Substrate crack inspecting method, substrate crack inspection apparatus, and solar battery module manufacturing method

• US 7,191,656 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2004
• Issued: 03/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Kawagoe, Yoshikazu, Yagi, Katsuyuki, Kanishi, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams; Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): MILLER, ROSE MARY
• Application Number:
  US10/965,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20050097961A1
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 732/79, 73/120.1, 738/656, 735/71
• US Class Current: 73/579
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2291/2697 Wafer or (micro)electronic parts
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/045 by imparting shocks to the workpiece and detecting the vibrations or the acoustic waves caused by the shocks measuring resonant frequency G01H13/00; measuring strength properties by application of mechanical stress G01N3/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/4427 with stored values, e.g. threshold values
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 29/46 by spectral analysis, e.g. Fourier analysis or wavelet analysis spectral signal processing per se G06F17/14

Abstract

Certain example embodiments of the present invention provide a method for detecting a substrate crack by simple equipment and steps. A substrate crack inspecting method may include the steps of (1) producing a sound by providing vibration to a substrate, (2) determining a power spectrum by capturing the produced sound and carrying out an acoustic analysis for the captured sound, and (3) judging whether or not a substrate crack exists based on a spectral intensity of a predetermined frequency region.

Claims

1. A substrate crack inspecting method comprising the steps of (1) producing a sound by providing vibration for a peripheral part of a substrate, with the substrate being supported at only one position at a center portion of the substrate, (2) determining a power spectrum by capturing the produced sound and carrying out an acoustic analysis for the captured sound, and (3) judging whether or not a substrate crack exists based on a spectral intensity of a predetermined frequency region.

2. The substrate crack inspecting method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising supporting a center part of the substrate by use of a vacuum suction pad.

3. The substrate crack inspecting method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency region is a high-frequency region of 7 KHz or more.

4. The substrate crack inspecting method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the predetermined frequency region is an audible frequency region of 10 KHz or more and 20 KHz or less.

5. A solar battery module manufacturing method comprising the steps of (1) inspecting a plurality of solar battery cells by the substrate crack inspecting method as set forth in claim 1, selecting solar battery cells without substrate cracks, and (2) electrically connecting the plurality of selected solar battery cells for modularization.

6. A substrate crack inspecting method comprising the steps of (1) providing vibration for a plurality of positions on a peripheral part of a substrate in order, with the substrate being supported at only one position at a center portion of the substrate, and each time vibration is provided determining a power spectrum by capturing a sound produced by the vibration and carrying out an acoustic analysis for the captured sound, (2) statistically analyzing spectral intensities of a predetermined frequency region for a plurality of obtained power spectrums, and judging whether or not a substrate crack exists based on the result of analysis.

7. The substrate crack inspecting method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the step of providing vibration for a substrate is a step of providing vibration for a substrate by striking the substrate by an elastic member while supporting a predefined part of the substrate.

8. The substrate crack inspecting method as set forth in claim 6, wherein the acoustic analysis is an octave analysis.

9. A substrate crack inspection apparatus comprising:

an openable/closable hollow airtight container;

an airtight container opening/closing portion for opening/closing the hollow airtight container;

a substrate supporting portion for supporting a substrate at only one position at a center portion of the substrate, the substrate supporting portion being provided in the airtight container;

a striking portion for striking a peripheral part of the substrate provided and supported in the airtight container;

a sound collecting portion for collecting a striking vibration sound of the substrate provided in the airtight container; and

an acoustic analysis portion for carrying out an acoustic analysis of the striking vibration sound collected by the sound collecting portion and judging whether or not a substrate crack exists based on an obtained power spectrum.

10. The substrate crack inspection apparatus as set forth in claim 9, further comprising:

a carrying portion for carrying in and out a substrate to be inspected with respect to the airtight container;

a substrate housing portion for housing a carried-out substrate; and

a control portion for controlling the carrying portion based on the judgment result of the acoustic analysis portion to sort the substrates depending on whether or not a substrate crack exists and make the substrate housing portion house the same.