An apparatus is disclosed for transferring a pattern of a composition containing particles of an electrically conductive material and a thermally activated adhesive from a surface of a flexible web to a surface of a substrate. The apparatus comprises: respective drive mechanisms for advancing the web and the substrate to a nip through which the web and the substrate pass at the same time and where a pressure roller acts to press the surfaces of the web and the substrate against one another, a heating station for heating at least one of the web and the substrate prior to, or during, passage through the nip, to a temperature at which the adhesive in the composition is activated, a cooling station for cooling the web after passage through the nip, and a separating device for peeling the web away from the substrate after passage through the cooling station, to leave the pattern of composition adhered to the surface of the substrate.

An electronic apparatus according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include: a communication circuit that is communicatively connected to a solder printing apparatus and a measurement apparatus; one or more memories; and one or more processors. One or more processors may be configured to: acquire a first control parameter set of the solder printing apparatus for printing solder on a first substrate; transmit information indicating the first control parameter set to the solder printing apparatus; acquire first solder measurement information indicating a state of the solder printed on the first substrate; determine a first yield for the first substrate based on the first solder measurement information; and generate a model for searching for an optimal control parameter set based on a first data pair including the first control parameter set and the first yield.

A method is disclosed for applying an electrical conductor to a solar cell, which comprises providing a flexible membrane with a pattern of groove formed on a first surface thereof, and loading the grooves with a composition comprising conductive particles. The composition is, or may be made, electrically conductive. Once the membrane is loaded, the grooved first surface of the membrane is brought into contact with a front or/and back of a solar cell. A pressure is then applied between the solar cell and the membrane(s) so that the composition loaded to the grooves adheres to the solar cell. The membrane(s) and the solar cell are separated and the composition in the groove is left on the solar cell surface. The electrically conductive particles in the composition are then sintered or otherwise fused to form a pattern of electrical conductor on the solar cell, the pattern corresponding to the pattern formed in the membrane(s).

Systems and methods for applying solder to a pin. The methods comprising: disposing a given amount of solder on a non-wetable surface of a planar substrate; aligning the pin with the solder disposed on the non-wetable surface of the planar substrate; inserting the pin in the solder; and/or performing a reflow process to cause the solder to transfer from the planar substrate to the pin.

A stencil for use in stencil printing is disclosed. The stencil is configured to removably attach or rest on an upper surface of an underlying base. The stencil has an opening through which the conductive paste is deposited by spreading the conductive paste across an upper surface of the stencil and forcing the paste into the opening and onto an upper surface of the underlying base. The stencil has a stepped edge at a boundary of the opening. The stepped edge includes a ledge or floor that is configured to hold some of the paste even after a squeegee has removed the paste from an upper surface of the stencil. As the stencil is removed from the base, the ledge or floor can carry the paste that it holds away from the base in an effort to reduce an end-of-track bump on the underlying base.

A squeegee for spreading a conductive paste across a stencil during a stencil printing process is provided. The stencil covers an underlying base such that the conductive paste is spread across the stencil and into openings in the stencil to contact the underlying base. The squeegee has a leading surface at the front of the squeegee, a trailing surface at the rear of the squeegee, and a bottom surface. The bottom surface is oriented at an oblique angle relative to the leading surface and the trailing surface. In some embodiments, a rear corner or edge of the squeegee is the contact point between the squeegee and the stencil. Some of the paste can be collected beneath the bottom surface and scraped along with the squeegee.

A printing control device includes a determination section, a first printing control section, a movement controller, and a second printing control section. When the determination section determines that an elapsed time in which no board is convey exceeds an allowable time, the first printing control section causes the printer to execute the printing process for a first time on a first board which is conveyed in since the determination is made. The movement controller separates the mask and the board from each other after the first printing control section executes the printing process for the first time and brings the mask and the board into abutment with each other again after the separation. The second printing control section causes the printer to execute the printing process for a second time on the board after the movement controller brings the mask and the board into abutment with each other again.

A screen printer comprising: a conveyance device configured to convey a board; a board holding device configured to position a conveyed board at a printing position; a stencil holding device configured to attach a stencil above the held board; a squeegee device configured to fill pattern holes of the stencil with solder paste; a board raising and lowering device configured to raise and lower the board positioned by the board holding device; and a control device configured to perform drive control of each the above devices, the control device including a standby printing processing section configured to raise the board from below with respect to the stencil such that the board contacts the stencil, stand by in a state with solder paste filled in the pattern holes, and lower the board to separate the board from the stencil in accordance with a board conveyance signal.

Systems and methods for applying solder to a pin. The methods comprising: disposing a given amount of solder on a non-wetable surface of a planar substrate; aligning the pin with the solder disposed on the non-wetable surface of the planar substrate; inserting the pin in the solder; and performing a reflow process to cause the solder to transfer from the planar substrate to the pin.

A resin flux solder paste includes a solder powder, and a flux, in which the flux contains at least an epoxy resin, a curing agent, a curing accelerator, and an activator, the epoxy resin contains 10% to 90% by weight of one or more of a biphenyl aralkyl type epoxy resin, a naphthalene type epoxy resin, and a dicyclopentadiene type epoxy resin, having an epoxy equivalent of 200 to 400, with respect to a total amount of the epoxy resin, and the curing agent contains 30% to 95% by weight of a biphenyl aralkyl phenol resin having a hydroxyl group equivalent of 150 to 350 with respect to a total amount of the curing agent, and 5% to 70% by weight of a phenol novolac resin having an allyl group having a hydroxyl group equivalent of 100 to 200 with respect to the total amount of the curing agent.