JP4528678B2 - Etching lead frame manufacturing method and cutting apparatus used therefor - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an etching lead frame manufacturing method and a cutting apparatus used therefor, and more particularly, an etching lead frame manufacturing method characterized by a method of cutting a lead frame connected to the band into individual pieces from the band and It is related with the cutting device used for this.

  As a lead frame manufacturing method, there is a method of manufacturing a lead frame by etching a metal strip formed in a long body (see Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In this manufacturing method, a resist pattern is formed on both surfaces of a metal strip, and the metal strip is etched using the resist pattern as a mask.

  FIG. 5 shows a schematic configuration of a cutting apparatus that cuts a lead frame into strips from a strip 10 in which a lead frame is continuously formed by etching a metal strip. In this cutting apparatus, the first cutting unit is configured such that the belt-like body 10 is stretched between the feed roller 20 and the tension roller 22 and the belt-like body 10 is pitch-fed by the feed roller 20 corresponding to one lead frame. The strip 10 is sequentially cut by the 30 and the second cutting unit 32 and cut into individual lead frames.

  FIG. 6 shows the steps of cutting out the lead frame 12 by the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 in order. In this cutting apparatus, the first cutting unit 30 cuts the bridge portion 13 that supports the front end portion of the lead frame 12, and the second cutting unit 32 cuts the bridge portion 14 that supports the rear end portion of the lead frame 12. The first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 are provided as an empty space with an interval of one pitch feed (corresponding to one lead frame) in the middle. Yes.

The belt-like body 10 is conveyed by the feed roller 20, and when the positioning sensor 33 attached to the first cutting unit 30 detects the alignment mark 15 provided on the lead frame 12, the feeding operation of the belt-like body 10 is stopped. The first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 are driven in a state where the belt-like body 10 is stopped, and the bridge portions 13 and 14 are cut, whereby the individual lead frame 12 is cut out.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-20987 JP 2003-49284 A

  In the cutting apparatus for the strip 10 shown in FIG. 6, for example, when the lead frame C is viewed, the first cutting unit 30 cuts the bridge portion 13 on the front end side (FIG. 6 (a)), and the pitch twice. The bridge portion 14 on the rear end side is cut by the second cutting unit 32 into individual pieces. Accordingly, if the pitch interval (arrangement interval) of each lead frame varies when the belt-like body 10 is pitch-fed, even if the alignment mark 15 is detected by the positioning sensor 33 and the belt-like body 10 is positioned accurately The lead frame 12 cannot be cut out.

In the manufacturing process of the etching lead frame, there is a step of forming a resist pattern on the metal strip, and in this step, exposure is performed one after another so that the seam of the exposure pattern of the lead frame is aligned with the metal strip. Therefore, if the exposure pattern positioning accuracy is low, the resist pattern formed on the metal strip is displaced, and the formation position of the lead frame formed on the strip varies.
Thus, in the process of manufacturing the etching lead frame, it is inevitable that there is a slight variation in the arrangement of the lead frame formed on the strip. As a result, even if the belt-like body 10 on which the lead frame 12 is formed is accurately pitch-fed and cut out, the formation accuracy of the lead frame 12 varies.

  The present invention has been made to solve these problems. Even in the case where the exposure position varies due to the exposure pattern in the manufacturing process of the etching lead frame, the lead frame is accurately separated from the strip. It is an object of the present invention to provide an etching lead frame manufacturing method and a cutting apparatus used therefor, which can be cut out into two, and can manufacture a lead frame with higher accuracy.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following arrangement.
That is, in the manufacturing method of an etching lead frame, which includes a step of performing etching on a metal strip to form a strip with a lead frame connected thereto, and a step of cutting the lead frame into individual pieces from the strip. In the step of cutting out the lead frame, the first cutting unit and the second cutting unit for cutting the connecting portions of the belt-like bodies on the front end side and the rear end side in the lead frame feeding direction, respectively, While arranging the empty space for one or more pitch feeds of the belt-like body, one cutting unit of the first and second cutting units is fixed in the transport direction of the belt-like body, The cutting unit is movably provided in the transport direction of the strip, and when the strip is pitch-fed, the one cutting unit The feed unit is controlled to be aligned with the cutting position of the lead frame, and one cutting portion of the lead frame and the strip is cut by the cutting unit, and the other cutting is performed while the strip is stopped. An operation for detecting a cutting position by the unit is performed, the cutting unit is positioned at the cutting position, and the other connecting portion between the lead frame and the belt-like body is cut.
In addition, as a method of detecting the cutting position by the first or second cutting unit, a method of providing an alignment mark on the belt-like body, a method of analyzing an image of a lead frame pattern formed on the belt-like body, or the like can be used.

  In addition, a first alignment mark and a second alignment mark are provided on the front end side and the rear end side in the lead direction of the lead frame, respectively, and the first cutting unit and the second cutting unit are provided with the A first positioning sensor and a second positioning sensor for detecting the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark, respectively, are provided, and the first and second positioning sensors are used when pitch-feeding the belt-like body. When one of the first and second alignment marks is detected by one of the first and second alignment marks, the feeding operation of the belt-like body is stopped, and one of the lead frame and the belt-like body is stopped by one of the first and second cutting units. In a state where the connecting portion is cut and the belt-like body is stopped, an operation of detecting the other alignment mark by the other positioning sensor is performed, and the other cutting is performed. Knit by characterized by cutting the other connecting portion between the lead frame and the strip. By providing the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark on the lead frame, and performing the lead frame feeding operation and cutting operation with reference to these alignment marks, the lead frame can be cut out more accurately. Become.

Further, in the lead frame manufacturing method, the cutting device for cutting a lead frame into individual pieces from the belt-like body, the first cutting unit for cutting a connecting portion on the front end side in the feed direction of the lead frame, and Cutting by the first positioning sensor that detects the cutting position by the first cutting unit, the second cutting unit that cuts the connecting portion on the rear end side in the feed direction of the lead frame, and the second cutting unit When the cutting position of one of the first and second cutting units is detected by one of the second positioning sensor for detecting the position and one of the first and second positioning sensors, the feeding operation of the belt-like body is stopped. Drive one cutting unit to cut the one connecting part, sweep the other of the first and second positioning sensors, Control for detecting the cutting position by the other of the first and second cutting units, aligning the other cutting unit to the detected position, and controlling to cut the other connecting portion by driving the other cutting unit The first positioning sensor detects a first alignment mark provided on the front end side of the lead frame in the feed direction, and detects the first cutting unit. The second positioning sensor is provided to define a cutting position, and the second positioning sensor detects a second alignment mark provided on the rear end side in the lead frame feeding direction to determine the cutting position of the second cutting unit. By being provided to define, it is possible to cut out the lead frame more accurately.
In addition, the first and second cutting units are provided with an angle adjusting mechanism for aligning the cutting position with the lead frame formed in the band-like body in the θ direction, so that the metal band-like body is provided. It is possible to correct the misalignment when the lead frame pattern is exposed and to cut out the lead frame more accurately.

  According to the etching lead frame manufacturing method and the cutting apparatus according to the present invention, even if the lead frame formed on the strip is misaligned, the lead frame can be aligned and cut out. An individual lead frame can be obtained by cutting the lead frame with high accuracy without being affected by variations in formation of the lead frame.

DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 shows an entire cutting apparatus that etches a metal strip and cuts the lead frame 12 into strips from a long strip 10 in which lead frames 12 having a predetermined pattern are continuously formed. The configuration is shown.
A feed roller 20 that pitch-feeds the belt-like body 10 according to the arrangement interval of the lead frames 12 is provided at a front position in the feed direction of the belt-like body 10, and a belt-like body between the feed roller 20 and a rear position in the feed direction. A tension roller 22 is provided to support 10 as if it is stretched.

  The cutting operation of the band-like body 10 is performed by the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 arranged at the transport position of the band-like body 10. The first cutting unit 30 is for cutting the bridge portion 13 connected to the front end portion of the lead frame 12 formed in the belt-like body 10, and is arranged behind the belt-like body 10 in the feeding direction. The second cutting unit 32 is for cutting the bridge portion 14 connected to the rear end portion of the lead frame 12 formed in the belt-like body 10. Is arranged.

The first cutting unit 30 is provided with a first positioning sensor 34 for detecting the first alignment mark 15 provided on the lead frame 12, and the second cutting unit 32 is provided on the lead frame 12. In addition, a second positioning sensor 36 for detecting the second alignment mark 16 is attached.
The first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32, the first positioning sensor 34 and the second positioning sensor 36, the feed roller 20 and the tension roller 22 are connected to a control unit 60 which controls their drive. Yes.

  In the cutting apparatus of the present embodiment and the conventional cutting apparatus shown in FIG. 5, the difference in configuration is that the first cutting unit 30 is movably provided in the transport direction of the strip 10, and the first positioning sensor 34 uses the first cutting unit 30. An alignment mechanism for aligning the first cutting unit 30 with the cutting position based on the detection result of the first alignment mark 15, and the second cutting unit 32 detecting the second alignment mark 16. 2 positioning sensors 36 are provided.

  FIG. 2 shows an alignment mechanism 50 provided in the first cutting unit 30. The alignment mechanism 50 includes a main body 30 a such as a punching die constituting the cutting unit 30, a unit base 52 that supports the main body 30 a, a drive motor 54 that moves the unit base 52 forward and backward in the transport direction of the strip 10, An angle adjusting mechanism 55 that rotates the main body 30a around an axis (vertical line) to align the θ direction is provided. The unit base 52 is engaged and supported by the linear guide 53, and is guided so that the moving direction (advancing and retreating) of the unit base 52 is parallel to the conveying direction of the belt-like body 10.

  The angle adjusting mechanism 55 engages the main body 30a of the cutting unit 30 with a pin 56 fixed to the unit base 52, and the main body 30a is rotatably provided around the axis of the pin 56 with respect to the unit base 52. An adjustment screw 57 that rotates 30 a and a dial gauge 58 that detects the amount of rotation of the main body 30 a in the θ direction are attached to the unit base 52. The adjusting screw 57 is engaged with one end side surface of the main body 30a, and is rotated so that the main body 30a swings around the pin 56 by rotating the adjusting screw 57.

  The second cutting unit 32 is disposed at a fixed position so that the second cutting unit 32 is positioned at the cutting position of the bridge portion 14 when the second positioning sensor 36 detects the second alignment mark 16 of the lead frame 12. However, the angle adjustment mechanism for positioning in the θ direction with respect to the lead frame 12 formed on the belt-like body 10 is the same as the angle adjustment mechanism 55 provided in the first cutting unit 30. A mechanism is provided.

FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of the lead frame 12 provided in the band 10 and the arrangement positional relationship between the band 10 and the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32.
Lead frames 12 are provided on the belt-like body 10 in a row in the longitudinal direction, and stays 11 are provided between adjacent lead frames 12 so as to cross the belt-like body 10 in the width direction. The bridge portions 13 and 14 are provided in a branched form. The lead frame 12 is connected to the bridge portions 13 and 14 at the front end portion and the receding portion, and is supported by the belt-like body 10 via the bridge portions 13 and 14 and the stay 11.

  The first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 are provided with a punching die for aligning the connecting portion between the bridge portions 13 and 14 and the lead frame 12 with the end face of the lead frame 12 and pulling it out. In the present embodiment, since the bridge portions 13 and 14 are connected to the end face of the lead frame 12 at two locations, the die for the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 is cut once. It is provided with a drop-out portion for pulling out the two bridge portions 13 and 14 by operation.

  Each lead frame 12 is provided with a first alignment mark 15 and a second alignment mark 16 on the front end side and the rear end side in the feeding direction of the strip 10. The first positioning sensor 34 attached to the first cutting unit 30 detects the first alignment mark 15, and the second positioning sensor 36 attached to the second cutting unit 32 is The second alignment mark 16 is detected.

Next, a method for cutting out the lead frames 12 from the strip 10 one by one using the cutting apparatus of this embodiment will be described.
First, the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 are aligned in the θ direction. In this alignment, when the exposure direction when the pattern of the lead frame 12 is exposed to the metal strip is shifted from the normal position in the θ direction, the lead frame 12 and the bridge portions 13 and 14 in the θ direction are shifted in the strip 10. Since it appears as misalignment, the misalignment is corrected by the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 so that the lead frame 12 can be accurately cut out.

The first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32 are aligned in the θ direction by cutting out a plurality of lead frames 12 from the strip 10 and checking the cutting positions to drop out the bridge portions 13 and 14. This is done by adjusting the angle adjustment mechanism so that the position matches the front end position and the rear end position of the lead frame 12.
In the angle adjusting mechanism 55 provided in the first cutting unit 30 shown in FIG. 2, the angle is adjusted by operating the adjusting screw 57 while watching the dial gauge 58. The second cutting unit 32 is aligned in the same manner.

  Since the misalignment in the θ direction when the metal strip is exposed may vary from lot to lot, it is performed in advance when cutting out different lots or different products. Of course, a position shift in the θ direction may also occur during each exposure operation on the metal strip, but if the correction in the θ direction is performed for the entire lot, it is sufficient for correcting the reference position.

  In the present embodiment, the angle is adjusted by manual operation while looking at the dial gauge 58. However, the first cutting unit is automatically analyzed by image analysis of the arrangement of the lead frame 12 formed on the band-like body 10. It is also possible to configure the angle of 30 and the second cutting unit 32 to be adjusted. For example, the first alignment mark 15 and the second alignment mark 16 provided on the lead frame 12 or the lead pattern is image-analyzed to detect a positional deviation in the θ direction, and an actuator is used instead of the adjusting screw 57. What is necessary is just to correct | amend the 1st cutting unit 30 and the 2nd cutting unit 32. FIG.

FIG. 4 shows a process of cutting the lead frame 12 into individual pieces from the strip 10 using the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32.
In FIG. 4A, first, the feeding roller 20 is driven to advance the belt-like body 10, and the second positioning sensor 36 provided in the second cutting unit 32 provides a second frame provided in the lead frame A. The state where the alignment mark 16 is detected is shown.
When the second positioning sensor 36 detects the second alignment mark 16, the feed roller 20 is stopped by the control unit 60, and the feed operation of the strip 10 is stopped at the same time.

When the strip 10 is positioned by the second positioning sensor 36, the second cutting unit 32 is driven, and the bridge portion 14 on the rear end side of the lead frame A is cut (FIG. 4B). Since the operation of cutting the bridge portion 14 is an operation of detecting the second alignment mark 16 by the second positioning sensor 36 and positioning the second cutting unit 32 with respect to the belt-like body 10, The bridge portion 14 can be cut by accurately aligning the cutting position with the rear end of the lead frame 12.
The second alignment mark 16 is provided on the rear end side of the lead frame 12, and the fact that the cutting position of the second alignment mark 16 and the bridge portion 14 is close also causes an error in the cutting position of the bridge portion 14. There is an effect to make it smaller.

On the other hand, for the first cutting unit 30, the controller 60 operates the drive motor 54 of the alignment mechanism to move the first positioning sensor 34 along the strip 10 from the front to the rear in the feed direction. Then, an operation of detecting the first alignment mark 15 on the front end side of the lead frame C is performed. FIG. 4B shows a state where the first positioning sensor 34 has detected the first alignment mark 15 of the lead frame C.
In the present embodiment, control is performed so that the first alignment sensor 15 is detected by moving the first positioning sensor 34 in one direction. Therefore, the starting point for starting the movement of the first positioning sensor 34 is the movement path. In order to ensure that the first alignment mark 15 is positioned on the way, it is moved from the front side with a margin.

  When the first alignment mark 15 is detected by the first positioning sensor 34, the controller 60 drives and controls the first cutting unit 30 to cut the bridge unit 13. In FIG. 4C, the first cutting unit 30 is positioned at the cutting position by the control unit 60 based on the detection result of the first positioning sensor 34, and the bridge portion 13 on the front end side of the lead frame C is in the first position. The state cut | disconnected by the cutting unit 30 is shown.

  FIG. 4D shows a halfway state in which the belt-like body 10 is fed by one pitch after the cutting operation of the bridge portions 14 and 13 by the second cutting unit 32 and the first cutting unit 30 is completed. During this feeding operation, the control unit 60 performs control to detect the second alignment mark 16 provided on the lead frame B by the second positioning sensor 36, and the first cutting unit 30 It returns to the original position from the movement destination position where the sweep operation for detecting the alignment mark 15 is performed. Then, the next cutting operation is performed when the belt-like body 10 moves forward by one pitch and reaches the state shown in FIG.

  In this way, the second positioning sensor 36 detects the second alignment mark 16 to stop the belt-like body 10, and the second cutting unit 32 cuts the bridge portion 14, and the belt-like body 10 is stopped. Then, the first alignment mark 15 is detected by the first positioning sensor 34, and the operation of cutting the bridge portion 13 by the first cutting unit 30 is sequentially repeated, whereby the individual lead frame 12 is removed from the belt-like body 10. It can be cut out one after another.

  According to the cutting apparatus of the present embodiment, the bridge portion 14 connected to the rear end portion of the lead frame 12 is cut based on the second alignment mark 16 and the bridge portion connected to the front end portion of the lead frame 12. 13, the first positioning sensor 34 is moved along the conveying direction of the strip 10 to detect the first alignment mark 15, and the first cutting unit 30 is aligned based on the detection result. Since the bridge portion 13 is cut, even if the arrangement pitch (formation position) of the lead frames 12 formed on the band-like body 10 varies, the variation can be corrected and the bridge portion 13 can be cut. That is, the lead frame 12 can be accurately cut out from the band 10 without being affected by the formation accuracy of the band 10 due to the exposure accuracy or the like when exposing the metal band.

  In the above embodiment, the first cutting unit 30 is movable and the second cutting unit 32 is fixed. On the contrary, the first cutting unit 30 is fixed and the second cutting unit 32 is fixed. It is also possible to arrange the cutting unit 32 to be movable. Here, “movable” means that the alignment mark is detected by a sweep operation, the cutting position by the cutting unit is positioned, and the bridge portion is cut. Further, the sweep operation by the positioning sensor is intended to detect the alignment mark in the movement path, and the movement direction of the positioning sensor may be any of front to back and back to front.

  Moreover, in the said embodiment, although the 1st cutting unit 30 and the 2nd cutting unit 32 are set as the arrangement | positioning which opened the empty space for 1 pitch feed equivalent to 1 sheet | seat of the lead frame 12, this invention is this invention. The first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit can be applied to a cutting device arranged to perform a cutting operation on separate lead frames 12, and are intermediate between the first cutting unit 30 and the second cutting unit 32. It can also be applied to a case where a pitch feed space of 2 pitch feeds or more is provided.

  Further, the etching lead frame cutting apparatus according to the present invention is applicable even in the case where a plurality of types of lead frames are mixedly formed in one strip. In other words, when the unit length of the lead frame formed on the belt is not so different and can be absorbed within the range of the sweep operation for detecting the alignment mark, it is accurate without being affected by the pattern of the lead frame. The lead frame can be cut out.

It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the cutting device of the etching lead frame which concerns on this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structural example of the position alignment mechanism of a cutting unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the arrangement positional relationship of the alignment mark formed in a strip | belt shaped object, and a cutting | disconnection unit. It is explanatory drawing which shows the method of cutting out one lead frame at a time using the cutting device of the etching lead frame concerning the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of the cutting apparatus of the conventional etching lead frame. It is explanatory drawing which shows the conventional method of cutting out one lead frame at a time from a strip | belt shaped object.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Strip | belt-shaped body 12 Lead frame 13, 14 Bridge part 15 1st alignment mark 16 2nd alignment mark 20 Feeding roller 22 Tension roller 30 1st cutting unit 30a Main body 32 2nd cutting unit 34 1st positioning sensor 36 Second positioning sensor 50 Positioning mechanism 55 Angle adjustment mechanism 57 Adjustment screw 58 Dial gauge 60 Control unit

Claims (5)

In the manufacturing method of an etching lead frame, which includes a step of etching a metal strip to form a strip in which lead frames are continuously provided, and a step of cutting a lead frame into individual pieces from the strip.
In the step of cutting out the lead frame, a first cutting unit and a second cutting unit that respectively cut the connecting portions of the belt-like bodies on the front end side and the rear end side in the lead frame feeding direction are arranged in the middle. While arranging a space for one or more pitch feeds of the belt-like body, and about one cutting unit of the first and second cutting units, position is fixed in the transport direction of the belt-like body, The other cutting unit is movably provided in the transport direction of the strip,
When pitch-feeding the strip, the feed control is performed so as to align with the cutting position of the lead frame by the one cutting unit, and one connecting portion between the lead frame and the strip is cut by the cutting unit. And
In a state where the strip is stopped, an operation of detecting the cutting position by the other cutting unit is performed, the cutting unit is positioned at the cutting position, and the other connecting portion between the lead frame and the strip is cut. An etching lead frame manufacturing method characterized by the above. A first alignment mark and a second alignment mark are respectively provided on the front end side and the rear end side in the lead frame feeding direction;
The first cutting unit and the second cutting unit are provided with a first positioning sensor and a second positioning sensor for detecting the first alignment mark and the second alignment mark, respectively.
When pitch-feeding the strip, the feeding operation of the strip is stopped when one of the first and second alignment marks is detected by one of the first and second positioning sensors. And one of the second cutting units cuts one connecting portion between the lead frame and the band-shaped body,
In a state where the belt-like body is stopped, an operation of detecting the other alignment mark by the other positioning sensor is performed, and the other connecting portion between the lead frame and the belt-like body is cut by the other cutting unit. The lead frame manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein: The lead frame manufacturing method according to claim 1, wherein the lead frame is cut into individual pieces from the strip.
The first cutting unit for cutting the connecting portion on the front end side in the feed direction of the lead frame, and a first positioning sensor for detecting a cutting position by the first cutting unit;
The second cutting unit for cutting the connecting portion on the rear end side in the lead frame feeding direction, and a second positioning sensor for detecting a cutting position by the second cutting unit;
When the cutting position of one of the first and second cutting units is detected by one of the first and second positioning sensors, the feeding operation of the belt-like body is stopped, and one cutting unit is driven to One connecting portion is cut, the other of the first and second positioning sensors is swept to detect the cutting position by the other of the first and second cutting units, and the other cutting unit is detected at the detected position. And a control unit that controls the other cutting unit to drive the other cutting unit and to cut the other connecting unit. The first positioning sensor is provided to detect a first alignment mark provided on a front end side of the lead frame in the feeding direction and to define a cutting position of the first cutting unit;
The second positioning sensor is provided to detect a second alignment mark provided on a rear end side in the lead frame feeding direction and to define a cutting position of the second cutting unit. 4. The etching lead frame cutting device according to claim 3, wherein: The angle adjustment mechanism for aligning a cutting position with the lead frame formed in the belt-like body in the θ direction is provided in the first and second cutting units. 4. The etching lead frame cutting device according to 4.

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