Inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment

Abstract

An inspection apparatus for inspecting an electronic device includes a rod, a probe attached to one end of the rod, an infrared image sensor disposed on the probe, at least one visible light source disposed on the probe, and a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe. Infrared image data acquired by the infrared image sensor is transmitted to the near end portion of the rod, and visible light image data acquired by the visible light image sensor is transmitted to the near end portion of the rod. The at least one visible light source may include a green light source, and the visible light image data in this case is green light image data. Infrared images or videos are used for detecting heat flow hot spots, and green light images or videos are used for detecting metal whiskers and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosed embodiment is related to an inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment. Background Art

[0002] The following relates to electronic equipment inspection technology, electronic equipment fault detection technology and related technologies. Utility Model Content

[0003] In one exemplary aspect, the present disclosure relates to an inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment. The inspection device includes a rod, a probe attached to the end of the rod, an infrared image sensor disposed on the probe, a visible light source disposed on the probe, and a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe. An electrical conductor passes through the rod from the probe at the end of the rod to a proximal portion of the rod relative to the end of the rod. The electrical conductor connects the infrared image sensor and connects the visible light image sensor.

[0004] In another exemplary aspect, the present disclosure relates to an inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment. The inspection device includes a rod, a probe attached to the end of the rod, a green light source disposed on the probe, and a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe. An electronic controller is connected to the visible light image sensor.

[0005] In another exemplary aspect, the present disclosure relates to an inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment. The inspection device includes a rod, a probe, an infrared image sensor, a white light source, a visible light image sensor, and an electronic controller. The probe is attached to the end of the rod. The infrared image sensor is disposed on the probe. The white light source is disposed on the probe. The visible light image sensor is disposed on the probe. The electronic controller connects the visible light image sensor and the infrared image sensor. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] The present disclosure will be better understood from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, in accordance with standard industry practice, the features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of the features may be increased or decreased at will to make the discussion clearer.

[0007] Figure 1 An endoscope for inspecting electronic equipment is schematically depicted;

[0008] Figure 2 Sketched and Figure 1 Compared with the endoscope with shortened assembly length;

[0009] Figure 3 A brief description includes Figure 1 An inspection system comprising an endoscope and an electronic controller having a display;

[0010] Figure 4 An inspection system including an endoscope and an electronic controller having a display according to another embodiment is schematically depicted;

[0011] Figure 5 Depicted using Figure 3 or Figure 4 A flowchart of the electronic equipment inspection process appropriately performed by the inspection system;

[0012] Figure 6 Sketched through Figure 3 or Figure 4 an infrared image or video frame appropriately acquired by an inspection system, wherein three heat flow hot spots are detected;

[0013] Figure 7 Sketched through Figure 3 or Figure 4 a green light image or video frame appropriately acquired by the inspection system in which a tin whisker is detected;

[0014] Figure 8 Sketched through Figure 3 or Figure 4 The inspection system appropriately acquires a green light image or video frame in which two tin whiskers are detected.

[0015]

Explanation of symbols

[0016] 1: Heat flow hotspot

[0017] 2: Heat flow hotspot

[0018] 3: Heat flow hotspot

[0019] 10: Endoscope

[0020] 12: Rod

[0021] 14: Proximal part

[0022] 16: Probe

[0023] 20: Infrared image sensor, image sensor

[0024] 22: Visible light image sensor, image sensor, white light image sensor

[0025] 24: White light source, visible light source, white light emitting diode, light emitting diode

[0026] 26: Green light source, visible light source, green light emitting diode, light emitting diode

[0027] 30: Part

[0028] 31: Part

[0029] 32: Part

[0030] 33: Connectors

[0031] 36: Electrical conductor

[0032] 40: Electronic controller

[0033] 42: Display

[0034] 44: Cable

[0035] 50: Video, infrared imaging, video

[0036] 52: Video, Green Light Image, Image

[0037] 54: User Interface

[0038] 60: On / Off switch

[0039] 62: On / Off switch

[0040] 70: First operation, operation

[0041] 74: Operation

[0042] 76: Operation

[0043] 80: Operation

[0044] 82: Operation

[0045] 84: Operation

[0046] 86: Operation

[0047] 90: Operation

[0048] 92: Operation

[0049] d1: length

[0050] d2: length

[0051] d3: length

[0052] d4: length

[0053] d5: length DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0054] The following disclosure provides many different implementations or embodiments for realizing different features of the subject matter provided. The specific embodiments of the components and arrangements described below are intended to simplify the disclosure. Of course, these are only examples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, in the description, a first feature is formed above or on a second feature, which may include an implementation in which the first feature and the second feature are formed in direct contact, and may also include an implementation in which an additional feature may be formed between the first feature and the second feature, so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. In addition, the disclosure may repeat component symbols and / or letters in various examples. This repetition is for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and does not itself represent the relationship between the various implementations and / or configurations discussed.

[0055] Additionally, spatially relative terms such as "beneath," "below," "lower," "above," "upper," and the like may be used herein to facilitate description of the relationship between one component or feature and another component or feature(s) as depicted in the accompanying drawings. These spatially relative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of the elements in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawings. The device may be oriented in different ways (rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors used herein should be interpreted in a like manner.

[0056] Semiconductor manufacturing plants contain a large amount of electronic equipment, including semiconductor processing machines and power transmission electronics, such as low voltage switchboards (LV SWG). A well-maintained schedule of regular inspections of a large amount of electronic equipment can advantageously detect early problems and perform equipment maintenance or replacement in a timely manner to reduce the possibility of unexpected interruptions to the semiconductor processing flow due to electronic equipment failure.

[0057] There are many failure modes in which electronic devices may fail. In the case of electronic devices carrying high voltage and / or high current levels, some failure modes are related to fatigue or degradation of electrical conductors or electrical connections. Such failure modes can be detected as heat flow hot spots caused by increased resistance at fatigued or degraded electrical conductors or increased current resistance of degraded electrical connections.

[0058] Another possible failure mode is the formation of one or more tin whiskers. This failure mode may occur in the case of tinned copper or copper alloy bars of low voltage switchboards or similar electronic devices with tinned copper or copper alloy conductors. The tin coating acts as a protective coating. The mechanism of tin whisker formation is not fully understood, but it is believed to be due to the crystalline metallurgical tin migration growth driven by the electric field on the copper or copper alloy conductor. More generally, metal whisker formation (of which tin whisker formation is an example) has been observed in the case of various metal coatings, such as tin, zinc and lead. Tin whiskers can grow to more than 1 cm or longer. In the closed confinement of tightly packed electronic components and closely spaced electrical conductors common in commercial electronic devices, such as low voltage switchboards, tin whiskers can easily produce electrical shunting or short circuits, and thus cause failure degradation of the target electronic device. Although metal whiskers may be relatively long, about 1 cm or longer, they are usually very thin and are metal hairs or whiskers. For example, the diameter of a tin whisker is about 1 to 5 microns, and the diameter of a zinc whisker is also about a few microns. Metal whiskers are also often made of the same metal as the plating (e.g., tin whiskers formed on tinned copper or copper alloy conductors), so that they blend into the background during visual inspection. Therefore, despite their great length, metal whiskers can easily escape detection during visual inspection of electronic devices.

[0059] The tight confines within the enclosure of a typical commercial electronic device further increase the difficulty of detecting hot spots, metal whiskers, or other manifestations of early device failure modes.

[0060] Disclosed herein are inspection apparatus and corresponding inspection methods that beneficially increase the visibility and detection potential of failure modes such as hot spots and metal whiskers. In some illustrative embodiments, the inspection apparatus includes an endoscope having an infrared image sensor and a visible light image sensor, and a visible light source for providing illumination for inspection using the visible light image sensor. In some embodiments, the visible light source is a green light source, as the present disclosure identifies that green light is particularly effective for detecting metal whiskers. This is due to a variety of factors, including the strong scattering of green light by metallic features such as metal whiskers, and the high sensitivity of the human eye to green light. In further aspects, in some embodiments, the infrared image sensor and the visible light image sensor (and the infrared and visible light images obtained accordingly) have significantly different spatial resolutions, wherein the visible light image sensor has a higher spatial resolution than the infrared image sensor. Having a lower resolution in the infrared imaging sensor facilitates the infrared sensor to become a smaller and lower cost component; however, as confirmed by the present disclosure, the performance of the inspection device is not degraded because the infrared imaging sensor is primarily used to detect relatively large heat flux hotspots (especially compared to metal whiskers with micron-sized diameters).

[0061] View Now Figure 1, shows an endoscope 10 for conducting an inspection of an electronic device. The endoscope 10 includes a rod 12 having a proximal portion 14 and a probe 16 on an opposite distal end of the rod 12 opposite the proximal portion 14. During the inspection of the electronic device, the rod 12 is inserted into a housing, case or other closed housing of the electronic device to position the probe 16 to view the electronic device being inspected. The rod 12 can be inserted through a door or other opening of the closed housing. The proximal portion 14 of the rod 12 generally remains outside the housing, although the closed housing is large enough that the entire rod 12 can be accommodated in the closed housing. The probe 16 of the rod 12 includes an infrared imaging sensor 20, a visible light imaging sensor 22, and at least one visible light source 24 and 26. In the illustrated embodiment, the at least one visible light source includes a white light source 24 and a green light source 26. As disclosed herein, the green light source 26 can be particularly useful for providing illumination to detect metal whiskers, accumulation of fine dust particles, and other fine features that may cause degradation or defects of the electronic device under inspection.

[0062] Continue reading Figure 1 See also Figure 2 , the rod 12 may be a straight rigid rod, such as a hollow plastic rod. Figures 1 to 3 In the preferred embodiment, the rod 12 is modular and comprises a plurality of sections that are removably secured together. Figure 1 A connector 33 attaches the probe 16 to the distal end of the rod 12, shown as parts 30, 31 and 32. Figure 1 In the modular rod 12 shown, part 30 and part 31 are detachably connected together, part 31 and part 32 are detachably connected together, and the probe 16 is attached to the part 32 at the distal end of the rod 12 through a connector 33. Figure 1 In the assembled rod 12, the portion 30 corresponds to the proximal portion 14 of the rod 12. Advantageously, the rod 12 can be shortened by disassembling and removing one or more of these portions. Figure 2 As shown, the rod 12 is similar to Figure 1 , but with portion 30 omitted (e.g. removed), so Figure 2 The rod 12 only comprises a portion 31 and a portion 32 which are fixed together, and the probe 16 is again fixed to the portion 32 by means of a connecting piece 33. Figure 2In this shorter rod 12, portion 31 corresponds to the proximal portion 14 of the rod 12. This modular illustrative rod 12 is optional (in other embodiments, the entire rod 12 may be a single piece with no removable portions), but the modularity of the rod 12 provides the advantage that the length of the endoscope 10 can be selected to suit the space and limitations of a given electronic device to be inspected. In one non-limiting illustrative embodiment, the length d1, d2, and d3 of each of the three portions 30, 31, and 32 is approximately 30 to 40 centimeters, the connector 33 is approximately 5 to 10 centimeters, and the length d5 ​​of the probe 16 is approximately 30 to 40 centimeters. As in one specific embodiment, a fixed value of 35 centimeters is taken for each of the portions 30, 31, and 32 and the probe 16, and a length d4 of 8 centimeters is taken for the connector 33, and for Figure 1 In the embodiment of the present invention, the total length of the endoscope 10 can be selected to be 4x35 cm+8 cm=148 cm, or for Figure 2 The embodiment is 3x35 cm+8 cm=113 cm (i.e., by removing part 30, the length is compared to Figure 1 The embodiment is reduced by 35 cm), and the endoscope 10 can be further shortened to 2x35 cm+8 cm=78 cm by removing part 31 (embodiment not shown).

[0063] The illustrated rod 12 is a straight rod and may be formed, for example, by hollow tubular plastic sections 30, 31 and 32, a plastic section for the probe 16 on which the image sensors 20 and 22 and the visible light sources 24 and 26 are mounted, and a plastic connector 33. The removable connection between the sections may be implemented, for example, as a threaded connection, or a friction fit or resistance fit connection (e.g., one section has a reduced outer diameter at one end that fits into the inner diameter of a mating section to form a friction fit), etc. In another contemplated embodiment (not shown), the rod may be a hollow semi-flexible gooseneck tube that can be bent to form a curve but has sufficient rigidity to maintain the curve.

[0064] See also Figure 1 And now further see Figure 3 , an electrical conductor 36 passes from the probe 16 through the rod 12 to a proximal portion 14 of the rod 12 opposite the distal end attached to the probe 16. The electrical conductor 36 may be embodied as a wire, a cable bundle, etc. The electrical conductor 36 is generally disposed inside the rod 12, for example, in a central lumen of the rod 12 if the rod 12 is a hollow tube. Figure 1 and Figure 2In a modular rod design of the present invention, cables, wires, or other electrical conductors 36 may be provided in varying lengths so that the length of the electrical conductors 36 may be selected to match the length of the assembled rod 12, or the electrical conductors 36 may be a single fixed length and packaged into the central lumen of the hollow rod 12. Alternatively, if the rod 12 is solid, the electrical conductors 36 may be embedded in the solid rod - for example, the rod 12 may comprise a plastic cylinder formed by molding plastic around the electrical conductors 36. Figures 1 to 3 In the modular pole design of , each section 30, 31 and 32 may have a corresponding embedded portion of the electrical conductor 36, and when the sections are connected together, the connection between the sections may have a suitable electrical connector between the sections connected together.

[0065] The electrical conductors 36 are connected to transmit infrared image data acquired by the infrared image sensor 20 to the proximal portion 14 of the pole 12 and to transmit visible light image data acquired by the visible light image sensor 22 to the proximal portion 14 of the pole. Figure 3 Display includes Figure 1The inspection system of the endoscope 10 further includes an electronic controller 40 having a display 42. The electronic controller 40 is operatively connected to the electrical conductor 36 of the proximal portion 14 of the shaft 12, such as by a cable 44, to receive infrared image data from the infrared image sensor 20 and visible light image data from the visible light image sensor 22, respectively. The electronic controller 40 is configured to display an infrared image or video 50 generated from the infrared image data and a visible light image or video 52 generated from the visible light image data on the display 42. The electronic controller 40 further displays a user interface 54 to provide the user with functions such as zooming and panning of the infrared image or video 50 and zooming and panning of the visible light image or video 52. In the illustrated user interface 54, translation of the infrared ("IR") image or video 50 is provided by the illustrated clustered up / down / left / right arrows (e.g., pressing the up button translates the IR image or video 50 upward), and zooming is provided by the illustrated "zoom in" button to zoom in on the IR image 50 (effectively providing digital zooming of the IR image 50) and the illustrated "zoom out" button to zoom out on the IR image 50. Similarly, in the illustrated user interface 54, translation of the visible light image or video 52 is provided by the illustrated clustered up / down / left / right arrows and zooming is provided by the illustrated "zoom in" and "zoom out" buttons. Additionally or alternatively, other types of touch display user interactions may be used to perform such functions. For example, a two-finger pinch gesture may be directly applied to zoom in on the IR image 50, and a two-finger pinch gesture may be directly applied to zoom out on the IR image 50, and similarly a two-finger pinch gesture may be directly applied to zoom in on the visible light image 52, and a two-finger pinch gesture may be directly applied to zoom out on the visible light image 52. As another example, a sliding gesture may be applied directly to image 50 or 52 to pan the image. Other display operation functions may be implemented: for example, if the infrared image or video includes a video, a corresponding "freeze" switch (not shown) may be provided to allow the user to freeze the video at a single frame for inspection without blurring due to the rapid frame-by-frame update of the video (e.g., a typical video frame rate is 30 frames per second). It should be understood that the aforementioned and Figure 3 The illustrated diagram of user interface 54 is merely a non-limiting example of some suitable user interface mechanisms that may be provided to a user to operate the respective infrared image or video 50 and visible light image or video 52 .

[0066] As described above, the infrared image or video 50 is generated by the infrared image data obtained by the infrared image sensor 20, and the visible light image or video 52 is generated by the visible light image data obtained by the visible light image sensor 22. The infrared image sensor 20 includes a two-dimensional array of pixels, wherein each pixel is sensitive to infrared light irradiated on the pixel and can measure the intensity of the infrared light. For example, the infrared image sensor 20 may include a CMOS image array, a CCD image array, etc. Similarly, the visible light image sensor 22 includes a two-dimensional array of pixels, wherein each pixel is sensitive to visible light irradiated on the pixel and can measure the intensity of the visible light. For example, the visible light image sensor 22 may include a CMOS image array, a CCD image array, etc. The spatial resolution of the infrared image sensor 20 and the obtained infrared image or video 50 can be measured according to the number of pixels in the two-dimensional array of pixels of the infrared image sensor 20. Similarly, the spatial resolution of the visible light image sensor 22 and the obtained visible light image or video 52 can be measured according to the number of pixels in the two-dimensional array of pixels of the visible light image sensor 22.

[0067] Generally, higher spatial resolution (corresponding to more pixels in the array of the image sensor) increases the likelihood of detecting small features in the image or video, but is also associated with a higher cost for the image sensor, and also with a larger overall size of the image sensor in order to accommodate the higher pixels. As recognized herein, the optimal spatial resolution of the infrared image sensor 20 and the corresponding infrared image or video 50 is different from the optimal spatial resolution of the visible light image sensor 22 and the corresponding visible light image or video 52. The infrared image or video 50 is generally used to identify heat flow hot spots in conductors, connections, or components of an electronic device under inspection. Such heat flow hot spots can indicate degradation and / or incipient failure of the electronic device. Heat flow hot spots tend to appear as bright areas of the heat flow image or video 52 because the hot spots emit more infrared light (e.g., according to the Stefan-Boltzmann law, the total radiant heat energy emitted by a hot surface is proportional to the fourth power of its absolute temperature). Heat flow hot spots tend to be relatively large, for example, commensurate with the size of a connection, conductor, or component that operates at an unacceptably high temperature. Thus, the spatial resolution of the infrared sensor 20 and the corresponding infrared image or video 50 can be relatively low. For example, in some embodiments, the infrared image sensor 20 has a spatial resolution of one million pixels or less. As a non-limiting embodiment, the infrared sensor 20 may include a two-dimensional array of 120x160 pixels, such that the number of pixels is 120x160=19,200 pixels. Using a relatively small number of pixels in the infrared image sensor 20 (e.g., one million pixels or less in some embodiments) advantageously reduces the cost and complexity of the infrared image sensor 20, and can reduce the overall size of the infrared image sensor 20 without the accompanying loss of the ability to detect heat flow hot spots when inspecting electronic devices. Although a small number of pixels in the infrared image sensor 20 may have such advantages, it is also contemplated that the infrared image sensor has a higher number of pixels, such as greater than one million pixels.

[0068] Various considerations govern the optimization of visible light image sensor 22. Visible light images or videos 52 are generally used to identify tin (or other metal) whiskers, dust particle accumulation, and the like. These features can lead to electrical shunting or even shorting, and consequent degradation or failure of the target electronic device. For example, a tin whisker may originate from the tinned surface of a copper conductor or electrical connection; however, as it grows, it extends further and further away from the source copper conductor or electrical connection, and through such growth may reach another copper conductor or electrical connection, ultimately leading to an arc or shorting through the tin whisker. Similarly, dust particles accumulated on the surface of an electronic device may provide a shunting path, and / or may constitute thermal insulation that is detrimental to function. Metal whiskers, dust, and the like are small features: for example, while a tin whisker may be over 1 cm in length, its diameter is typically on the order of a few microns. Therefore, the spatial resolution of visible light sensor 22 and corresponding visible light images or videos 52 should be relatively high to provide sufficient resolution to detect these small features. For example, in some embodiments, visible light image sensor 22 has a spatial resolution of at least five megapixels. As a non-limiting example, the visible light image sensor may include 12 million pixels. These are merely non-limiting illustrative examples.

[0069] In the case of infrared images or videos 50 taken by infrared image sensor 20, the images or videos are capturing infrared light emitted by electrical conductors, connections and / or components of the electronic device due to heating of these conductors, connections and / or components during operation of the electronic device. For example, a bad electrical connection is resistively heated due to electrical conduction through a resistive connection, and this results in heat being emitted in the form of infrared light, which appears as a hot spot in the infrared image or video 50. Therefore, the infrared image sensor 20 does not require illumination to take the infrared image or video 50. Therefore, the illustrated endoscope 10 does not include an infrared LED or other infrared light source. In addition, if the infrared image sensor 20 includes a suitable visible light blocking filter, the infrared image sensor 20 is insensitive (or mostly insensitive) to visible light illumination.

[0070] On the other hand, the visible light image or video 52 obtained by the visible light image sensor 22 typically uses illumination applied by at least one visible light source 24 and / or 26. For example, the endoscope 10 is typically used to inspect electronic devices that are mounted in a housing or other enclosed enclosure that substantially blocks any ambient visible light. Therefore, the characteristics of the visible light image or video 52 depend not only on the characteristics of the visible light image sensor 22 (such as the number of pixels), but also on the characteristics of the applied illumination. In this regard, it is recognized that green light is particularly effective for detecting metal whiskers, dust or other small features. Green light exhibits strong scattering due to metallic features such as metal whiskers, and the human eye is most sensitive to green light compared to other colors of visible light. Therefore, in Figure 3In the illustrated embodiment, when obtaining the visible light image or video 52, the green light source 26 is used, so Figure 3 This is labeled green light in the image or video 52. In some embodiments, the green light source 26 is a green light emitting diode (LED) 26. This can be a single green LED or two or more such LEDs, and for simplicity, the green LED 26 as used herein includes a single LED or a cluster of two or more LEDs.

[0071] An advantage of using a green light emitting diode as the green light source 26 is that the green light emitting diode produces relatively monochromatic green illumination light. For example, a typical commercially available green light emitting diode has a main peak in the green spectrum range (i.e., a spectrum having a maximum intensity peak at a wavelength equal to or greater than 495 nanometers and less than or equal to 570 nanometers), and a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 50 nanometers or less. Some commercial green light emitting diodes designed for narrow spectrums have a FWHM of 10 nanometers or less. Using a green light emitting diode as the green light source 26 thus provides relatively monochromatic green light illumination, which can facilitate the detection of small features, such as metal whiskers having a narrow diameter of about 1-5 micrometers, through light scattering, reflection, and potential constructive and destructive optical interference of narrow-band green light. Figure 3 The user interface 54 further includes an optional "intensity" slider bar for the user to adjust the intensity of the green light illumination provided by the green light source 26, for example by controlling the intensity of the green light illumination provided by the electrical conductor 36 (such as Figure 3 As shown, it is also connected to the white light source 24 and the green light source 26 so that they are powered by the electronic controller 40 via cables or other connections 44 and electrical conductors 36 to deliver drive current to the green light emitting diode 26.

[0072] For the reasons described above, while green light is disclosed herein as being particularly useful for detecting metal whiskers and other small features during electronic device inspection, it is also contemplated that different colors of illumination (e.g., orange light, red light, etc.) or white light illumination may be used to obtain visible light images or videos 52. In addition, Figures 1 to 3 The exemplary embodiment of the invention also includes a white light source 24 in addition to the green light source 26. Providing a white light source 24 in addition to the green light source 26 may be useful, for example, using a light source from the white light source 24 (option not provided in the embodiment of the invention). Figure 3The endoscope 10 may be configured to initially locate the electronic device under inspection using white light (displayed in the user interface 54 of the endoscope) to obtain a visible light image or video 52 in order to identify a specific component of the electronic device under inspection so as to orient the user as to what is being imaged, and then switch from using the green light source 26 to green light illumination for detailed inspection to detect tin whiskers, etc. Initial positioning using white light may be beneficial because humans are generally more accustomed to viewing white light images and may therefore more quickly identify the overall components of the electronic device being inspected under white light illumination. However, it is also contemplated to omit the white light source 24 and include only the green light source 26 in the endoscope 10 (or, conversely, omit the green light source 26 and include only the white light source 24 or a non-green light source, such as red, in other embodiments).

[0073] Continue reading Figure 3 , Figure 3 The illustrated embodiment of the embodiment simultaneously displays an infrared image or video 50 and a visible light image or video 52. In other embodiments, it is contemplated that only one of these images is displayed at any given time. The latter approach allows the single displayed image to be a full screen display, i.e., the image occupies the entire area of ​​the display 42. In a hybrid approach, the user may be presented with a simultaneous display of an infrared image or video 50 and a visible light image or video 52, with the user interface 54 providing the user with the ability to select one of these images or videos to be displayed in full screen. For example, Figure 3 Full screen selection icons are displayed (arrows pointing to the upper left, upper right, lower left and lower right boxes). These full screen selection icons are located in the illustrated user interface 54 at the upper right corner of each of the infrared image or video 50 and the visible light image or video 52. If the user selects one of these icons (e.g., by touching it in the example of a touch display), this causes the corresponding image to be displayed full screen in the full screen display mode until the user subsequently selects a similar icon or other user input to exit the full screen display mode.

[0074] exist Figure 3 In the embodiment, the white light source 24 and the green light source 26 are powered by the electronic controller 40, which can enable features such as using Figure 3 54, or switching between white and green lighting via a control (not shown) of the user interface of the electronic controller 40. Providing this additional lighting control functionality requires some additional complexity of the user interface and additional wires in the bundle of electrical conductors 36, etc.

[0075] View Now Figure 4 , a different inspection system is shown, which again comprises an endoscope 10 and an electronic controller 40 . Figure 4 Most of the components of the inspection system correspond to Figure 3The corresponding components of the inspection system are marked with corresponding component symbols and will not be repeated for the sake of brevity. However, Figure 4 Different inspection systems and Figure 3 The difference is that in Figure 4 In an embodiment, the white LED 24 and the green LED 26 are not controlled by the electronic controller 40. Instead, the white LED 24 is operated by a corresponding on / off switch 60 disposed on the probe 16 of the endoscope 10, and similarly the green LED 26 is operated by a corresponding on / off switch 62 disposed on the probe 16 of the endoscope 10. For example, these may be push button on / off switches. To implement this method, a battery or other power source (not shown) may be incorporated into the probe 16 of the endoscope 10 to provide power to drive the LEDs 24 and 26. Since the LEDs 24 and 26 are not controlled by the electronic controller 40, the green LED 26 may be operated by a corresponding on / off switch 62 disposed on the probe 16 of the endoscope 10. Figure 4 The electronic controller 40 in the embodiment of the present invention is driven, and the electronic controller 40 cannot adjust the lighting, so in Figure 4 The user interface 54 of the different embodiments of the present invention omits Figure 3 A strength slider of the user interface 54 .

[0076] View Now Figure 5 , the inspection method is represented by a flow chart. The inspection method can be used, for example, Figure 3 Inspection system or Figure 4 In an optional first operation 70, endoscope 10 is assembled to a desired length for use in an inspection of electronic equipment. Optional operation 70 may, for example, require removal or attachment of rod portions 31 and 32 to form a Figure 2 The shorter rod 12 shown, or as Figure 3 Additional rod sections 30 are shown further attached to lengthen the rod 12. In some embodiments, the rod 12 is modular, and the different sections 30, 31 and 32, the probe 16 and the connector 33 can be packaged as a kit in a suitable housing (not shown) having recesses for these different sections, and these components are assembled during the inspection.

[0077] Using pole 12 (which does not change if the pole is fixed length, or after assembly according to operation 70 if the pole is modular), the user manually positions endoscope 10 so that image sensors 20 and 22 view the electronic device being inspected.

[0078] In operation 74, infrared image data is acquired, for example using infrared image sensor 20 of endoscope 10. In operation 76, infrared image or video 50 is generated from the infrared image data and displayed, for example, on display 42 of electronic controller 40. Generation of infrared image 50 may entail, for example, receiving pixel values ​​from infrared image sensor 20 as a digital sequence forming infrared image data and presenting the pixel values ​​in a two-dimensional array to form infrared image or video 50. Although Figure 5 Not shown, but in the case of video recording, operations 74 and 76 are repeated at the frame rate to display the video frames (ie, images) at 30 frames per second or another selected frame rate.

[0079] In a similar manner, in operation 80, green light image data is obtained. In some embodiments, operation 80 uses white light image sensor 22 in combination with green light illumination provided by green light source 26. In operation 82, green light image or video 52 is generated from the green light image data and displayed, for example, on display 42 of electronic controller 40. Generation of green light image 50 may entail, for example, receiving pixel values ​​from white light image sensor 22 as a digital sequence forming green light image data and presenting the pixel values ​​in a two-dimensional array to form green light image or video 52. Although Figure 5 Not shown, but in the case of video recording, operations 80 and 82 are repeated at a frame rate to display video frames (ie, images) at 30 frames per second or another selected frame rate.

[0080] In some embodiments, operations 74, 76, 80, and 82 are performed simultaneously to simultaneously acquire and display infrared image 50 and green light image 52. If this is the case, infrared image sensor 20 should include a white light blocking filter to block green light illumination from reaching the photosensitive pixels of infrared image sensor 20. Alternatively, operations 74 and 76 may be performed at a different time than operations 80 and 82, in which case the blocking filter may be selectively omitted and green light source 26 may be turned off during operations 74 and 76 (typically, white light source 24, if provided, will be turned off at least during operations 74 and 80).

[0081] Continue reading Figure 5 See also Figure 6 In optional operation 84, the user uses the user interface (UI) 54 to zoom, pan, or otherwise manipulate the infrared image or video 50 as desired to focus on a specific location of the imaging electronic device, and in operation 86, heat flow hot spots (if any) are detected in the infrared image or video 50. In one embodiment, operation 86 is a manual operation, that is, a human inspector inspects the infrared image 50, optionally using pan / zoom to visually identify any heat flow hot spots as bright areas of the infrared image or video 50. Figure 6 A typical infrared image 50 is shown in which three heat flow hot spots are highlighted and labeled "Heat flow hot spot 1", "Heat flow hot spot 2" and "Heat flow hot spot 3". A user may annotate any identified heat flow hot spots in the displayed infrared image or video 50, for example using crosshairs and Figure 6 “Heat flow hotspot 1”, “Heat flow hotspot 2” and “Heat flow hotspot 3” labels are shown.

[0082] In various embodiments, an automated algorithm performed by the electronic controller 40 may automatically detect heat flow hotspots in the infrared image or video 50. For example, the automated algorithm may determine a histogram of pixel intensity values ​​for the infrared image (which may be a video frame in the case of a video). Each bar of the histogram corresponds to an intensity range bin, and each bar has a value corresponding to the number of pixels whose intensity values ​​fall within the intensity range bin. Based on the histogram, an average or other characteristic intensity value and a range of intensity values ​​over the image may be determined. Using these values, a critical intensity for detecting heat flow hotspots is selected, and any areas of the image with intensities above the critical intensity are then marked as heat flow hotspots. In other embodiments, a machine learning algorithm such as a convolutional neural network (CNN) may be trained to detect heat flow hotspots using a corpus of training infrared images in which depicted heat flow hotspots are marked. The algorithm may automatically annotate any identified heat flow hotspots in the displayed infrared image or video 50, for example using crosshairs and such. Figure 6 “Heat flow hotspot 1”, “Heat flow hotspot 2” and “Heat flow hotspot 3” labels are shown.

[0083] Continue reading Figure 5 See also Figure 7 and Figure 8 In optional operation 90, a user uses a user interface (UI) 54 to zoom, pan, or otherwise manipulate the green light image or video 52 as desired to focus on a particular location of the imaged electronic device, and in operation 92, tin whiskers or other defects, if any, are detected in the green light image or video 52. In one embodiment, operation 92 is a manual operation, i.e., a human inspector examines the green light image or video 52, optionally using pan / zoom, to visually identify any tin whiskers or other defects in the green light image or video 52. Figure 7 and Figure 8 Two typical green light images 52 are shown. Figure 7 In the green light image 52 of FIG. 5A , a tin whisker is observed as indicated by the annotated circle. Figure 8 In the green light image 52 of FIG. 5A , two tin whiskers are observed as indicated by the corresponding annotated rectangular circles. To provide some sense of scale, Figure 8The tin whisker detected in the green light image 52 presented in FIG. 5 has a length of 1.2 cm, which is considered a high risk of arcing, shunting, or other device degradation or failure. The user can annotate any identified tin whiskers in the displayed green light image or video 52, for example using Figure 7 Annotation circle or Figure 8 The annotation rectangle.

[0084] In various embodiments, an automated algorithm executed by the electronic controller 40 may automatically detect tin whiskers in the green light image or video 52. For example, a matched filter technique may be used to detect the elongated features that are characteristic of tin whiskers, optionally after applying an edge enhancement filter to enhance the image contrast of the tin whiskers. In other embodiments, a machine learning algorithm such as a CNN may be trained to detect tin whiskers using a corpus of training green light images in which depicted heat flow hotspots are labeled. The algorithm may automatically annotate any identified tin whiskers in the displayed green light image or video 52, for example using Figure 7 Annotation circle or Figure 8 The annotation rectangle.

[0085] Although operations 80, 82, 90, and 92 are described above as using green light images, more generally, these operations may be performed in conjunction with other colors of illumination or in conjunction with white light illumination.

[0086] In the following, further embodiments are described.

[0087] In a non-limiting illustrative embodiment, an inspection device for electronic device inspection is disclosed. The inspection device includes a rod, a probe attached to the end of the rod, an infrared image sensor disposed on the probe, a visible light source disposed on the probe, and a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe. An electrical conductor passes through the rod from the probe at the end of the rod to the proximal portion of the rod relative to the end of the rod. The electrical conductor connects the infrared image sensor and connects the visible light image sensor. In one embodiment, the visible light source includes a green light source. In one embodiment, the green light has a spectrum. The spectrum has a maximum intensity peak at a wavelength equal to or greater than 495 nanometers and less than or equal to 570 nanometers. In one embodiment, the visible light source further includes a white light source. In one embodiment, the inspection device further includes an electronic controller. The electronic controller has a display. The electronic controller is connected to the electrical conductor at the proximal portion of the rod. In one embodiment, the display of the electronic controller is a touch display. In one embodiment, the visible light source includes a green light source configured to emit green light. The electrical conductor is further configured to deliver power for operation from the proximal portion of the rod to the green light source. The electronic controller is further configured to acquire visible light image data as green light image data illuminated by green light from a green light source, and to display a visible light image or video including a green light image or video generated from the green light image data. In one embodiment, the electronic controller is further configured to detect metal whiskers in the green light image or video and mark the detected metal whiskers in the displayed green light image or video, and to detect heat flow hot spots in the infrared image or video and mark the detected heat flow hot spots in the displayed infrared image or video. In one embodiment, the visible light image sensor has a spatial resolution of at least 5 million pixels, and the infrared image sensor has a spatial resolution of 1 million pixels or less.

[0088] In a non-limiting illustrative embodiment, an inspection method for electronic device inspection is disclosed. An infrared image or video of an electronic device is obtained using an infrared image sensor. The electronic device is illuminated using green light illumination provided by a visible light image sensor and a green light source, and a green light image or video of the electronic device is obtained. The infrared image or video of the electronic device is displayed on a display. The green light image or video of the electronic device is displayed on a display. In one embodiment, the green light illumination has a spectrum. The spectrum has a maximum intensity peak at a wavelength equal to or greater than 495 nanometers and less than or equal to 570 nanometers. In one embodiment, the green light image or video of the electronic device has a spatial resolution of at least 5 million pixels, and the infrared image or video of the electronic device has a spatial resolution of 1 million pixels or less. In one embodiment, the infrared image or video of the electronic device and the green light image or video of the electronic device are displayed on a touch display that can achieve zooming and translation of the infrared image or video and zooming and translation of the green light image or video. In one embodiment, the infrared image sensor, the visible light image sensor, and the green light source are arranged on a probe at the end of the attachment rod.

[0089] In a non-limiting illustrative embodiment, an inspection device for electronic device inspection is disclosed. The inspection device includes a rod, a probe attached to the end of the rod, a green light source disposed on the probe, and a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe. The electronic controller is electrically connected to the visible light image sensor. In one embodiment, the green light has a spectrum. The spectrum has a maximum intensity peak at a wavelength equal to or greater than 495 nanometers and less than or equal to 570 nanometers. In one embodiment, the inspection device further includes a white light source. The white light source is disposed on the probe. In one embodiment, the display of the electronic controller is a touch display capable of zooming and panning of infrared images or videos and zooming and panning of green light images or videos. In one embodiment, the electronic controller is electrically connected to the green light source and the visible light image sensor to detect metal whiskers in the green light image or video and mark the detected metal whiskers in the displayed green light image or video. In one embodiment, the inspection device further includes an infrared image sensor. The infrared image sensor is disposed on the probe. The electronic controller is further configured to use an infrared image sensor to obtain infrared images or videos related to the electronic device, and display the infrared images or videos on a display of the electronic controller.

[0090] In a non-limiting illustrative embodiment, an inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment is disclosed. The inspection device includes a rod, a probe, an infrared image sensor, a white light source, a visible light image sensor, and an electronic controller. The probe is attached to the end of the rod. The infrared image sensor is disposed on the probe. The white light source is disposed on the probe. The visible light image sensor is disposed on the probe. The electronic controller connects the visible light image sensor and the infrared image sensor. In one embodiment, the inspection device further includes a green light source. The green light source is disposed on the probe.

[0091] The features of several embodiments have been summarized above, so that those skilled in the art can better understand the aspects of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art should understand that they can easily use the present disclosure as a basis to design or modify other processes and structures to achieve the same purpose and / or achieve the same advantages as the embodiments introduced herein. Those skilled in the art should also understand that such equivalent architectures do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure, and those skilled in the art can make various changes, substitutions, and modifications here without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. An inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment, characterized in that: The inspection device comprises: One shot; a probe attached to an end of the rod; an infrared image sensor, disposed on the probe; At least one visible light source is disposed on the probe; a visible light image sensor, disposed on the probe; as well as A plurality of electrical conductors extend from the probe at the end of the rod through the rod to a proximal portion of the rod relative to the end of the rod, the plurality of electrical conductors being connected to the infrared imaging sensor and to the visible light imaging sensor.

2. The inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that The at least one visible light source includes a green light source.

3. The inspection device according to claim 2, characterized in that The at least one visible light source includes a white light source.

4. The inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The inspection device further comprises: An electronic controller having a display is connected to the plurality of electrical conductors at the proximal portion of the rod.

5. The inspection device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The display of the electronic controller is a touch display.

6. An inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment, characterized in that: The inspection device comprises: One shot; a probe attached to an end of the rod; a green light source, disposed on the probe; a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe; and An electronic controller is connected to the visible light image sensor.

7. The inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that Also includes: A white light source is disposed on the probe.

8. The inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that: Also includes: An infrared image sensor is arranged on the probe.

9. An inspection device for inspecting electronic equipment, characterized in that: The inspection device comprises: One shot; a probe attached to an end of the rod; an infrared image sensor, disposed on the probe; a white light source, disposed on the probe; a visible light image sensor disposed on the probe; and An electronic controller is connected to the visible light image sensor and the infrared image sensor.

10. The inspection device according to claim 9, characterized in that The inspection device further includes: a green light source, which is arranged on the probe.

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