TRAY FLIPPER, TRAY, AND METHOD FOR PARTS INSPECTION

• US 20090078620A1
• Filed: 04/08/2008
• Published: 03/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Charles A. Lemaire
• Original Assignee: Charles A. Lemaire
• Inventors: Ulrich, Franz W., Hackney, Joshua J., Malek, Arye
• Granted Patent: US 8,056,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 209/701
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3404 according to properties of containers or receptacles, e.g. rigidity, leaks, fill-level control devices for cigarette or cigar packaging B65B19/28; investigation of fluid-tightness of structures G01M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: B07C 5/3422 using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/845 Objects on a conveyor
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8901 Optical details; Scanning details per se G02B
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/9501 Semiconductor wafers manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/95684 Patterns showing highly reflecting parts, e.g. metallic elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2201/0635 Structured illumination, e.g. with grating
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 13/22 Telecentric objectives or lens systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 209/922 Miscellaneous feed conveyors

Abstract

Manufacturing lines include inspection systems for monitoring the quality of parts produced. Manufacturing lines for making semiconductor devices generally inspect each fabricated part. The information obtained is used to fix manufacturing problems in the semiconductor fab plant. A machine-vision system for inspecting devices includes a flipper mechanism. After being inspected at a first station, a tray-transfer device moves the tray from the first inspection station to a flipper mechanism. The flipper mechanism includes two jaws, a mover, and a rotator. The flipper mechanism turns the devices over and places the devices in a second tray so that another surface of the device can be inspected. A second tray-transfer device moves the second tray from the flipper to a second inspection station. The mover of the flipper mechanism removes the tray from the first inspection surface and places a tray at the second inspection surface.

Claims

1. An apparatus for machine-vision inspecting a first plurality of devices and for inverting the plurality of devices from being positioned in a first tray, each of the first plurality of devices having a first side and an opposite second side, the apparatus comprising:

a device-inverting mechanism that includes;

a first jaw having a surface for receiving the first tray with each of the first plurality of devices positioned such that its second side is facing the first tray;

a second jaw having a surface;

a mover for moving the first jaw and the first tray having the first plurality of devices toward the second jaw; and

a rotator that rotates the first and second jaws to an orientation such that the first plurality of devices are inverted and supported by the second jaw, wherein the rotator is operable to then place each of the first plurality of devices back into the first tray in an inverted position such that its first side is facing the first tray.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

a first conveyer for moving the first tray having a plurality of devices therein to the first jaw; and

a second conveyer for moving the first tray having a plurality of devices therein from the first jaw.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first jaw is capable of holding, in a plurality of orientations, a tray devoid of devices.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising;

a pusher configured to slide the inverted devices from the second jaw into the first tray.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rotator rotates the first and second jaws simultaneously.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a first inspection station configured to perform a first inspection of the first side of the first plurality of devices while held in the first tray; and

a second inspection station configured to perform a first inspection of the second side of the first plurality of devices while held in the first tray; and

a tray-transfer device configured to move the first tray with the first plurality of devices held in the first tray from the first inspection station to the first jaw and to move the first tray with the first plurality of devices held in the first tray from the first jaw to the second inspection station so that the first sides of the first plurality of devices can be inspected at the first inspection station in the tray and the second sides of the first plurality of devices can be inspected at the second inspection station in the tray.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, further comprising:

a third inspection station configured to perform a second inspection of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices while held in the first tray; and

a fourth inspection station configured to perform a second inspection of the second side of each of the first plurality of devices while held in the first tray.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first tray has a long dimension side and a short dimension side, and is moved from the first inspection station to the device-inverting mechanism in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side so as to reduce a distance of movement needed.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first tray is moved from the device-inverting mechanism to the second inspection station in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side so as to reduce a distance of movement needed.

10. An apparatus comprising:

a first tray adapted to carry a first plurality of devices;

means for flipping a position of each of the first plurality of devices from a first inspection position that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray to a second inspection position that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a second side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising means for machine-vision inspecting of the first plurality of devices.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the means for flipping further comprises:

means for placing a surface against the first sides of the first plurality of devices;

means for inverting the first tray, the surface, and the first plurality of devices such that the first plurality of devices rest on the surface; and

means for sliding the inverted devices from the surface into the first tray.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first tray has a long dimension side and a short dimension side, the apparatus further comprising:

means for moving the first tray, from a location where the machine-vision inspecting of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices is performed to a location where the flipping of the orientation is performed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

means for moving the first tray, from a location where the flipping of the orientation is performed to a location where the machine-vision inspecting of the second side of each of the first plurality of devices is performed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side.

15. A method for machine-vision inspecting a first plurality of devices and for inverting the plurality of devices from being positioned in a first tray, each of the first plurality of devices having a first side and an opposite second side, the method comprising:

providing a first tray adapted to carry a first plurality of devices;

flipping an orientation of each of the first plurality of devices with respect to the first tray from a first orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a first side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray to a second orientation that allows machine-vision optical inspection of a second side of each of the first plurality of devices while in the first tray.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the flipping of each of the first plurality of devices further comprises:

placing a surface against the first sides of the first plurality of devices;

inverting the first tray, the surface, and the first plurality of devices such that the first plurality of devices rest on the surface; and

sliding the inverted devices from the surface into the first tray.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising machine-vision inspecting of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices before the flipping and machine-vision inspecting of the second side of each of the first plurality of devices after the flipping.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first tray has a long dimension side and a short dimension side, the method further comprising:

moving the first tray, from a location where the machine-vision inspecting of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices is performed to a location where the flipping of the orientation is performed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

moving the first tray, from a location where the flipping of the orientation is performed to a location where the machine-vision inspecting of the second side of each of the first plurality of devices is performed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first tray has a long dimension side and a short dimension side, the method further comprising:

moving the first tray, from a location where the machine-vision inspecting of the first side of each of the first plurality of devices is performed to a location where the flipping of the orientation is performed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side; and

moving the first tray, from a location where the flipping of the orientation is performed to a location where the machine-vision inspecting of the second side of each of the first plurality of devices is performed, in a direction substantially perpendicular to the long dimension side.