Tape that ceases to stick when it is no longer needed

When we wish to remove adhesive tape, we pull on it by hand. However, in industry, there is a kind of adhesive tape that can be removed by eliminating the adhesive strength. This convenient tape sticks firmly in use, and comes off cleanly when it needs to be removed. It is used mainly in electronic component manufacturing lines. In those lines, the components are sometimes mounted on ａｄｈｅｓｉｖｅ tape, and then conveyed and processed. The adhesive tape is needed in such a process to securely fix the components, but once the process is completed, tape needs to be removed from the components. Because components such as silicon wafers are extremely thin, they may break or sustain damage during removal. Also, because wafers are diced into small pieces, it is extremely troublesome to remove the tape from each piece. For these reasons, adhesive tape that automatically loses its adhesive strength at removal is used. At present, two methods of eliminating the tape’s adhesive strength have been developed. One involves the use of ultraviolet light (UV). In this method, a substance that cures the adhesive when exposed to UV is added to the adhesive in advance. When removing the tape, exposing it to UV causes the adhesive to cure and contract, and the tape to automatically peel away from the components. The other method involves the use of heat. In this method, a substance that causes the adhesive to swell when it is heated is added to it in advance. When the tape is heated, the ａｄｈｅｓｉｖｅ swells and loses its adhesiveness.

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