Substrate holder

A substrate holder for holding a circuit board onto which a viscous material for bonding electronic components is printed by means of a squeegee through a screen mask, the substrate holder comprising:

• a plate-like main body having a base surface;
• a first holding area provided on the base surface to hold the screen mask;
• a second holding area provided on the base surface to hold the circuit board;
• wherein at least one of the first holding area and the second holding area is arranged to support the squeegee via the screen mask placed on the circuit board such that the squeegee is abutted against the circuit board while the circuit board is held to the second holding area;
• wherein the first holding area includes at least two first adhesive holding regions having a first tackiness and arranged along a first direction so as to be spaced apart from each other at a first predetermined distance;
• wherein the second holding area includes at least two second adhesive holding regions having a second tackiness which is different from the first tackiness, the second adhesive holding regions being arranged along the first direction and alternately with the first adhesive holding regions, so as to be spaced apart from each other at a second predetermined distance;
• and
• wherein the first direction is a direction in which the squeegee is to be moved to print the viscous material.

A substrate holder for holding a circuit board onto which a viscous material for bonding electronic components is printed by means of a squeegee through a screen mask, the substrate holder comprising:

• a plate-like main body having a base surface;
• a first holding area provided on the base surface to hold the screen mask;
• a second holding area provided on the base surface to hold the circuit board;
• wherein at least one of the first holding area and the second holding area is arranged to support the squeegee via the screen mask placed on the circuit board such that the squeegee is abutted against the circuit board while the circuit board is held to the second holding area;
• wherein the first holding area extends in a first direction by a first predetermined distance;
• wherein the second holding area includes
• two side portions extending in parallel with each other in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction so as to be spaced apart from each other at a second predetermined distance which is smaller than the first predetermined distance, and each having a first end portion parallel with the first direction, at least a part of each of the first end portions being close to the first holding area, and
• a central portion extending in the first direction and between the two side portions so as to be parallel with and spaced apart from the first holding area;
• and
• wherein the first direction is a direction in which the squeegee is to be moved to print the viscous material.

A substrate holder for holding a circuit board onto which a viscous material for bonding electronic components is printed by means of a squeegee though a screen mask, the substrate holder comprising:

• a plate-like main body having a base surface;
• a first holding area provided on the base surface to hold the screen mask;
• a second holding area provided on the base surface to hold the circuit board;
• wherein at least one of the first holding area and the second holding area is arranged to support the squeegee via the screen mask placed on the circuit board such that the squeegee is abutted against the circuit board while the circuit board is held to the second holding area;
• wherein the first holding area, the second holding area, and the base surface are formed integrally with an adhesive material;
• and
• wherein the first holding area includes at least a first adhesive holding region having a first tackiness, and the second holding area includes at least a second adhesive holding region having a second tackiness which is different from the first tackiness.

A method of producing a substrate holder for use in holding a circuit board onto which a viscous material for bonding electronic components is printed by means of a squeegee through a screen mask, the method comprising

• placing an adhesive material on a plate-like main body,
• heating a mold having a plurality of holes whose bottom surfaces have a shape selected from the group consisting of flat and convex shapes, and pressing the mold against the adhesive material until the adhesive material reaches the bottom surfaces, and
• removing the mold from the adhesive material after the mold has been cooled,
• wherein the substrate holder produced comprises:
• the plate-like main body having a base surface;
• a first holding area provided on the base surface to hold the screen mask;
• a second holding area provided on the base surface to hold the circuit board;
• wherein at least one of the first holding area and the second holding area is arranged to support the squeegee via the screen mask placed on the circuit board such that the squeegee is abutted against the circuit board while the circuit board is held to the second holding area;
• wherein the first holding area, the second holding area, and the base surface are formed integrally with an adhesive material;
• wherein the first holding area includes at least a first adhesive holding region having a first tackiness, and the second holding area includes at least a second adhesive holding region having a second tackiness which is different from the first tackiness;
• wherein the first holding area has a plurality of first holding elements protruding from the base surface;
• wherein the second holding area has a plurality of second holding elements protruding from the base surface;
• and
• wherein top ends of the first holding elements and the second holding element are formed in a shape selected from the group consisting of flat and concave shapes.