Wire bonding inspecting apparatus with moving imaging area

• US 5,170,062 A
• Filed: 10/11/1991
• Issued: 12/08/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1990
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyahara, Yuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DAVENPORT, TERESA
• Application Number:
  US07/774,886
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 250/561, 356/376, 356/392, 356/393, 356/394, 358/101, 358/106, 358/107
• US Class Current: 250/559.07
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/2853 Electrical testing of internal connections or -isolation, e.g. latch-up or chip-to-lead connections G01R31/31717 takes precedence; test of chip-to-PCB or lead-to-PCB connections G01R31/66
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/304 of printed or hybrid circuits G01R31/305 - G01R31/315 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/52 Testing for short-circuits, leakage current or ground faults
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/54 Testing for continuity
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/58 Testing of lines, cables or conductors testing of electric windings G01R31/72
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/12 for structural parameters, e.g. thickness, line width, refractive index, temperature, warp, bond strength, defects, optical inspection, electrical measurement of structural dimensions, metallurgic measurement of diffusions electrical measurement of diffusions H01L22/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/45099 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/49171 Fan-out arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/78 Apparatus for connecting with wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/859 involving monitoring, e.g. feedback loop
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/48 of an individual wire connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/49 of a plurality of wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/78 Apparatus for connecting with wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/85 using a wire connector wire bonding in general B23K20/004
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01039 : Yttrium [Y]

Abstract

A wire bonding inspecting apparatus for inspecting wires bonded between a semiconductor chip and leads comprises an imaging device for optically taking an image of the wire and converting the optical image into electric image signals; a moving device for moving the imaging device; an image processing inspecting unit for obtaining wire positional coordinates on the basis of image signals and inspecting the wire on the basis of the positional coordinates; and a main controller. When a whole wire does not lie within an image area of the imaging device, the moving device moves the imaging device; the imaging device takes plural optical wire images whenever moved and converts the optical images into image signals, respectively; and the image processing inspecting unit obtains the relative wire positional coordinates on the basis of the image signals whenever the optical images are taken and transforms the relative wire positional coordinates into the absolute wire positional coordinates for wire inspection, thus enabling a long wire to be inspected without adjusting the lens magnification, that is, under a constant high resolution.

Claims

1. A wire bonding inspecting apparatus for inspecting wires bonded between a semiconductor chip and leads, comprising:

imaging means for optically taking an image of the wire and converting the optical image into electric image signals;

moving means for moving said imaging means;

inspecting means for obtaining positional coordinates of the wire on the basis of the converted image signals and inspecting the wire on the basis of the obtained positional coordinates; and

control means for controlling the operations of said imaging means, said moving means and said inspecting means, and

wherein when a whole wire does not lie within a single image area obtained by said imaging means, said control means controls said moving means so as to be moved;

said imaging means so as to take a plurality of optical images of the wire whenever moved and convert the optical images into image signals, respectively; and

said inspecting means so as to obtain the positional coordinates on the basis of the image signals obtained whenever the optical images are taken, and transform the obtained positional coordinates into those of a single uniform coordinate system for wire inspection.

2. The wire bonding inspecting apparatus of claim 1, wherein said control means comprises:

discriminating means for discriminating whether the whole wire lies within the single image area obtained by said imaging means; and

calculating means for calculating the position after movement of said imaging means moved by said moving means, when said discriminating means discriminates that the whole wire does not lie within said single image area.

3. The wire bonding inspecting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said moving means comprises:

an X-Y table provided with said imaging means and being movable in an X-Y plane;

a motor for thus moving said X-Y table; and

an X-Y table controller connected to said motor and controlled by said control means, for controlling the operation of said motor.

4. The wire bonding inspecting apparatus of claim 2, wherein said moving means comprises:

an X-Y table provided with said imaging means and being movable in an X-Y plane;

a motor for thus moving said X-Y table; and

an X-Y table controller connected to said motor and controlled by said control means, for controlling the operation of said motor.