HIGH SPEED DISTRIBUTED OPTICAL SENSOR INSPECTION SYSTEM

• US 20110102575A1
• Filed: 11/05/2010
• Published: 05/05/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Original Assignee: CyberOptics Corporation (Nordson Corporation)
• Inventors: Chen, Chuanqi, Liberty, Todd D., Haugan, Carl E., Caruso, Beverly, Case, Steven K., Skunes, Timothy A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,872,912 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 348/87
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8806 Specially adapted optical and illumination features
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/956 Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects contactless testing of electronic circuits G01R31/308; testing currency G07D; manufacturing processes per se of semiconductor devices implementing a measuring step H01L22/10
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 10/145 Illumination specially adapted for pattern recognition, e.g. using gratings
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/08 Monitoring manufacture of assemblages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 13/0815 Controlling of component placement on the substrate during or after manufacturing

Abstract

An electronics assembly line includes a first electronics assembly machine and a second electronics assembly machine. The first electronics assembly machine has a first electronics assembly machine outlet. The second electronics assembly machine has a second electronics assembly machine inlet and outlet. The inlet of the second electronics assembly machine is coupled to the outlet of the first electronics assembly machine by a conveyor. A first optical inspection sensor is disposed over the conveyor before the inlet of the second electronics assembly and is configured to provide first sensor inspection image data relative to a substrate that passes beneath the first optical inspection sensor in a non-stop fashion. A second optical inspection sensor is disposed over the conveyor after the outlet of the second electronics assembly machine and is configured to provide second sensor inspection image data relative to a substrate that passes beneath the second optical inspection sensor in a non-stop fashion. A computer is operably coupled to the first and second optical inspection sensors and is configured to provide an inspection result based upon at least one of the first and second inspection image data.

Claims

1. An electronics assembly line comprising:

a first electronics assembly machine, having a first electronics assembly machine outlet;

a second electronics assembly machine, having a second electronics assembly machine inlet and outlet, the inlet of the second electronics assembly machine being coupled to the outlet of the first electronics assembly machine by a conveyor;

a first optical inspection sensor disposed over the conveyor before the inlet of the second electronics assembly and configured to provide first sensor inspection image data relative to a substrate that passes beneath the first optical inspection sensor in a non-stop fashion;

a second optical inspection sensor disposed over a conveyor after the outlet of the second electronics assembly machine and configured to provide second sensor inspection image data relative to a substrate that passes beneath the second optical inspection sensor in a non-stop fashion; and

a computer operably coupled to the first and second optical inspection sensors, the computer being configured to provide an inspection result based upon at least one of the first and second inspection image data.

2. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the second electronics assembly machine is a component placement machine.

3. The electronics assembly line of claim 2, wherein the first electronics assembly machine is a solder paste screen printer.

4. The electronics assembly line of claim 2, wherein the first electronics assembly machine is a component placement machine.

5. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second optical inspection sensors includes at least one array of cameras disposed in a line perpendicular to a direction of conveyor movement.

6. The electronics assembly line of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the first and second optical inspection sensors includes an illuminator configured to provide a plurality of illumination field types through a light pipe, and wherein the at least one array of cameras is disposed to view the substrate through the light pipe.

7. The electronics assembly line of claim 6, wherein the at least one array includes a plurality of arrays configured to provide stereoscopic imaging such that at least one of the first and second inspection image data is three-dimensional image data.

8. The electronics assembly line of claim 7, wherein the three-dimensional image data is provided for substantially an entire substrate.

9. The electronics assembly line of claim 7, wherein the three-dimensional image data is provided for at least one selected region of the substrate.

10. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is based upon the first and second inspection image data.

11. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of a stray component.

12. The electronics assembly line of claim 11, wherein a difference image is used to determine the inspection result.

13. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of offset measurement with respect to solder paste print.

14. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of component presence.

15. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of a correct component.

16. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of a spatial offset of a component from a nominal design location.

17. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of solder paste inspection information.

18. The electronics assembly line of claim 17, wherein the inspection result is indicative of solder paste registration.

19. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the inspection result is indicative of at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of solder paste area, solder paste percent coverage, solder paste bridging, solder paste height, and solder paste volume.

20. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein the computer executes an inspection program that receives the first and second optical inspection image data and takes as an additional input at least one parameter selected from the group consisting of fiducial reference indicator locations, component type, component size, component location, component reference designator, polarity, and solder paste aperture data.

21. The electronics assembly line of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first and second inspection image data is provided to an external device.

22. The electronics assembly line of claim 21, wherein the external device is an automated optical inspection (AOI) machine.

23. The electronics assembly line of claim 21, wherein at least one of the first and second inspection image data is used to facilitate root cause analysis.

24. An electronics assembly machine having an inlet and an outlet, the machine comprising:

a first optical inspection sensor disposed relative to the inlet to image a substrate prior to an assembly operation, while the substrate undergoes relative motion with respect to the first optical inspection sensor, the first optical inspection sensor being configured to provide first sensor inspection image data relative to the substrate;

a second optical inspection sensor disposed to image the substrate after an assembly operation by the electronics assembly machine, while the substrate undergoes relative motion with respect to the second optical inspection sensor, the second optical inspection sensor being configured to provide second sensor inspection image data relative to the substrate;

a computer operably coupled to the first and second optical inspection sensors, the computer being configured to provide an inspection result based upon at least one of the first and second inspection image data.