Process and an apparatus for automatically recognizing the position of semiconductor elements
First Claim
1. A method for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of an element to obtain adjustment information, comprising the steps of:
- illuminating the semiconductor element;
imaging and optically scanning across a semiconductor element image and its surroundings row-by-row in rows which are substantially parallel to the investigated edge and generating electrical signals representing the light intensity of the optically scanned rows;
integrating the instantaneous values of the electrical signals of each row;
storing the integrated values;
comparing the integrated values of adjacent rows and producing bipolar difference values therefrom;
weighting the difference values of one polarity with a predetermined factor which corresponds to the roughness of the particular position in the image decreasing the difference values in a rough zone and increasing the difference values in a smooth zone;
forming further difference values from the weighted difference values to emphasize sharp-edge lines of the image; and
providing, by row counting, a signal for correcting the position of the semiconductor element.
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Abstract
The position of semiconductor elements is recognized automatically by opto-electronic, non-contact techniques. Recognition of the position of the semiconductor elements, such as integrated circuits, is largely independent of pattern and surface properties, in particular for adjustment purposes in automatic wire assembly and in the transfer of semiconductor elements to automatic alloying/adhesive equipment. The positions of the semiconductor elements are determined via a rectilinear cut edge or system edge by means of a row-by-row scanning which leads from the surroundings of an element and moves across the element, with the rows running parallel or virtually parallel to the direction of the rectilinear edge. The instantaneous intensities of the brightness values are integrated row-wise or row-section-wise, the resulting values are stored and the difference of the results of consecutive rows is formed. Then, only the polarity which corresponds to the investigated edge is used for further analysis. The result is weighted with a factor which corresponds to the roughness of the particular position in the image. The differences in a rough zone are distinctly weakened and differences in a smooth zone are distinctly emphasized, and by means of an additional electronic width evaluation, sharp-edged lines are emphasized in relation to wide junctions so that, on this basis, by means of row counting, a signal for correcting the position of the chip is formed and is output in order to correct the position.
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Citations
33 Claims
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1. A method for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of an element to obtain adjustment information, comprising the steps of:
- illuminating the semiconductor element;
imaging and optically scanning across a semiconductor element image and its surroundings row-by-row in rows which are substantially parallel to the investigated edge and generating electrical signals representing the light intensity of the optically scanned rows; integrating the instantaneous values of the electrical signals of each row; storing the integrated values; comparing the integrated values of adjacent rows and producing bipolar difference values therefrom; weighting the difference values of one polarity with a predetermined factor which corresponds to the roughness of the particular position in the image decreasing the difference values in a rough zone and increasing the difference values in a smooth zone; forming further difference values from the weighted difference values to emphasize sharp-edge lines of the image; and providing, by row counting, a signal for correcting the position of the semiconductor element. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- illuminating the semiconductor element;
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11. A method for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising the steps of:
- illuminating the semiconductor element;
imaging and optically scanning across the semiconductor element image and its surrounding line-by-line substantially parallel to the investigated edge and generating video signals representing the light intensity of the scanned lines; differentiating and rectifying the video signals; integrating the rectified signals on a line-by-line basis; phasing the integrated signals with respect to one another; and integrating the phased signals so that rough zones which manifest singular smooth locations are integrated into a closed surface to prevent errors. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
- illuminating the semiconductor element;
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16. A method for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to an edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating the element with light to produce a shadow which defines the edge by a dark/light transition; imaging and scanning the element image line-by-line substantially parallel to the edge to produce a video signal; integrating the video signal in a line-by-line fashion; forming difference signals from successive ones of the line-by-line integrated signals; weighting the difference signals with a predetermined value representing element roughness; comparing the weighted and unweighted signals in order to obtain a comparison value; and sensing for the maximum comparison value, maximum value which represents the investigated edge. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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18. A method for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to an edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating the element with light to produce a shadow which defines the edge by a dark/light transition; imaging and scanning the element image line-by-line substantially parallel to the edge to produce a video signal; integrating the video signal in a line-by-line fashion; forming difference signals from successive ones of the line-by-line integrated signals; weighting the difference signals with a predetermined value representing element roughness; comparing the weighted and unweighted signals in order to obtain a comparison value; and sensing for the minimum comparison value, minimum value which represents the investigated edge. - View Dependent Claims (19)
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20. A method for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising the steps of:
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illuminating the semiconductor element; imaging and optically scanning across the semiconductor element image and its surroundings line-by-line substantially parallel to the investigated edge and generating video signals representing the light intensity of the scanned lines; differentiating and rectifying the video signals; integrating the rectified signals on a line section-by-line section basis; phasing the integrated line-section signals with respect to one another; and integrating and integrated and phased line section signals so that rough zones which manifest singular smooth locations are integrated into a closed surface to prevent errors.
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21. Apparatus for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising:
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means for illuminating the semiconductor element; means for imaging and optically scanning across the semiconductor element image and its surroundings line-by-line substantially parallel to the investigated edge, including means for generating video signals representing the light intensity of the scanned lines; means for differentiating and rectifying the video signals; means for integrating the rectified signals on a line-by-line basis; means for phasing the integrated signals with respect to one another; and means for integrating the phased signals so that rough zones which manifest singular smooth locations are integrated into a closed surface to prevent errors. - View Dependent Claims (22)
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23. Apparatus for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising:
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a light source for illuminating the semiconductor element; an optic for imaging and an image converter optically linked thereto for optically scanning across, the semiconductor element image and its surroundings line-by-line substantially parallel to the investigated edge and generating video signals representing the light intensity of the scanned lines; differentiating means connected to said converter and rectifier means connected to said differentiating means for differentiating and rectifying the video signals; first integrating means connected to said rectifier means for integrating the rectified signals on a line section-by-line section basis; phasing means connected to said first integrating means for phasing the integrated signals with respect to one another; and second integrating means connected to said phasing means for integrating the phased signals to that rough zones which manifest singular smooth locations are integrated into a closed surface to prevent errors. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. Apparatus for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to an edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising:
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means for illuminating the element with light to produce a shadow which defines the edge by a dark/light transition; means for imaging and scanning the element image line-by-line substantially parallel to the edge to produce a video signal; means for integrating the video signals in a line-by-line fashion; means for forming difference signals from successive ones of the line-by-line integrated signals; means for weighting the difference signals with a predetermined value representing element roughness; means for comparing the weighted and unweighted signals in order to obtain a comparison value; and means for sensing the maximum comparison value, which maximum value represents the investigated edge. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. Apparatus for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to an edge of the element to obtain adjustment information, comprising:
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means for illuminating the element with light to produce a shadow which defines the edge by a dark/light transition; means for imaging and scanning the element image line-by-line substantially parallel to the edge to produce a video signal; means for integrating the video signal in a line-by-line fashion; means forming difference signals from successive ones of the line-by-line integrated signals; means for weighting the difference signals with a predetermined value representing element roughness; means for comparing the weighted and unweighted signals in order to obtain a comparison value; and means for sensing for the minimum comparison value, minimum value which represents the investigated edge. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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29. Apparatus for automatically recognizing the position of a semiconductor element by investigating the same with respect to at least one rectilinear edge of an element to obtain adjustment information, comprising:
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illuminating means for illuminating the semiconductor element; means for imaging and optically scanning across a semiconductor element and its surroundings row-by-row in rows which are substantially parallel to the investigated edge, including means for generating electrical signals representing the light intensity of the optically scanned rows; integrating means for integrating the instantaneous values of the electrical signals of each row; storage means storing the integrated values; signal comparison means for comparing the integrated values of adjacent rows and producing bipolar difference values therefrom; weighting means for weighting the difference values of one polarity with a predetermined factor which corresponds to the roughness of the particular position in the image decreasing the difference values in a rough zone and increasing the difference values in a smooth zone; means for forming further difference values from the weighted difference values to emphasize sharp-edge lines of the image; and output means, including a row counter, for providing, by row counting, a signal for correcting the position of the semiconductor element. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33)
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Specification