PRINTED BOARD EXPOSURE APPARATUS

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve yield and productivity by assuring a printed board and an exposure mask to be closely attached to each other regardless of uneven thickness or warpage of the board in a printed board exposure apparatus. SOLUTION: The printed board exposure apparatus includes: a thickness detector 13 to detect the thickness of a print board B prior to exposure; and a control means to control a clearance between a bed mounted with the print board and an exposure mask on the basis of the thickness data detected by the thickness detector. Prior to exposure, a press plate 18 of the thickness detector 13 is lowered to press the print board on the bed 12, and the thickness of the print board is detected by contact type displacement sensors 19, 20. In a succeeding exposure step, the amount of lifting or lowering the exposure mask or the bed is controlled, based on the thickness data to make the clearance between the bed and the exposure mask to be coincident with the thickness. Thus, the board can be exposed while the exposure mask is closely attached to the print board regardless of thickness deviation or warpage of the print board, which prevents exposure failure. COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI