Substrate and Film In recent years, the pattern formed on the substrate tends to have a narrow line width. Therefore, the demand for improving the adhesiveness between the photosensitive resist film and the substrate is increasing. On the other hand, in order to improve productivity, it is necessary to increase the laminating speed, but the higher the speed, the more difficult it is to obtain high adhesion.

It is known that when the film and the substrate during lamination are heated to an appropriate temperature, the adhesion is improved. It is considered that this is because the photosensitive resist attached to the film is sufficiently softened at the time of lamination and is accompanied by another state change, so that the film easily adheres to the substrate. In consideration of this point, the laminating roll in the conventional laminator is a hot roll having a built-in heater. Such hot rolls heat both the substrate and the film overlaid during lamination, thereby softening the resist. At the same time, the hot roll presses the softened resist on the film onto the substrate by pressing force to bring the film and the substrate into close contact with each other.

However, when the laminating speed is increased to improve the productivity, it is often impossible to sufficiently soften the resist by heating with a hot roll. This is because the hot roll rotates faster, and it is not possible to obtain the contact heating time for raising the temperature of the substrate and the film to a desired temperature. As a result, the state of laminating depends almost only on the applied pressure, and sufficiently high adhesion cannot be obtained.

Therefore, a preheater device for preheating the substrate before being put into the laminator is used.
It is generally performed in the preceding step of the laminator. By heating the substrate in contact with the resist,
The idea is to soften the resist during lamination. By using such a preheater device together with a hot roll, the temperature of the substrate during lamination can be further increased. Therefore, the degree of softening of the resist is promoted, and the adhesiveness between the film and the substrate is also improved.

However, under the demand to increase the laminating speed, the resist cannot be sufficiently softened at the time of laminating even if the above-mentioned preheater device is added, and therefore a desired high adhesion can be obtained. There are many cases where the sex is not obtained.

[0009]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a laminator additionally provided with an effective heating means for softening the resist during lamination.

[0010]

Means for Solving the Problems The inventor of the present invention has noticed that no suitable means for preheating the film itself having a resist to be softened before laminating (preheating) has been proposed so far. , Has developed a laminator equipped with such heating means.

According to the present invention, the laminator for temporarily attaching the front end of the film having the photosensitive resist attached to one surface to the front end of the substrate and continuously laminating the film on the substrate by the laminating roll. Which comprises a film guide for guiding the pre-laminated film portion to the laminating roll while contacting the surface of the pre-laminated film portion to which the resist is not attached, A laminator is provided in which the guide is provided with a heater, and the heater can raise the temperature of the surface of the film guide that is in contact with the film portion before being laminated.

In place of the heater provided in the film guide, or in addition to the heater provided in the film guide, a resist is attached to the film portion before the lamination which is guided by the film guide. You may provide the heater which can be arrange | positioned so that it may closely face and oppose. This heater also heats the film portion before being laminated.

The heater, which can be arranged so as to face the resist-adhered surface of the pre-laminated film portion in close proximity to the resist-adhered surface, is arranged so as to approach and separate from the resist-adhered surface. It can be movable.

Any of the heaters may be activated only when the film portion before being laminated is guided by the film guide, and may be inactivated otherwise.

[0015]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The laminator 3 shown in FIG. 1 has substantially the same structure as that disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 62-49169, but as described later, a film guide 5 is provided with a heater. , A new heating unit 13
It is different in that it is equipped with.

The operation of the laminator 3 will be briefly described.
The substrate 1 conveyed by the roller conveyor 8 from the left side of FIG. 1 is temporarily stopped at the position where the front end reaches the temporary attachment block 14 (film temporary attachment position). The photosensitive resist film 2 wound in the shape of the roll 15 is
It is pulled out from the roll state, and its tip is adsorbed and held by the temporary block 14. The temporary attachment block 14 approaches the front end of the substrate 1, temporarily attaches the front end (resist side) of the film 2 to the front end, and then returns to the retracted position shown. The substrate 1 starts to be transported to the right again, and almost at the same time, the front end of the substrate 1 to which the leading end of the film 2 is temporarily attached enters between the pair of laminating rolls 4. Laminating roll 4
As the film rotates, the film 2 is continuously laminated on the substrate 1. At this time, the film 2 is guided between the laminating rolls 4 while being pulled out from the roll state, with the surface on which the resist is not attached being in contact with the film guide 5. Continuous film 2
Is cut into an appropriate length according to the length of the substrate 1, and finally a film sheet is laminated on the substrate 1. The film guide 5 guides the rear end of the cut film sheet while suctioning and holding the rear end so that the rear end does not hang down on the substrate 1.

Details of the film guide 5 having a heater and the heating unit 13 are shown in FIG. A flat heater 6 is provided on a part of the film guide 5. The heater 6 heats the film guide 5 so that at least the surface contacting the film 2 is sufficiently heated. The film guide 5 with the heater 6 plays a role of heating the film portion before being laminated, which is in contact with the film guide 5, from the surface side where the resist is not attached.

On the other hand, the heating unit 13 is provided with a heater 7 for heating the film portion before being laminated from the surface side on which the resist is attached. The heating unit 13 further holds the heater 7 at the front end and is movable in the substrate advancing direction, that is, in the left-right direction in FIG. 2, a guide 10 for guiding the movement of the rod 9, and an air cylinder for driving the rod 9. 11 and 11. The front end of the rod of the air cylinder 11 is connected to the rear end of the rod 9, and the rear end of the air cylinder 11 is attached to the base 12 of the laminator together with the guide 10. Rod 9
The heater 7 held at the front end of is movable by the operation of the air cylinder 11 so as to take a position closer to the film guide 5 or a position farther from the film guide 5. In other words, the heater 7 is movable so as to move toward and away from the resist-attached surface of the pre-laminated film portion guided by the film guide 5. The heater 7 is placed in the film 2 at a position (indicated by a chain double-dashed line) that is close to and faces the surface to which the resist is attached.
Heat. The heater 7 directly heats the resist to soften it. The heater 7 is the film guide 5
The position away from is used to avoid interference with the tacking block 14 when tacking the film 2.

The heater 6 and the heater 7 are preferably controlled by a temperature sensor so as to maintain a constant temperature. Further, the heater 6 and the heater 7 are in an operating state (ON) only when the film 2 passes through the film guide 5, and other than that. You may make it a non-operating state (OFF).

The shape of the heater 7 shown is a shape corresponding to the curved shape of the film contact surface of the film guide 5, but it may be a heater having another shape, for example, a circular cross section.

The heater 6 also has a flat plate shape in the drawing, but may have another shape. Further, the heater 6 may be attached to another position of the film guide 5 other than the illustrated place.

As the heater 7, it is desirable to use an infrared heater or a far infrared heater. However,
It is also possible to use a completely different type of heater. For example, a nozzle device that blows hot air onto the film may be used as the heater.

The heater 6 and the heater 7 can be used at the same time, but can also be used individually.

The laminator according to the present invention is preferably used in combination with a preheater device which preheats the substrate before being put into the laminator. further,
The laminating roll in the laminator according to the present invention is
It is preferable to use a hot roll with a built-in heater.
Thus, in addition to the heater used in the present invention, it is possible to cumulatively increase the heat energy for softening the resist on the film by using other known heating means together. The laminating speed can be further increased.

[0025]

According to the present invention, there is provided a laminator provided with new heating means for preheating a film before laminating. In order to soften the resist, the heating means in the present invention of preheating the film having the resist itself is most effective. A film in which the resist is sufficiently softened can be laminated on a substrate with high adhesion. Therefore, there is no problem even in the exposure of a pattern having a narrow drawing line width. It can also handle high laminating speeds.

Further, when heaters are provided on both front and back sides of the film, both sides of the film can be simultaneously heated by different heaters, so that a particularly effective heating state can be obtained.

Further, a more preferable heating state can be obtained by using the laminator according to the present invention having means for preheating the film in combination with a known substrate preheater device or a hot roll for heating the substrate and the film during the laminator.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view of an embodiment of a laminator according to the present invention.
The lower laminating mechanism is substantially the same as the upper laminating mechanism, so that the illustration is omitted.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary side view showing a portion where a heater is provided in the laminate according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 substrate, 2 photosensitive resist film, 3 laminator, 4 laminating roll, 5 film guide, 6
Heater, 7 heater, 8 roller conveyor, 9 rod, 10 guide, 11 air cylinder, 12 base, 13 heating unit, 14 temporary block, 15
roll.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A laminator for temporarily attaching the front end of a film having a photosensitive resist adhered to one surface thereof to the front end of a substrate and continuously laminating the film on the substrate by a laminating roll, comprising: In a film guide for guiding the pre-laminated film portion to the laminating roll while contacting the surface of the pre-laminated film portion to which the resist is not attached, a heater is provided in the film guide. A laminator that is provided and is capable of raising the temperature of the surface of the film guide that is in contact with the film portion before being laminated by the heater. 2. A laminator for temporarily attaching the front end of a film having a photosensitive resist adhered to one surface thereof to the front end of a substrate and continuously laminating the film on the substrate by a laminating roll. In a film guide for guiding the pre-laminated film part to the laminating roll while being in contact with the surface of the pre-laminated film part which is not coated with resist, the film guide is guided by the film guide. A heater is provided which can be arranged so as to face the resist-attached surface of the film portion before being laminated, and to heat the film portion before being laminated by the heater. Laminator that is designed to do. 3. A laminator for temporarily attaching the front end of a film having a photosensitive resist adhered to one surface thereof to the front end of a substrate and continuously laminating the film on the substrate by a laminating roll. In a film guide for guiding the pre-laminated film portion to the laminating roll while contacting the surface of the pre-laminated film portion to which the resist is not attached, a heater is provided in the film guide. The heater is provided so that the temperature of the surface of the film guide that is in contact with the film portion before being laminated can be raised, and the film portion before being laminated is guided by the film guide. , A heater that can be placed so as to closely face the surface to which the resist is attached is provided. Is and, by the heater is adapted to heat the film portion prior to said laminating, laminator. 4. The heater, which can be arranged so as to closely face the surface to which the resist is attached, of the film portion before being laminated, approaches and separates from the surface to which the resist is attached. The laminator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the laminator is movable. 5. The heater is activated only when the film portion before being laminated is guided by the film guide, and is otherwise inactivated. Laminator according to any one of 1 to 4.