Material temperature sensor for stencil printer
阅读说明：本技术 用于模板印刷机的材料温度传感器 (Material temperature sensor for stencil printer ) 是由 帕特希·A·马特奥 詹姆斯·林奇 迈克尔·E·多尼兰 托马斯·C·普伦蒂斯 肯尼斯·J·金 于 2018-11-29 设计创作，主要内容包括：模板印刷机(10)的印刷头组装件(20)包括印刷头框架(36)和联接到所述印刷头框架的擦拭器刮刀组装件(74)。所述擦拭器刮刀组装件包括与模板(18)接触的擦拭器刮刀(78),以在印刷行程期间将焊膏印刷到所述模板上。擦拭器刮刀(78)被配置成迫使焊膏穿过模板(18)的孔。印刷头组装件(20)还包括联接到印刷头框架(36)的分配单元(56)。分配单元(56)被设置在擦拭器刮刀(78)之间以将焊膏沉积在所述擦拭器刮刀之间。所述分配单元包括盒接收器(66)。印刷头组装件(20)还包括位于盒接收器(66)中的盒(68)和传感器(80),传感器(80)联接到靠近盒(68)的印刷头框架(36)。传感器(80)被配置成测量盒(68)的温度。(A print head assembly (20) of a stencil printer (10) includes a print head frame (36) and a wiper blade assembly (74) coupled to the print head frame. The wiper blade assembly includes a wiper blade (78) in contact with a stencil (18) to print solder paste onto the stencil during a print stroke. The wiper blade (78) is configured to force solder paste through apertures of the stencil (18). The printhead assembly (20) also includes a dispensing unit (56) coupled to the printhead frame (36). A dispensing unit (56) is disposed between the wiper blades (78) to deposit solder paste therebetween. The dispensing unit includes a cartridge receiver (66). The printhead assembly (20) also includes a cartridge (68) located in the cartridge receiver (66) and a sensor (80), the sensor (80) coupled to the printhead frame (36) proximate the cartridge (68). The sensor (80) is configured to measure a temperature of the cartridge (68).)
1. A stencil printer for printing assembly material on an electronic substrate, the stencil printer comprising:
a frame;
a template coupled to the frame, the template having an aperture formed therein;
a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly configured to support the electronic substrate in a printing position beneath the stencil; and
a print head assembly coupled to the frame in such a way that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during a print stroke, the print head assembly comprising
The frame of the print head is,
a wiper blade assembly coupled to the print head frame, the wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade in contact with the stencil to print solder paste onto the stencil during a print stroke, the wiper blade configured to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil,
a dispensing unit coupled to the printhead frame, the dispensing unit configured to deposit solder paste between the wiper blades, the dispensing unit including a cartridge receiver,
a cartridge located in the cartridge receiver, an
A sensor coupled to the printhead frame proximate to the cartridge, the sensor configured to measure a temperature of the cartridge.
2. The stencil printer of claim 1, wherein the sensor is a non-contact sensor.
3. The stencil printer of claim 2, wherein the non-contact sensor is an infrared sensor.
4. The stencil printer of claim 2, wherein the non-contact sensor is secured to the print head frame by a bracket.
5. The stencil printer of claim 4, wherein the bracket is configured to orient the non-contact sensor at an angle relative to an orientation of the cartridge.
6. The stencil printer of claim 1, wherein the print head assembly further comprises a translational motion assembly coupled to the frame and the dispensing unit, the translational motion assembly configured to move the dispensing unit in a direction transverse to a direction of motion of the print head assembly during a print stroke.
7. The stencil printer of claim 6, wherein the print head assembly further comprises a slide mechanism coupled to the frame and the dispensing unit, the slide mechanism configured to move the dispensing unit in a z-axis direction.
8. A method of printing mounting material on an electronic substrate, the method comprising:
transferring the electronic substrate onto a stencil printer;
positioning the electronic substrate to a print position;
bonding a stencil having apertures to the electronic substrate;
performing a print stroke using a wiper blade to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil onto the electronic substrate;
depositing solder paste between wiper blades during the print stroke; and
measuring a temperature of the fitting material contained in the case.
9. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the temperature of the assembly material contained within the cartridge is accomplished by a sensor.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the sensor is a non-contact sensor.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the non-contact sensor is an infrared sensor.
12. The method of claim 10, further comprising positioning the non-contact sensor relative to the cartridge via a bracket.
13. A print head assembly of a stencil printer, the print head assembly comprising:
a printhead frame;
a wiper blade assembly coupled to the print head frame, the wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade in contact with the stencil to print solder paste onto the stencil during a print stroke, the wiper blade configured to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil;
a dispensing unit coupled to the printhead frame, the dispensing unit configured to deposit solder paste between the wiper blades, the dispensing unit including a cartridge receiver;
a cartridge located in the cartridge receiver; and
a sensor coupled to the printhead frame proximate to the cartridge, the sensor configured to measure a temperature of the cartridge.
14. The printhead assembly of claim 13, wherein the sensor is a non-contact sensor.
15. The printhead assembly of claim 14, wherein the non-contact sensor is an infrared sensor.
16. The printhead assembly of claim 14, wherein the non-contact sensor is secured to the printhead frame by a bracket.
17. A stencil printer for printing assembly material on an electronic substrate, the stencil printer comprising:
a frame;
a template coupled to the frame, the template having an aperture formed therein;
a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly configured to support the electronic substrate in a printing position beneath the stencil; and
a print head assembly coupled to the frame in such a way that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during a print stroke, the print head assembly comprising
The frame of the print head is,
a wiper blade assembly coupled to the print head frame, the wiper blade assembly having a wiper blade in contact with the stencil to print solder paste onto the stencil during a print stroke, the wiper blade configured to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil,
a dispensing unit coupled to the printhead assembly, the dispensing unit configured to deposit solder paste between the wiper blades, the dispensing unit including a cartridge receiver, an
A sensor coupled to the printhead frame, the sensor configured to measure a temperature of the solder paste deposited by the dispensing unit.
18. The stencil printer of claim 17, wherein the sensor is a non-contact sensor.
19. The stencil printer of claim 18, wherein the non-contact sensor is an infrared sensor.
20. The stencil printer of claim 18, wherein the non-contact sensor is secured to the print head frame by a bracket configured to orient the non-contact sensor at an angle relative to the deposit of the solder paste.
1. Field of the invention
The present disclosure relates to an apparatus and method for dispensing material, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for dispensing solder paste in a screen or stencil printer.
2. Discussion of the related Art
Stencil printers may be used to print solder paste onto circuit boards during surface mount circuit board manufacturing operations. Typically, a circuit board having a pattern of pads or some other generally conductive surface onto which solder paste is to be deposited is automatically fed into the stencil printer, and one or more apertures or marks (referred to as fiducials) on the circuit board are used to properly align the circuit board with the stencil or screen of the stencil printer prior to the solder paste being printed onto the circuit board. In most systems, an optical alignment system is used to align the circuit board with the stencil.
Once the circuit board has been properly aligned with the stencil of the printer, the circuit board is raised to the stencil, solder paste is dispensed onto the stencil, and a wiper blade (or squeegee) traverses the stencil to force the solder paste through the apertures of the stencil and onto the circuit board. When the squeegee is moved over the stencil, the solder paste tends to roll in front of the squeegee, which desirably causes mixing and shearing of the solder paste to achieve a desired viscosity to facilitate filling of the apertures in the screen or stencil. Solder paste is typically dispensed onto the stencil from a standard cartridge, such as a cartridge manufactured by SEMCO.
Known systems for controlling the temperature of a material are used to heat the material after it leaves the original package (e.g., a box). Reference may be made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,453,810, which discloses that a heater and/or cooler, and a feedback mechanism (a thermal coupler or RTD in direct contact with the material) may be applied with a PID controller to stabilize the paste temperature within the material dispensing chamber. The system does not use temperature information for any other reason and is only used within the control loop.
Background
Disclosure of Invention
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a stencil printer for printing mounting material on an electronic substrate. In one embodiment, the stencil printer comprises: a frame; a template coupled to the frame, the template having an aperture formed therein; a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly configured to support the electronic substrate in a printing position below the stencil; and a print head assembly coupled to the frame in such a way that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during a print stroke. The printhead assembly includes a printhead frame and a wiper blade assembly coupled to the printhead frame. The print head assembly also includes a wiper blade in contact with the stencil to print solder paste onto the stencil during a print stroke. The wiper blade is configured to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil. The print head assembly also includes a dispensing unit coupled to the print head frame. The dispensing unit is disposed between the wiper blades to deposit solder paste therebetween. The dispensing unit includes a cartridge receiver. The printhead assembly also includes a cartridge within the cartridge receiver and a sensor coupled to the printhead frame proximate the cartridge. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the cartridge.
Embodiments of the stencil printer may also include a non-contact sensor. The non-contact sensor may be an infrared sensor. The non-contact sensor may be secured to the printhead frame by a bracket. The bracket may be configured to orient the non-contact sensor at an angle relative to the orientation of the cartridge. The print head assembly may further include a translational motion assembly coupled to the frame and the dispensing unit. The translational motion assembly may be configured to move the dispensing unit in a direction transverse to a direction of motion of the print head assembly during a print stroke. The print head assembly may further include a sliding mechanism coupled to the frame and the dispensing unit. The sliding mechanism may be configured to move the dispensing unit in a Z-axis direction.
Another aspect of the present disclosure relates to a method of printing mounting material on an electronic substrate. In one embodiment, the method comprises: transferring the electronic substrate to a stencil printer; positioning the electronic substrate in a print position; bonding a stencil having apertures to the electronic substrate; performing a print stroke using a wiper blade to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil onto the electronic substrate; depositing solder paste between the wiper blades during a print stroke; and measuring a temperature of the fitting material contained in the case.
Embodiments of the method may further include measuring a temperature of the assembly material contained within the cartridge is accomplished by a sensor. The sensor may be a non-contact sensor. The non-contact sensor may be an infrared sensor. The method may further include positioning the non-contact sensor relative to the cartridge via a bracket.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is also directed to a print head assembly of a stencil printer. In one embodiment, the printhead assembly includes a printhead frame and a wiper blade assembly coupled to the printhead frame. The wiper blade assembly includes a wiper blade that contacts the stencil during a print stroke to print solder paste onto the stencil, the wiper blade being configured to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil. The print head assembly also includes a dispensing unit coupled to the print head frame. The dispensing unit is disposed between the wiper blades to deposit solder paste therebetween. The dispensing unit includes a cartridge receiver. The printhead assembly also includes a cartridge in the cartridge receiver and a sensor coupled to the printhead frame proximate the cartridge. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature of the cartridge.
Embodiments of the printhead assembly may also include a non-contact sensor. The non-contact sensor may be an infrared sensor. The non-contact sensor may be secured to the printhead frame by a bracket.
Another aspect of the present disclosure is directed to a stencil printer for printing mounting material on an electronic substrate. In one embodiment, the stencil printer comprises: a frame; a template coupled to the frame, the template having an aperture formed therein; a support assembly coupled to the frame, the support assembly configured to support the electronic substrate in a printing position below the stencil; and a print head assembly coupled to the frame in such a way that the print head assembly is configured to traverse the stencil during a print stroke. The printhead assembly includes a printhead frame and a wiper blade assembly coupled to the printhead frame. The wiper blade assembly has a wiper blade that contacts the stencil during a print stroke to print solder paste onto the stencil. The wiper blade is configured to force solder paste through the apertures of the stencil. The print head assembly also includes a dispensing unit coupled to the print head frame. The dispensing unit is disposed between the wiper blades to deposit solder paste therebetween. The dispensing unit includes a cartridge receiver. The printhead assembly also includes a sensor coupled to the printhead frame. The sensor is configured to measure a temperature of solder paste deposited by the dispensing unit.
Embodiments of the stencil printer may also include a non-contact sensor. The non-contact sensor may be an infrared sensor. The non-contact sensor may be secured to the print head frame by a bracket configured to orient the non-contact sensor at an angle relative to the deposit of solder paste.
For purposes of illustration only, and not to limit generality, the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosure is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The principles set forth in this disclosure are capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. Any reference to examples, embodiments, components, elements, and acts of the systems and methods herein referred to in the singular may also include embodiments comprising the plural, and any reference to plural of any embodiments, components, elements, or acts herein may also include embodiments comprising only the singular. References in the singular or plural form are not intended to limit the systems or methods, their components, acts, or elements of the present disclosure. The use of "including," "comprising," "having," "containing," "involving," and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items. References to "or" may be construed as inclusive, and thus any term described using "or" may indicate any single, more than one, and all of the described terms. In addition, to the extent that the terminology usage is inconsistent between this document and the documents incorporated by reference, the terminology usage incorporated by reference is supplementary to this document; for incompatible inconsistencies, the terminology used in this document controls.
For purposes of illustration, embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to a stencil printer for printing mounting material (e.g., solder paste) onto a circuit board. However, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to stencil printers that print solder paste onto circuit boards, but may be used in other applications requiring dispensing of other viscous mounting materials (e.g., glues and encapsulants). For example, the apparatus may be used to print epoxy for use as underfill for chip scale packages. Furthermore, stencil printers in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to those that print mounting materials on circuit boards, but include those used to print other materials on various substrates (e.g., semiconductor wafers). In addition, the terms screen and stencil may be used interchangeably herein to describe a device in a printing press that is configured to print a desired imageDefines a pattern to be printed onto a substrate. In some embodiments, the stencil printer may comprise an ITW electronics assembly facility, Inc. of Hopkinson, MassOr EdisonTMA series of stencil printer platforms.
It is known in the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) industry that the temperature of the printed material (e.g. solder paste) directly affects the print release characteristics and overall print quality. Typically, within a material deposition system, there is a mechanism (e.g., a dispensing spindle or pump) that holds a supply of material and is called by software during a print cycle to deposit such material onto the stencil as needed. Alternatively, such material may be applied manually. When such a supply of material is first installed in the machine or when it is replenished in the machine, the temperature of the material is unknown. It would be beneficial to measure the temperature of the material prior to depositing the material onto the template.
Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a non-contact (e.g., infrared) temperature probe mounted to measure the temperature of a material supply cartridge. Data collected from the sensors is used to determine whether the supply of material has been sufficiently heated from its refrigerated storage temperature to allow for proper deposition of the material. The sensing function will help ensure that the material is within a desired temperature range defined by the machine operator or setup personnel, even before the material is transferred from the supply cartridge to the stencil.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to FIG. 1, a stencil printer of an embodiment of the disclosure is generally indicated at 10. As shown, the stencil printer 10 includes a frame 12, the frame 12 supporting components of the stencil printer. The components of the stencil printer may include, in part, a controller 14, a display 16, a stencil 18, and a print head or print head assembly (generally indicated at 20) configured to apply solder paste in a manner described in more detail below.
As shown in fig. 1 and described below, the stencil and the print head assembly may be suitably coupled or otherwise connected to a frame 12. In one embodiment, the print head assembly 20 may be mounted to a print head assembly frame 22, which print head assembly frame 22 may be mounted to the frame 12. The print head assembly frame 22 enables the print head assembly 20 to move in the y-axis direction under the control of the controller 14 and to apply pressure to the print head assembly when engaged with the stencil 18. In a certain embodiment, the print head assembly 20 may be placed on the stencil 18 and may be lowered in the z-axis direction into contact and sealing engagement with the stencil.
Stencil printer 10 may also include a conveyor system having rails (not shown) to convey printed circuit boards (sometimes referred to herein as "printed wiring boards," "substrates," or "electronic substrates") to print positions in the stencil printer. The track, which may sometimes be referred to herein as a "tractor feed mechanism," is configured to feed, load, or otherwise transport circuit boards to a work area of the stencil printer, which may be referred to herein as a "print nest," and unload circuit boards from the print carriage.
The stencil printer 10 has a
In one embodiment, the print head assembly 20 may be configured to receive solder paste from a source, such as a dispenser (e.g., a solder paste cartridge), that provides solder paste to the print head assembly during a printing operation. Other methods of supplying solder paste may be used instead of the cartridge. For example, solder paste may be manually deposited between the blades or from an external source. In additionIn addition, in certain embodiments, the controller 14 may be configured to use a computer having a suitable operating system (e.g., Microsoft Windows, Inc. available from Microsoft corporation)An operating system, and specialized software) to control the operation of the stencil printer 10. The controller 14 may be networked with a master controller that is used to control a manufacturing line for manufacturing circuit boards.
In one configuration, the stencil printer 10 operates as follows. Conveyor rails are used to load the
Referring additionally to fig. 2, an imaging system 30 may be provided to align the stencil 18 with the
After one or more applications of the solder paste to the circuit board, excess solder paste may accumulate on the bottom of the stencil 18 and on a stencil wiper assembly, generally indicated at 34, and the stencil wiper assembly may be moved beneath the stencil to remove the excess solder paste. In other embodiments, the stencil 18 may be movable on the stencil wiper assembly.
Referring to fig. 3 and 4, the print head assembly 20 is movable in three orthogonal axes, i.e., x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions, including a print head frame (indicated generally at 36) coupled to the frame 12 of the stencil printer 10. Specifically, the printhead frame 36 includes a
The printhead assembly 20 also includes a rail 54, the rail 54 being secured to the
The dispensing unit 56 includes a cartridge receiver 66, the cartridge receiver 66 configured to receive a cylindrical cartridge 68, the cylindrical cartridge 68 designed to contain a mounting material (e.g., solder paste). The cartridge 68 is releasably secured to the cartridge receiver 66 in a known manner. In another aspect of the present disclosure, solder paste may be manually deposited on the stencil 18. As shown, the cassette 68 is coupled to one end of a pneumatic air tube by a fitting 70, and the other end of the tube is attached to a compressor or suitable source of compressed air. Dispensing of solder paste from the cartridge 68 is controlled by the controller 14 to dispense solder paste onto the stencil 18. Specifically, solder paste is dispensed through a port or nozzle 72 provided at the lower end of the cartridge receiver 66. A sensor (not shown) is provided to detect whether the cartridge is depleted or substantially depleted of solder paste.
The print head assembly 20 also includes a wiper blade assembly, generally indicated at 74, to force solder paste into the apertures of the stencil 18 during a print stroke. As shown, wiper blade assembly 74 has wiper blade holders 76 mounted on each side of
The amount of solder paste dispensed between the wiper blades 78 is controlled by the controller 14 or, in another aspect of the present disclosure, by the stencil printer operator. The nozzles 72 of the dispensing unit 56 are disposed between wiper blades 78, and solder paste is dispensed anywhere in a dispensing region defined by the wiper blades by lowering the dispensing unit in the z-axis direction by the slide mechanism 64 and the pneumatic actuator such that the nozzles of the dispensing unit are disposed between the wiper blades. The translational movement of the dispensing unit 56 is generated by activating the motor 62 to dispense along the length of the wiper blade 78.
Referring to fig. 5 and 6, the dispensing unit includes a non-contact sensor 80, the non-contact sensor 80 being mounted to the
The non-contact sensor 80 is configured to detect the temperature of the material in the cartridge 68 to confirm that the temperature is correct for a particular application using criteria predetermined by a user setup process in which the operator of the stencil printer 10 inputs the stencil printer's settings before the material is transferred from the cartridge. The non-contact sensor 80 is connected to the controller 14 and is configured to notify the operator immediately if the material is not ready for deposition. In addition, temperature data may be collected by the controller 14 for each material dispensed from the cartridge 68. The collected data may be fed back to the stencil printer 10 for other operations or may be sent to a data collection system, such as a downstream machine or internal or remote statistical processing.
In certain embodiments, the operator of the stencil printer 10 has a material supply process in which the material supply container(s) or cartridge(s) stored at a refrigerated temperature are removed from the freezer before the material is used in the stencil printer and ideally have sufficient time to reach the appropriate temperature before being installed in the machine. In the case of a closed (pressurized) print pump, by using the non-contact sensor 80, the operator can configure the stencil printer 10 to verify that the material in the cartridge 68 is indeed at the proper temperature before it is deposited onto the stencil 18 or into the chamber.
In certain embodiments, the non-contact sensor 80 is an infrared sensor to detect the temperature of the cartridge 68. The infrared sensor is an electronic sensor configured to measure infrared light radiated from an object located in a field of view of the sensor. Objects with a temperature above absolute zero dissipate heat in the form of radiation. In certain embodiments, the infrared sensor is a T-GAGE supplied by Banner engineering, Minneapolis, Minn.Y.TMM18T series infraredA temperature sensor. T-GAGETMThe sensor is a passive, non-contact, temperature-based sensor that is used to detect the temperature of an object within a sensing window and output a proportional voltage or current, depending on the configuration of the sensor.
Fig. 7 illustrates the use of a non-contact sensor 80 that is secured to a bracket 82 such that the non-contact sensor is oriented toward template 16. Specifically, the non-contact sensor 80 is secured to the bracket 82 such that the non-contact sensor is oriented toward the deposit of solder paste 86. As with the embodiment described above with reference to fig. 5 and 6, the distance that the non-contact sensor 80 is spaced from the deposit of solder paste 86 by the standoff 82 depends on the type of non-contact sensor selected. As shown, the non-contact sensor 80 is secured to the bracket by a threaded body and a retaining nut, secured against two faces of the bracket 82. The non-contact sensor 80 is configured to detect a temperature of the deposit of solder paste 86 in order to determine the temperature of the deposit prior to performing the stencil printing operation. The non-contact sensor 80 is connected to the controller 14 and is configured to notify an operator immediately if the deposit of solder paste 86 is not ready for the stencil printing operation.
The above-described embodiments of a print head assembly with a non-contact sensor are used to monitor the temperature of a supply cartridge of solder paste in a printer to at least partially ensure that the solder paste reaches a suitable temperature before beginning a print deposition. Embodiments of a print head assembly with a non-contact sensor as described above also serve to ensure that solder paste is heated to a suitable temperature for deposition when the storage temperature is below a suitable application temperature.
Embodiments of the print head assembly with non-contact sensors may also be used to measure the temperature of the material to be deposited, as well as the temperature of the substrate (e.g., circuit board 29) on which the material is deposited and the solder paste is deposited on the stencil. For example, it is well known in the Surface Mount Technology (SMT) assembly industry that the substrate in the dispenser is typically preheated prior to deposition of the underfill material. Prior to transferring the substrate to a dispensing area to receive the material to be dispensed, it is commonly applied using a so-called pre-heat "chuck" (a section or area for heating a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to a predetermined temperature). The problem with the preheat zone is that there is typically only one feedback sensor to measure the temperature throughout the preheat chuck, which is typically 330mm X250 mm. Such feedback from a single sensor typically senses the temperature at one location and assumes that the result is representative of the temperature of the entire pre-heat zone and does not necessarily reflect the actual temperature of the particular location of interest (e.g., the temperature of critical components). Furthermore, without feedback of the actual temperature of a particular location of the substrate, the time allotted to preheating the substrate is typically selected to ensure that at least enough time has elapsed to stabilize the temperature of the substrate. This may mean wasting valuable time waiting for an excessively long "adequate" time period.
A non-contact sensor (e.g., non-contact sensor 80), located above the substrate on the pre-heat chuck, may be used to determine that the substrate is indeed at the proper temperature before performing a dispense operation without waiting longer than necessary to ensure that the components of the system are at a sufficient temperature. By mounting the non-contact sensor at a specific location on the substrate, the actual temperature of critical locations can be measured. Furthermore, by mounting the sensor to a deposition head (or other mechanism, such as a vision probe of a printer), which can be moved in the x-axis and y-axis directions over the substrate, the temperature at any particular point can be measured. The non-contact sensor may also be mounted on a mechanism that moves toward and away from a target for temperature measurement or that can move relative to the sensor in the x-, y-, and z-axis directions. Such a configuration allows the active spot size of the sensor to be adjusted or customized according to the requirements of the application. For example, the non-contact sensor may be mounted on a vertical platform and oriented to face downward toward the substrate. By moving the vertical stage and sensor down and thus closer to the substrate, the temperature of a smaller local spot can be measured. By moving the vertical stage and sensor upwards and thus further away from the substrate, the measured temperature can be effectively averaged over a larger area. This can also be achieved by moving the target to a specific position relative to the sensor and acquiring the size of a specific point. This arrangement allows sensing of the average temperature over a controlled size area, wherein the size of the sensing area can be optimized according to the application requirements. Thus, by mounting the sensor to the z-stage, which in turn is mounted to the X-Y positioning system (e.g., from the pump mounting bracket), the position and size of the spot can be controlled.
By implementing embodiments of the present disclosure, a deposition system may monitor the temperature of material dispensed by such an apparatus, as well as the temperature of critical locations on a substrate where material is to be dispensed, to ensure that all participating portions are at a desired temperature during the deposition process. Each of these measured temperatures may be used to confirm that the process variable is within a preset range prior to conducting the deposition process. Additionally (or possibly alternatively), these measurements may be shared or stored for purposes of data collection, such as Statistical Process Control (SPC), where the quality or yield of the process may be correlated to the variables measured in the process for purposes of process optimization.
In embodiments of the present disclosure, the arrangement of the non-contact sensor 80 may be applied to a dispenser and a printer. The material supplied in the cartridge to be dispensed into the dispenser is typically stored at temperatures even lower than those used for solder paste storage. For example, dispensers are sometimes used to dispense multi-part pre-mixed epoxy resins that must be kept frozen at industrial freezer temperatures, sometimes as low as-40 ℃, to prevent premature curing. For such systems, the need to ensure that the material has reached the proper dispensing temperature is critical.
Having described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this disclosure, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the spirit and scope of the disclosure. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
The claims are as follows.
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