Method and apparatus for backlighting a wafer during alignment
First Claim
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1. An apparatus for backlighting a wafer during alignment comprising:
- a wafer alignment stage;
a camera coupled to a machine vision system, the camera positioned to acquire an image of a wafer placed on the wafer alignment stage; and
an electroluminescent lamp projecting illumination toward the camera, the wafer alignment stage disposed between the camera and the electroluminescent lamp.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus is provided for illuminating a wafer during wafer alignment using machine vision. An illumination device is fabricated using electroluminescent material, that provides diffuse illumination uniformly over the surface of the lamp to provide backlighting of the wafer. Contrast between the image of the wafer and the diffuse illumination produce edge features in the image that can be analyzed to determine the position and orientation of the wafer.
314 Citations
16 Claims
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1. An apparatus for backlighting a wafer during alignment comprising:
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a wafer alignment stage; a camera coupled to a machine vision system, the camera positioned to acquire an image of a wafer placed on the wafer alignment stage; and an electroluminescent lamp projecting illumination toward the camera, the wafer alignment stage disposed between the camera and the electroluminescent lamp. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. An apparatus for backlighting a wafer during alignment comprising:
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a robot end effector; a camera coupled to a machine vision system, the camera positioned to acquire an image of a wafer placed on the robot end effector; and an electroluminescent lamp projecting illumination toward the camera, the wafer disposed between the camera and the electroluminescent lamp. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method for backlighting a wafer during alignment comprising:
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positioning a wafer in a field of view of a camera, the wafer having a first side facing the camera and a second side facing away from the camera, the camera cooperatively coupled to a machine vision system; illuminating the second side of the wafer using an electroluminescent lamp and a portion of the field of view; and determining the position and orientation of the wafer using the acquired image and the machine vision system. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16)
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Specification