Substrate inspection device

Abstract

A substrate inspection apparatus includes a rotary stage having a placement surface, a rotary stage support portion, a suction mechanism having a suction device and a suction path connected to the suction device at one end side and located at the placement surface at the other end side, the suction path being suctioned by the suction device to thereby suction a circuit substrate to the placement surface, a flow rate detection portion detecting a flow rate of gas flowing in the suction path to a portion located in the rotary stage support portion, a flow rate determination portion determining whether the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow rate detection portion is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, a non-contact detection portion non-contactly detecting a placement state of the circuit substrate on the placement surface, and an inspection portion performing an inspection of the circuit substrate based on detection results obtained by the flow rate determination portion and the non-contact detection portion.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a substrate inspection device. Background Technology

[0002] Substrate inspection apparatuses for inspecting substrates are known. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-101226 discloses an apparatus that inspects a substrate while it is held on the mounting surface of a substrate holding device.

[0003] The substrate holding device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-101226 has a plurality of adsorption holes through the mounting surface of the stage for adsorbing the lower surface of the substrate. The substrate holding device vacuum adsorbs the substrate through the adsorption holes, thereby easily holding the substrate on the mounting surface.

[0004] Furthermore, the substrate holding device has an ejection hole on the mounting surface of the stage, through which gas is ejected and blown onto the lower surface of the substrate. Moreover, the substrate holding device has a pressure gauge embedded in the stage near the ejection hole. The substrate holding device adjusts the flow rate of the gas ejected from the ejection hole based on the pressure gauge readings.

[0005] Existing technical documents

[0006] Patent documents

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2005-101226 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] Furthermore, a pressure gauge embedded in the stage is sometimes used to detect whether a substrate is adsorbed onto the mounting surface of the stage. That is, by using the pressure gauge to measure the pressure between the mounting surface and the substrate, it is possible to detect whether the substrate is adsorbed onto the mounting surface. Moreover, when the pressure gauge is located close to the mounting surface, the adsorption state of the substrate relative to the mounting surface can be detected with greater accuracy.

[0010] However, in the case where the platform is a rotating platform that rotates around a rotation axis, if a pressure gauge is to be embedded inside the rotating platform as described above, the pressure gauge's wiring will pass through the rotating part of the rotating platform. Therefore, the rotation of the rotating platform may cause the pressure gauge's wiring to twist. To prevent this twisting, a rotary joint must be used to position the pressure gauge's wiring within the rotating platform.

[0011] In recent years, with the increasing sophistication of circuitry on substrates, there is a growing demand for improved rotational accuracy of rotary platforms used in substrate inspection apparatuses. However, if a rotary joint is used for the rotary platform as described above, problems such as decreased rotational accuracy due to friction or resistance generated at the rotary joint can occur.

[0012] The purpose of this invention is to provide a substrate inspection device that can detect the adsorption state of the circuit board relative to the mounting surface of the rotating platform and improve the rotation accuracy of the rotating platform.

[0013] Technical means to solve the problem

[0014] One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting circuit boards. The substrate inspection apparatus includes: a rotating platform having a mounting surface capable of holding the circuit board in an adsorbed state, and capable of rotating about a rotation axis when the mounting surface is viewed in a plane; a rotating platform support rotatably supporting the rotating platform; an adsorption mechanism having a suction device and a suction path connected at one end to the suction device and at the other end located on the mounting surface, wherein gas is drawn from the suction path by the suction device, thereby adsorbing the circuit board placed on the mounting surface onto the mounting surface; a flow rate detection unit for detecting the flow rate of gas flowing into the portion located within the rotating platform support in the suction path; a flow rate determination unit for determining whether the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow rate detection unit is above a predetermined value; a non-contact detection unit for non-contactly detecting the arrangement state of the circuit board on the mounting surface; and an inspection unit for inspecting the circuit board based on the detection results obtained by the flow rate determination unit and the non-contact detection unit.

[0015] The effects of the invention

[0016] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the substrate inspection apparatus can both detect the adsorption state of the circuit board relative to the mounting surface of the rotating platform and improve the rotation accuracy of the rotating platform. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of the substrate inspection apparatus according to the first embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a functional block diagram representing the general structure of the control unit.

[0019] Figure 3 This is a flowchart illustrating the circuit board inspection process performed before the circuit board inspection.

[0020] Figure 4This diagram schematically illustrates the detection of a floating circuit board using a laser optical sensor.

[0021] Figure 5 It is a plan view showing the schematic structure of a circuit board having multiple substrate monoliths.

[0022] Figure 6 This is a diagram schematically illustrating the structure of the substrate inspection apparatus according to the second embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a transfer device to place a circuit board onto the mounting surface of a rotating platform.

[0024] [Explanation of Symbols]

[0025] 1: Substrate inspection device

[0026] 2: Rotating platform

[0027] 2a: Placement surface

[0028] 2b: Adsorption pores

[0029] 2c: Gas Pathway

[0030] 2ca: Central gas pathway

[0031] 2cb: Peripheral gas pathway

[0032] 3: Rotating platform support unit

[0033] 4: Drive Unit

[0034] 5: Adsorption mechanism

[0035] 6: Inspection Department

[0036] 7: Non-contact inspection department

[0037] 8: Control Department

[0038] 51: Suction device

[0039] 52: Flow Detection Department

[0040] 53: Gas piping

[0041] 53a: Central Gas Piping

[0042] 53b: Peripheral gas piping

[0043] 54: Suction Path

[0044] 61: Probe Unit (Contact Inspection Section)

[0045] 62: Inspect the main body.

[0046] 71: Optical sensor (non-contact detection unit on circuit board)

[0047] 72: Laser optical sensor (non-contact height position detection unit)

[0048] 81: Flow Determination Department

[0049] 82: Circuit board position determination unit

[0050] 83: Circuit board height determination unit

[0051] 84: Inspection and Control Department

[0052] 85: Alarm Output Unit

[0053] 101: Substrate Inspection Unit

[0054] 102: Transfer device

[0055] 102a: Retention section

[0056] 103: Posture Correction Control Unit

[0057] 104: Posture Detection Department

[0058] C: Substrate housing section

[0059] M: Circuit board

[0060] M1~M16: Single substrate

[0061] P: Axis of rotation

[0062] S1~S5: Steps

[0063] T: Check location Detailed Implementation

[0064] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, the same or equivalent parts in the drawings will be labeled with the same symbols and their descriptions will not be repeated. Also, the dimensions of the constituent members in the drawings do not faithfully represent the actual dimensions of the constituent members or the dimensional ratios of each constituent member.

[0065] Furthermore, in the following description, the vertical direction in which the substrate inspection device 1 is installed will be referred to as the "up-down direction".

[0066] <First Implementation>

[0067] (Substrate inspection device)

[0068] Figure 1This is a diagram showing a schematic structure of the substrate inspection apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate inspection apparatus 1 is an apparatus for inspecting a circuit board M placed on the mounting surface 2a of a rotating platform 2. For example, the substrate inspection apparatus 1 performs a continuity test on the circuits provided by the circuit board M. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the circuit board M is a resin-based circuit board.

[0069] The substrate inspection device 1 includes a rotating platform 2, a rotating platform support 3, a drive unit 4, an adsorption mechanism 5, an inspection unit 6, a non-contact detection unit 7, and a control unit 8.

[0070] The rotating platform 2 is rotatably supported relative to the rotating platform support 3 about the rotation axis P. In this embodiment, the rotating platform 2 can also move in three orthogonal directions. The rotating platform 2 is flat. The upper surface of the rotating platform 2 is a mounting surface 2a for placing the circuit board M. The circuit board M is fixed at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a relative to the rotating platform 2. This predetermined position is on the mounting surface 2a, and the inspection unit 6 (described later) can inspect the position of the circuit board M while it is held in place.

[0071] Furthermore, although not specifically illustrated, the rotating platform 2 may also have claws for fixing the circuit board M.

[0072] The rotating platform 2 has multiple adsorption holes 2b at the position of the holding circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a. Furthermore, the rotating platform 2 has a gas passage 2c inside that connects to the multiple adsorption holes 2b. That is, the multiple adsorption holes 2b are located at one end of the gas passage 2c. The other end of the gas passage 2c is connected to the suction device 51 via a gas pipe 53 of the adsorption mechanism 5 (described later).

[0073] As detailed below, the gas in the gas passage 2c is drawn by the suction device 51, creating a negative pressure in the gas passage 2c. As a result, the circuit board M can be adsorbed near the plurality of adsorption holes 2b on the mounting surface 2a. Furthermore, the plurality of adsorption holes 2b and the gas passage 2c constitute part of the adsorption mechanism 5 described later.

[0074] The rotating platform support 3 is located below the rotating platform 2 and rotatably supports the rotating platform 2. The rotating platform support 3 has a drive unit 4, a suction device 51 of the suction mechanism 5, and a flow detection unit 52 inside.

[0075] The drive unit 4 provides a driving force to the rotating platform 2, causing the rotating platform 2 to rotate around the rotation axis P. The drive unit 4 is, for example, a motor. The drive unit 4 is housed within the rotating platform support 3. Alternatively, the drive unit 4 may be located outside the rotating platform support 3.

[0076] The adsorption mechanism 5 is a mechanism that generates a negative pressure near the multiple adsorption holes 2b of the mounting surface 2a so that the circuit board M is adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. The adsorption mechanism 5 includes a suction device 51, a flow detection unit 52, a gas pipe 53, a gas passage 2c, and multiple adsorption holes 2b.

[0077] The suction device 51 is, for example, a device capable of suctioning gas, such as a vacuum pump. The suction device 51 is housed inside the rotating platform support 3. The other end of the gas passage 2c is connected to the suction device 51 via a gas pipe 53, allowing gas to flow in / out. Alternatively, the suction device 51 may be located outside the rotating platform support 3.

[0078] Gas piping 53 connects the suction device 51 to the gas passage 2c within the rotating platform 2. That is, gas piping 53 constitutes part of the suction path 54 that connects the suction device 51 to the gas passage 2c within the rotating platform 2. The suction path 54 of the present invention includes the interior of gas piping 53 and the gas passage 2c within the rotating platform 2.

[0079] Furthermore, the gas pipe 53 passes through the connecting part, which rotatably connects the rotating platform support 3 and the rotating platform 2.

[0080] The flow detection unit 52 detects the flow rate of the gas flowing through the portion of the gas pipe 53 located within the rotating platform support 3. The detection result of the flow detection unit 52 is input to the control unit 8 of the substrate inspection device 1 as a flow detection signal.

[0081] The non-contact detection unit 7 includes a non-contact detection sensor. This non-contact detection sensor uses, for example, light, laser light, or sound, to detect the presence or absence of a target object or its vertical position without physical contact.

[0082] In this embodiment, the non-contact detection unit 7 includes two types of non-contact detection sensors. Specifically, the non-contact detection unit 7 includes a light sensor 71 and a laser light sensor 72.

[0083] The light sensor 71 detects reflected light when light emitted from a light source (not shown) is reflected by the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 or the surface of the circuit board M. Therefore, by illuminating the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 with light and detecting the reflected light, the light sensor 71 can detect the presence of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a. The result detected by the light sensor 71 is input to the control unit 8 as a detection signal. The light sensor 71 corresponds to the non-contact circuit board detection unit of the present invention.

[0084] The laser light sensor 72 is a laser displacement meter that uses laser light. In this embodiment, the light source of the laser light sensor 72 is a laser light source that emits rays. The laser light sensor 72 detects the height position of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 by detecting the reflected light of the laser light irradiated onto the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. In the following description, the height position of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 is also referred to as the levitation amount of the circuit board M.

[0085] The laser light sensor 72 detects the amount of levitation of the circuit board M near the inspection position T and outputs it to the control unit 8 as the position detection signal. The laser light sensor 72 corresponds to the non-contact height position detection unit of the present invention.

[0086] Furthermore, the inspection position T is the location where the probe unit 61 of the inspection section 6 (described later) contacts the circuit board M to inspect the circuit board M. Moreover, the vicinity of the inspection position T includes not only the inspection position T itself, but also the area where the floating of the circuit board M would affect the inspection of the inspection section 6 at the inspection position T. For example, the vicinity of the inspection position T refers to the portion closer to the contact point where the probe unit 61 of the inspection section 6 (described later) contacts the circuit board M, which is closer than the outer edge of the circuit board M.

[0087] The inspection unit 6 checks the power supply of the circuits on the circuit board M. The inspection unit 6 includes a probe unit 61 and an inspection body 62.

[0088] The probe unit 61 has probes that make contact with the electrical wiring constituting the circuit of the circuit board M. The probe unit 61 allows current to flow into the circuit of the circuit board M via the probes and detects the current flowing to a predetermined location. The detected current is input to the control unit 8 as a current detection signal via the inspection body 62. The probe unit 61 is supported on the inspection body 62.

[0089] As described above, the probe unit 61 contacts the circuit board M for inspection. Therefore, the inspection position T of the circuit board M is the same as the contact position of the probe unit 61. Furthermore, the probe unit 61 corresponds to the contact inspection section of the present invention.

[0090] The control unit 8 determines whether the circuit of the circuit board M is normal or abnormal based on the input current detection signal. Furthermore, the control unit 8 performs inspection by the inspection unit 6 based on the flow detection signal output from the flow detection unit 52 of the adsorption mechanism 5, the detection signal output from the light sensor 71, and the position detection signal output from the laser light sensor 72. That is, if the control unit 8 determines, based on the flow detection signal and the detection signal, that the circuit board M is adsorbed at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, and based on the position detection signal, determines that the floating amount of the circuit board M is less than a predetermined value, the inspection unit 6 inspects the circuit board M. Thus, the control unit 8 controls the inspection of the board inspection device 1.

[0091] Figure 2 This is a functional block diagram showing the general structure of the control unit 8. The control unit 8 includes a flow determination unit 81, a circuit board position determination unit 82, a circuit board height determination unit 83, an inspection control unit 84, and an alarm output unit 85.

[0092] The flow determination unit 81 uses the flow detection signal input from the flow detection unit 52 to determine whether the flow rate of the gas in the gas passage 2c is above or below a specified value. If the flow rate of the gas in the gas passage 2c is above or below the specified value, the flow determination unit 81 generates an alarm control signal and outputs it to the inspection control unit 84. If the flow rate of the gas in the gas passage 2c is below the specified value, the flow determination unit 81 generates an inspection control signal and outputs it to the inspection control unit 84.

[0093] The specified value is the flow rate through the gas passage 2c when the circuit board M is not adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. The state in which the circuit board M is adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a refers to the state in which the circuit board M is fixed relative to the mounting surface 2a by the adsorption mechanism 5 to a degree that the circuit board M can be inspected by the inspection section 6.

[0094] The circuit board position determination unit 82 uses a detection signal input from the light sensor 71 of the non-contact detection unit 7 to determine whether a circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. If a circuit board M is located at the predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, the circuit board position determination unit 82 outputs an inspection control signal to the inspection control unit 84. If no circuit board M is located at the predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, the circuit board position determination unit 82 outputs an alarm control signal to the inspection control unit 84.

[0095] The circuit board height determination unit 83 uses a position detection signal input from the laser light sensor 72 of the non-contact detection unit 7 to determine whether the circuit board M inspected by the inspection unit 6 is floating near the inspection position T. If the amount of floating of the circuit board M near the inspection position T is less than or equal to a predetermined value, the circuit board height determination unit 83 outputs an inspection control signal to the inspection control unit 84. If the amount of floating of the circuit board M near the inspection position T is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the circuit board height determination unit 83 outputs an alarm control signal to the inspection control unit 84.

[0096] The specified value is set to a value that would affect the inspection result of the probe unit 61 due to the amount of floating of the circuit board M. For example, the specified value is set to a floating amount such that the inspection result of the circuit board M changes when the probe unit 61 contacts the circuit board M.

[0097] When the circuit board M can be inspected, that is, when inspection control signals are input from the flow determination unit 81, the circuit board position determination unit 82, and the circuit board height determination unit 83, the inspection control unit 84 drives the inspection drive unit (not shown) of the board inspection apparatus 1 to inspect the circuit board M. Furthermore, the inspection drive unit may include, for example, a drive unit for moving the rotating platform 2 vertically or horizontally, or a drive unit for the inspection unit 6.

[0098] When the inspection control unit 84 is unable to inspect the circuit board M, that is, when an alarm control signal is input from at least one of the flow determination unit 81, the circuit board position determination unit 82, and the circuit board height determination unit 83, the alarm output unit 84 outputs an alarm signal to the alarm output unit 85.

[0099] Specifically, the alarm signal is output by the control unit 84 in the following situations: when the flow rate determination unit 81 determines that the gas flow rate is above a specified value; when the circuit board position determination unit 82 determines that no circuit board M is located at a specified position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2; when the circuit board height determination unit 83 determines that the floating amount of the circuit board M is greater than a specified value.

[0100] The alarm output unit 85 causes an alarm display device (not shown) to display an alarm based on the alarm signal input from the inspection control unit 84.

[0101] (Inspection of circuit board)

[0102] Next, use Figure 3 The flowchart shown illustrates the inspection of the circuit board M performed in the substrate inspection apparatus 1 having the structure described above, prior to the inspection of the circuit board M placed on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2.

[0103] when Figure 3 At the start of the process shown, the flow detection unit 52 first detects the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas passage 2c. The flow rate detected by the flow detection unit 52 is input to the control unit 8 as a flow detection signal. The flow determination unit 81 of the control unit 8 uses the input flow detection signal to determine whether the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas passage 2c is above a specified value.

[0104] If the flow rate determination unit 81 of the control unit 8 determines that the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas passage 2c is above a predetermined value, that is, if in Figure 3 If the condition is "yes" in step S1, proceed to step S5, where the alarm output unit 85 outputs an alarm on a display screen (not shown). If the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas passage 2c is above a predetermined value, it is considered that there is a gap between the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 and the circuit board M, and the gas is flowing through the gap. The process then ends.

[0105] On the other hand, if the flow rate determination unit 81 of the control unit 8 determines that the flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas passage 2c is not above a predetermined value, that is, if in Figure 3 If no in step S1, proceed to step S2, where the circuit board position determination unit 82 of the control unit 8 determines whether there is a circuit board M located at a predetermined position on the rotating platform 2.

[0106] That is, in step S2, the light sensor 71 detects the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. Specifically, the light sensor 71 uses light to non-contactly detect the height of a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, and outputs its detection result as a detection signal. The detection signal output from the light sensor 71 is input to the control unit 8. The circuit board position determination unit 82 of the control unit 8 uses the detection signal to determine whether a circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2.

[0107] If the circuit board position determination unit 82 of the control unit 8 determines that a circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, that is, if in Figure 3 If step S2 is yes, then proceed to step S3 to determine the height of the circuit board M near position T. On the other hand, if the circuit board position determination unit 82 of the control unit 8 determines that no circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, that is, if in... Figure 3 If the answer is no in step S2, proceed to step S5, where the alarm output unit 85 of the control unit 8 outputs an alarm on a display screen (not shown).

[0108] In step S3, the laser light sensor 72 detects the height near the inspection position T of the circuit board M. The laser light sensor 72 uses laser light to non-contactly detect the height near the inspection position T of the circuit board M and outputs the detection result as a position detection signal. The position detection signal output from the laser light sensor 72 is input to the control unit 8. The circuit board height determination unit 83 of the control unit 8 uses the position detection signal to determine whether the height near the inspection position T of the circuit board M is below a predetermined value.

[0109] If the circuit board height determination unit 83 of the control unit 8 determines that the height near the inspection position T of the circuit board M is below a predetermined value, that is, if in Figure 3 If the condition is met in step S3, the process proceeds to step S4, where the inspection control unit 84 of the control unit 8 inspects the circuit board M. Specifically, the inspection control unit 84 outputs a drive signal to the inspection drive unit (not shown) of the board inspection apparatus 1. The process then ends.

[0110] Furthermore, such as Figure 4 As shown, the laser light sensor 72 is positioned lower than the position where the probe unit 61 of the inspection unit 6 contacts the circuit board M, detecting the height near the inspection position T of the circuit board M. Therefore, as described above, if the condition is met in step S3, the inspection drive unit will... Figure 4 As shown by the hollow arrow, the rotating platform 2 is moved upwards, causing the circuit board M to contact the probe unit 61. Alternatively, the board inspection device 1 may have the rotating platform 2 fixed, while the probe unit 61 can move vertically.

[0111] On the other hand, if the circuit board height determination unit 83 of the control unit 8 determines that the height near the inspection position T of the circuit board M is not below the specified value, that is, if in Figure 3 If the answer is no in step S3, proceed to step S5, where the alarm output unit 85 of the control unit 8 outputs an alarm on a display screen (not shown).

[0112] The process described above is performed separately before inspecting the inspection locations T of multiple circuits on the circuit board M. That is, as... Figure 5 As shown, when the circuit board M includes multiple substrate pieces M1 to M16 having circuits, the substrate inspection apparatus 1 performs inspection of the circuit board M using the process described above before inspecting each of the multiple substrate pieces M1 to M16 individually. Therefore, when inspecting the multiple substrate pieces M1 to M16 of the circuit board M, the probe unit 61 of the inspection unit 6 can more reliably make electrical contact with the circuits of the multiple substrate pieces M1 to M16.

[0113] Furthermore, the circuit board M may not consist of multiple individual boards. That is, the circuit board M may also be an undivided board in its in-process state.

[0114] By performing the above process, it is possible to detect the adsorption state of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2; detect whether the circuit board M is located at a specified position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2; and detect the amount of floating of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a near the inspection position T of the circuit board M. Based on these detection results, an alarm can be output or the circuit board M can be inspected.

[0115] In detail, when the circuit board M is adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a at a predetermined position on the rotating platform 2, and the amount of the circuit board M floating relative to the mounting surface 2a is small near the inspection position T of the circuit board M, the board inspection device 1 inspects the circuit board M.

[0116] On the other hand, the substrate inspection device 1 outputs an alarm when no circuit board M is adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, when no circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, or when the amount of floating of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a is large near the inspection position T of the circuit board M, so as to inform the operator of the substrate inspection device 1.

[0117] Based on the above, the substrate inspection apparatus 1 of this embodiment is a substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting circuit boards M. The substrate inspection apparatus 1 includes: a rotating platform 2 having a mounting surface 2a capable of holding the circuit board M in an adsorption state, and capable of rotating about a rotation axis P when the mounting surface 2a is viewed in a plane; a rotating platform support 3 rotatably supporting the rotating platform 2; and an adsorption mechanism 5 having a suction device 51 and a suction path 54 with one end connected to the suction device 51 and the other end located on the mounting surface 2a. The suction device 51 draws gas from the suction path 54, thereby adsorbing the gas placed on the mounting surface 2a. The circuit board M is adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a; the flow detection unit 52 detects the flow rate of the gas flowing into the part located in the rotating platform support 3 in the suction path 54; the flow determination unit 81 determines whether the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow detection unit 52 is above a specified value; the non-contact detection unit 7 detects the configuration state of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a without contact; and the inspection unit 6 inspects the circuit board M based on the detection results obtained by the flow determination unit 81 and the non-contact detection unit 7.

[0118] To detect the adsorption state of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, it is considered to embed a pressure sensor inside the rotating platform 2 to detect the pressure between the mounting surface 2a and the circuit board M. However, in this case, the wiring of the pressure sensor must pass through the rotating part of the rotating platform 2, thus requiring the use of a rotary joint in the rotating part. This can lead to problems such as a decrease in the rotational accuracy of the rotating platform due to friction or resistance generated at the rotary joint.

[0119] In contrast, by applying the structure of this embodiment to the substrate inspection apparatus, the adsorption and arrangement states of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 can be detected with high precision without the need to install a pressure sensor inside the rotating platform 2. Furthermore, in this structure, the flow detection unit 52 and the non-contact detection unit 7 are located outside the rotating platform 2.

[0120] Therefore, since the wiring of the flow detection unit 52 and the non-contact detection unit 7 is located outside the rotating platform 2, it is not necessary to use a rotary joint at the connection between the rotating platform 2 and the rotating platform support 3 to allow the wiring of the sensor located inside the rotating platform 2 to pass through. This reduces the sliding resistance of the rotating platform 2 relative to the rotating platform support 3, thereby improving the rotational accuracy of the rotating platform 2.

[0121] Furthermore, the adsorption state refers to the state described below, where the circuit board M is adsorbed relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 to the extent that the inspection unit 6 can inspect the circuit board M. When the circuit board M is adsorbed relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, the gas flow rate detected by the flow detection unit 52 is less than a predetermined value.

[0122] The configuration state refers to the position of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, or the presence or absence of the circuit board M floating relative to the mounting surface 2a. When the circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, the presence of the circuit board M can be detected by the non-contact detection unit 7. Furthermore, the floating of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 can also be detected by the non-contact detection unit 7.

[0123] When the flow determination unit 81 determines that the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow detection unit 52 is less than a specified value, and the non-contact detection unit 7 detects that the circuit board M is disposed on the mounting surface 2a in a specified state, the inspection unit 6 performs an inspection of the circuit board M.

[0124] If the flow determination unit 81 determines that the gas flow rate detected by the flow detection unit 52 is less than a predetermined value, the circuit board M is adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. Thus, with the circuit board M adsorbed onto the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 and disposed on the mounting surface 2a in a predetermined manner, the inspection unit 6 can perform high-precision inspection of the circuit board M. Therefore, in the above-described situation, by performing the inspection of the circuit board M through the inspection unit 6, deviations in the inspection results of the circuit board M can be suppressed.

[0125] Furthermore, the specified state refers to the state in which the circuit board M is located at a specified position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, or the state in which the amount of floating of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 is less than a specified value, etc.

[0126] The inspection unit 6 includes a probe unit 61 that contacts the circuit board M for inspection. The non-contact detection unit 7 includes: a light sensor 71 that non-contactly detects the presence or absence of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a; and a laser light sensor 72 that non-contactly detects the height of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a at a contact position closer to the outer edge of the circuit board M than the contact position where the probe unit 61 contacts the circuit board M. The predetermined state detected by the non-contact detection unit 7 is: the light sensor 71 detects that the circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a, and the laser light sensor 72 detects that the height of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a is below a predetermined value.

[0127] Therefore, as a non-contact detection unit 7, a light sensor 71 and a laser light sensor 72 are used, and these sensors are used separately when detecting the configuration state of the circuit board M. As a result, the configuration state of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 can be detected with better accuracy.

[0128] That is, a light sensor 71 with relatively low detection accuracy is generally used to detect when the circuit board M is located at a predetermined position on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, while a laser light sensor 72 with relatively high accuracy is used to detect the amount of levitation of the circuit board M relative to the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. Thus, the configuration state of the circuit board M can be detected with high accuracy, corresponding to the sensitivity range of the non-contact sensor.

[0129] The laser light sensor 72 non-contactly detects the height of the contact position where the probe unit 61 contacts the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a. This allows for high-precision detection of the amount of levitation near the inspection position on the circuit board M. Therefore, by performing the inspection of the circuit board M based on the detection results obtained using the laser light sensor 72, the inspection of the circuit board M can be performed with the probe unit 61 making more secure contact with the circuit board M. Thus, the inspection accuracy of the circuit board M is improved.

[0130] The circuit board M includes multiple substrate units M1 to M16 having circuits. Before inspecting the circuits of each substrate unit, the inspection unit 6 inspects each circuit after the flow determination unit 81 determines that the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow detection unit 52 is less than a predetermined value, and the non-contact detection unit 7 detects the configuration state of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a.

[0131] Therefore, even when the circuit board M has multiple substrate pieces M1 to M16, the adsorption and arrangement states of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 can be easily detected before performing circuit inspection on each substrate piece. Furthermore, the example using substrate pieces M1 to M16 has been described, but the number of substrates can be set to any number.

[0132] <Second Implementation>

[0133] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing a schematic structure of the substrate inspection apparatus 1 according to the second embodiment. In the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment is that the suction path of the first embodiment is divided into: a central gas passage 2ca and a central gas pipe 53a located at the center of the mounting surface, and an outer peripheral gas passage 2cb and an outer peripheral gas pipe 53b located radially outward from the central gas passage 2ca. The flow detection unit 52 detects the flow rate of the gas flowing through the portion of the central gas pipe 53a located within the rotating platform support unit 3 of the central gas passage 2ca. Other than this, the same structure is not described further.

[0134] One end of the central gas passage 2ca is connected to the suction device 51, and the other end is located near the center of the mounting surface 2a. One end of the peripheral gas passage 2cb is connected to the suction device 51, and the other end is located radially outward compared to the central gas passage 2ca. Here, the "center of the mounting surface" refers to the portion of the mounting surface 2a that is close to the rotation axis, including the point through which the rotation axis P of the rotating platform 2 passes. In other words, it refers to the portion covered by the circuit board M when the mounting surface 2a is equipped with the circuit board M. The peripheral gas passage 2cb is located radially outward compared to the central gas passage 2ca.

[0135] A central gas pipe 53a connects the suction device 51 to the central gas passage 2ca within the rotating platform 2. Furthermore, an outer gas pipe 53b connects the suction device 51 to the outer gas passage 2cb within the rotating platform 2. The central gas pipe 53a constitutes part of the central suction path connecting the suction device 51 to the central gas passage 2ca within the rotating platform 2. The outer gas pipe 53b constitutes part of the outer suction path connecting the suction device 51 to the outer gas passage 2cb within the rotating platform 2.

[0136] For example, if the substrate has significant warpage, a gap easily forms between the outer periphery of the substrate and the mounting surface when the substrate is placed on the mounting surface. Therefore, it can be assumed that the substrate cannot be adequately suctioned in the suction path at the outer periphery of the substrate. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the central suction path within the rotating platform support 3 is detected. The gap between the substrate and the mounting surface is smaller in the central portion of the substrate compared to the outer periphery. Consequently, the flow rate of the gas flowing through the central gas passage 2ca is difficult to reach a predetermined value. Therefore, by detecting the flow rate of the gas flowing through the central suction path within the rotating platform support 3, the detection accuracy of the substrate can be improved.

[0137] Furthermore, the intake device 51 can also be installed on both the central gas pipe 53a and the peripheral gas pipe 53b. However, by connecting the intake device 51 to both the central gas pipe 53a and the peripheral gas pipe 53b, space can be saved.

[0138] (Other implementation methods)

[0139] The embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but these embodiments are merely illustrative examples for implementing the present invention. Therefore, the invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and appropriate modifications can be made to the embodiments without departing from their spirit.

[0140] In the described embodiment, the non-contact detection unit 7 includes both a light sensor 71 and a laser light sensor 72. However, the non-contact detection unit may also include only one type of sensor, either a light sensor or a laser light sensor. In this case, it is sufficient to use only one sensor to confirm the presence or absence of the circuit board on the mounting surface of the rotating platform and to detect the amount of levitation near the inspection position of the circuit board. Furthermore, the non-contact detection unit may also include sensors other than light sensors and laser light sensors. The non-contact detection unit may also include three or more non-contact sensors.

[0141] If the configuration state of the substrate can be detected with high precision by the flow detection unit as in the second embodiment, the detection by the non-contact detection unit can be omitted.

[0142] In the described embodiment, an example related to the detection of the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 was explained. When placing the circuit board M on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, a transfer device may also be used to move the circuit board M while controlling its posture. Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of a transfer device 102 to place a circuit board M onto the mounting surface 2a of a rotating platform 2.

[0143] like Figure 7 As shown, the substrate inspection unit 101 includes a transfer device 102, a substrate inspection device 1, a posture correction control unit 103, and a posture detection unit 104. The substrate inspection device 1 has the same structure as the substrate inspection device 1 in the described embodiment. Therefore, the description of the substrate inspection device 1 is omitted.

[0144] The transfer device 102 removes the circuit board M from the board receiving section C, which houses a plurality of circuit boards M, and transfers it to the board inspection device 1. The transfer device 102 is, for example, a multi-joint robotic arm device. That is, the transfer device 102 has a holding section 102a at its front end for holding the circuit board M. The holding section 102a holds the circuit board M from below.

[0145] The posture detection unit 104 is located at the front end of the transfer device 102. The posture detection unit 104 detects the posture of the circuit board M held by the holding part 102a of the transfer device 102. The posture detection unit 104 is, for example, a camera.

[0146] The posture correction control unit 103 controls the posture of the transfer device 102 in accordance with the posture of the circuit board M detected by the posture detection unit 104. Specifically, the posture correction control unit 103 controls the posture of the transfer device 102 in order to correct the circuit board M to a predetermined position that can be disposed on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2 of the board inspection device 1.

[0147] Based on the above structure, when the circuit board M is transferred by the transfer device 102, the orientation of the circuit board M can be corrected to a predetermined position that is easy to place on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2. Therefore, after the circuit board M is temporarily placed on the mounting surface 2a of the rotating platform 2, it is no longer necessary to significantly correct the orientation of the circuit board M. Thus, the inspection time of the circuit board M is shortened.

[0148] The substrate inspection unit 101 includes: a transfer device 102, which can transfer the circuit board M to the rotating platform 2 and change the posture of the circuit board M when transferring the circuit board M to the rotating platform 2; and a posture correction control unit 103, which controls the drive of the transfer device 102 to correct the posture of the circuit board M to a posture that can be configured at a predetermined position on the rotating platform 2.

[0149] According to the aforementioned structure, the orientation of the circuit board M is corrected before it is placed on the rotating platform 2, thus eliminating the need for space for orientation changes of the circuit board M as in the past. Furthermore, the takt time for inspecting the circuit board M can be shortened.

[0150] The substrate inspection unit 101 further includes a posture detection unit 104, which detects the posture of the circuit board M transferred by the transfer device 102. The posture correction control unit 103 corrects the posture of the circuit board M based on the posture detection result of the posture detection unit 104.

[0151] According to the aforementioned structure, the orientation of the circuit board M transferred by the transfer device 102 can be detected with greater accuracy. Therefore, the circuit board M can be positioned at a predetermined location on the rotating platform 2 with higher precision.

[0152] The posture detection unit 104 can also detect the posture of the circuit board M by detecting the detected portion of the circuit board M transferred by the transfer device 102. The posture correction control unit 103 can also correct the posture of the circuit board M based on the posture detection result of the posture detection unit 104, thereby positioning the detected portion detected by the posture detection unit 104 to the reference position of the rotating platform 2. As a result, the circuit board M can be positioned at a predetermined position on the rotating platform 2 with high precision.

[0153] The transfer device 102 is a multi-joint robotic arm device with multiple joints. The multi-joint robotic arm device transfers the circuit board M to the rotating platform 2 in a supported position from below. By using the multi-joint robotic arm device to transfer the circuit board M in a lifted position from below, dust can be prevented from adhering to the circuit board M.

[0154] This invention can be used, for example, in an inspection apparatus for inspecting circuit boards.

Claims

1. A substrate inspection apparatus for inspecting circuit boards, characterized in that, The substrate inspection device includes: The rotating platform has a mounting surface that can hold the circuit board in an adsorbed state, and can rotate about the rotation axis when the mounting surface is viewed in a plane. A rotating platform support is provided that can rotatably support the rotating platform; An adsorption mechanism has a suction device and a suction path connected to the suction device at one end and located on the mounting surface at the other end. The suction device is used to draw gas from the suction path, thereby adsorbing the circuit board placed on the mounting surface onto the mounting surface. The flow detection unit detects the flow rate of the gas flowing into the portion of the rotating platform support located in the suction path; The flow determination unit determines whether the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow detection unit is above a specified value; A non-contact detection unit detects the configuration state of the circuit board on the mounting surface without contact; and The inspection unit inspects the circuit board based on the detection results obtained by the flow determination unit and the non-contact detection unit. The suction path has: A central gas piping located at the center of the mounting surface; and Compared to the central gas piping located on the outer peripheral gas piping at the other end in the radial direction, The central gas piping and the peripheral gas piping pass through the connecting part, which rotatably connects the rotating platform support to the rotating platform. The flow detection unit detects the flow rate of the gas flowing through the portion of the central gas piping located within the rotating platform support.

2. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The inspection unit inspects the circuit board when the flow determination unit determines that the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow detection unit is less than a predetermined value, and when the non-contact detection unit detects that the circuit board is arranged on the mounting surface in a predetermined state.

3. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The inspection section includes a contact inspection section that contacts the circuit board to perform inspection. The non-contact detection unit has: The circuit board non-contact detection unit detects the presence or absence of the circuit board on the mounting surface in a non-contact manner. as well as The height position non-contact detection unit detects the height of the circuit board relative to the mounting surface non-contactly at a contact position where the contact detection unit contacts the circuit board, closer to the outer edge of the circuit board. The specified state detected by the non-contact detection unit is: the circuit board is detected by the circuit board non-contact detection unit to be located at a specified position on the mounting surface, and the height position non-contact detection unit detects that the height of the circuit board relative to the mounting surface is below a specified value.

4. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, The height position non-contact detection unit non-contactly detects the height of the contact position contacted by the contact inspection unit in the circuit board relative to the mounting surface.

5. The substrate inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, The circuit board comprises multiple substrate wafers having circuits. Before inspecting the circuits of each of the substrates, the inspection unit inspects each of the circuits after the flow determination unit determines that the flow rate of the gas detected by the flow detection unit is less than a predetermined value, and the non-contact detection unit detects the configuration state of the circuit substrates on the mounting surface.

6. The substrate inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The suction device connected to the central gas piping is the same as the suction device connected to the peripheral gas piping.

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