A tunable laser chip off-spec detection apparatus

Abstract

The utility model relates to chip appearance detection technical field, concretely is a kind of tunable laser chip appearance detection device, including detection conveying belt, detection body, upper conveying belt, lower conveying belt and switching guide body, detection conveying belt is fixedly installed with detection body, the lower end of the one end of detection conveying belt is fixedly installed with upper conveying belt, the lower end of upper conveying belt is fixedly installed with lower conveying belt, switching guide body is installed between detection conveying belt and upper conveying belt and lower conveying belt, switching guide body rotation switches and connects detection conveying belt with upper conveying belt and lower conveying belt. To automatically sort the qualified piece and defective piece of tunable laser chip, it is convenient to carry out subsequent different processing pertinently, without manual screening one by one, reduce artificial cost and avoid subsequent invalid investment, it is favorable to promote production efficiency and scale capacity;The problem that tunable laser chip appearance detection device is high in cost and slow in speed after detection and is likely to drag production efficiency in manual selection classification is solved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to the field of chip appearance inspection technology, specifically a tunable laser chip appearance inspection device. Background Technology

[0002] Tunable laser chips are core components in high-end optoelectronic fields such as optical communication, optical sensing, and lidar. During production, tunable laser chips are prone to surface damage, i.e., appearance damage, due to manufacturing or post-processing and transportation. Specific defects include observable scratches, cracks, stains, oxide spots, chipping, misalignment, etc., which can lead to increased optical transmission loss, decreased heat dissipation performance, and even device failure.

[0003] Regarding the appearance quality of tunable laser chips, automated inspection using machine vision systems already exists. For example, industrial cameras capture images, and software algorithms are used to distinguish between qualified and defective parts. However, while existing inspection methods can automatically detect and differentiate between qualified and defective tunable laser chips, manual sorting is still required after inspection. This results in high labor intensity and costs, and is prone to errors due to visual fatigue and subjective judgment. Especially in large-scale production scenarios, the disconnect between inspection and sorting severely restricts production efficiency.

[0004] Therefore, this invention provides a tunable laser chip appearance inspection device to solve the above problems. Utility Model Content

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by this utility model is that the existing tunable laser chip appearance inspection device is costly and slow to manually sort and classify after inspection, which can easily drag down production efficiency.

[0006] This utility model provides the following technical solution: a tunable laser chip appearance inspection device, comprising an inspection conveyor belt, an inspection body, an upper conveyor belt, a lower conveyor belt, and a switching guide. The inspection body is fixedly installed on the inspection conveyor belt. The upper conveyor belt is fixedly installed below one end of the inspection conveyor belt, and the lower conveyor belt is fixedly installed below the upper conveyor belt. A switching guide is installed between the inspection conveyor belt and the upper and lower conveyor belts. The switching guide rotates to switch the connection between the inspection conveyor belt and the upper and lower conveyor belts. This allows for the automatic sorting and classification of qualified and defective tunable laser chips, facilitating targeted subsequent processing without the need for manual screening, reducing labor costs and avoiding unnecessary subsequent investment, thus improving production efficiency and scalability.

[0007] As a preferred embodiment, the switching guide includes a base plate, a telescopic component, and a guide plate. The base plate is fixedly mounted on the ends of both sides of the detection conveyor belt. The guide plate is rotatably mounted on the opposite surface of the base plate. A mounting plate is fixedly mounted on the opposite surface of the base plate below the detection conveyor belt. One end of the telescopic component is rotatably mounted on the surface of the mounting plate, and the other end of the telescopic component is hinged to the surface of the guide plate. This allows for automatic sorting and classification of qualified and defective tunable laser chips, facilitating targeted subsequent processing without the need for manual screening.

[0008] As a preferred embodiment, limit plates are fixedly installed on both sides of the guide plate. This prevents slippage during the guiding and conveying of the tunable laser chip and its tooling, thus ensuring transportation safety.

[0009] As one of the preferred solutions, a vertical wall is fixedly installed above the upper and lower conveyor belts.

[0010] As one of the preferred solutions, a protruding plate is fixedly installed on the side of the vertical wall near the guide plate, and a trigger body is fixedly installed on the side of the protruding plate near the guide plate.

[0011] As one preferred embodiment, a rotating body is rotatably mounted on the surface of the guide plate along the width of the detection conveyor belt. This facilitates adjustment of the contact area between the guide plate and the tunable laser chip and its tooling, thereby making it easier to adjust and control the friction force.

[0012] As one of the preferred options, a low-speed purging body is fixedly installed on the side of the detection body away from the upper or lower conveyor belt.

[0013] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: 1. This utility model, through the cooperation of the detection conveyor belt, the detection body, the upper conveyor belt, the lower conveyor belt and the switching guide, can automatically sort and classify qualified and defective parts of tunable laser chips, thereby facilitating targeted subsequent processing. It eliminates the need for manual screening, reduces labor costs and avoids subsequent ineffective investment, and helps improve production efficiency and scalability.

[0014] 2. Before performing machine vision inspection on the appearance of the tunable laser chip, this utility model can also perform air blowing to remove dust, avoid misjudgment, and improve image quality. At the same time, the number of rotating bodies on the surface array of the guide plate can control the contact area between the guide plate and the tunable laser chip and its tooling, thereby facilitating the adjustment and control of friction and avoiding excessive movement speed or jamming. In addition, the movement of the guide plate can also control the start of one of the upper and lower conveyor belts, which is beneficial to improving the coordination. Attached Figure Description

[0015] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of this utility model; Figure 2 This utility model Figure 1 A magnified schematic diagram of the switching guide body at point A in the middle; Figure 3 This is a front view structural diagram of the present invention; Figure 4 This utility model Figure 3 Enlarged schematic diagram of the connection between the guide plate and the upper conveyor belt at point B; Figure 5 This is an enlarged structural diagram of the connection between the guide plate and the lower conveyor belt of this utility model.

[0017] In the diagram: 1. Detection conveyor belt; 2. Detection body; 3. Upper conveyor belt; 4. Lower conveyor belt; 5. Switching guide body; 51. Base plate; 52. Telescopic component; 53. Guide plate; 6. Limiting plate; 61. Vertical wall; 7. Protruding plate; 71. Trigger body; 8. Rotating body; 9. Low-speed blowing body. Detailed Implementation

[0018] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this utility model clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this utility model will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this utility model is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed utility model, but merely represents some embodiments of this utility model. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this utility model without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.

[0019] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0020] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," "outer," and "back side," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of this utility model is conventionally placed during use. These terms are used only for the convenience of describing this utility model and for simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation; therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this utility model.

[0021] It should also be noted that, in the description of this utility model, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model according to the specific circumstances.

[0022] To address the issues of high cost, slow speed, and reduced production efficiency associated with existing tunable laser chip appearance inspection devices that rely on manual sorting and classification after inspection, a new approach could be developed... Figures 1 to 5 As shown in the figure, this disclosure provides a tunable laser chip appearance inspection device, including an inspection conveyor belt 1, an inspection body 2, an upper conveyor belt 3, a lower conveyor belt 4, and a switching guide 5. The inspection body 2 is fixedly installed on the inspection conveyor belt 1, the upper conveyor belt 3 is fixedly installed below one end of the inspection conveyor belt 1, the lower conveyor belt 4 is fixedly installed below the upper conveyor belt 3, and the switching guide 5 is installed between the inspection conveyor belt 1 and the upper conveyor belt 3 and the lower conveyor belt 4. The switching guide 5 rotates to switch the inspection conveyor belt 1 to the upper conveyor belt 3 and the lower conveyor belt 4.

[0023] During the appearance inspection of the tunable laser chip, the chip is placed using existing specialized fixtures and moves along the inspection conveyor belt 1. It stops below the inspection body 2, where the inspection body 2 inspects the surface of the tunable laser chip. After inspection, the inspection conveyor belt 1 continues to move the tunable laser chip. The switching guide 5 rotates according to the inspection results. When the tunable laser chip has no defects, the switching guide 5 contacts the upper conveyor belt 3, guiding the defect-free tunable laser chip to the upper conveyor belt 3 for subsequent processing. When the tunable laser chip has defects, the switching guide 5 contacts the lower conveyor belt 4, guiding the defective tunable laser chip to the lower conveyor belt 4 for subsequent processing.

[0024] By coordinating the detection conveyor belt 1, the detection body 2, the upper conveyor belt 3, the lower conveyor belt 4, and the switching guide body 5, qualified and defective tunable laser chips can be automatically sorted and classified, facilitating targeted subsequent processing. This eliminates the need for manual screening, reduces labor costs, avoids unnecessary subsequent investments, and improves production efficiency and scalability.

[0025] It should be noted that the detection body 2 in this embodiment adopts any existing device capable of automatically inspecting the appearance of the tunable laser chip, such as an existing machine vision inspection system, which uses an industrial camera to acquire clear and accurate chip images, and then uses an industrial computer or embedded controller in conjunction with machine vision software to analyze the images and issue instructions.

[0026] It should also be noted that when the chip moves directly below the detection body 2, the detection conveyor belt 1 is stopped by a photoelectric sensor installed on one side of the detection body 2, and the detection time is 0.5-1 seconds; after the detection is completed, the photoelectric sensor sends a "release signal" and the detection conveyor belt 1 resumes operation. The rated speeds of conveyor belt 1, upper conveyor belt 3, and lower conveyor belt 4 are uniform, with a speed error of ≤±5%, ensuring that the chip is transferred smoothly between the guide plate 53 and the conveyor belt without impact or jamming.

[0027] Appearance defects in tunable laser chips refer to quality defects that can be directly observed on the surface, such as scratches, cracks, stains, oxidation spots, misalignment, chipping, gaps, and detachment.

[0028] It should be noted that the detection conveyor belt 1, upper conveyor belt 3 and lower conveyor belt 4 in this embodiment can directly use existing conveyor belts or transmission belts, and the driving method adopts conventional driving, such as the motor driving the drive roller to rotate through the reducer, and the roller surface is in contact with the conveyor belt to generate friction force to drag the conveyor belt forward.

[0029] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, especially Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the switching guide 5 includes a base plate 51, a telescopic member 52, and a guide plate 53. The base plate 51 is fixedly installed at the ends of both sides of the detection conveyor belt 1. The guide plate 53 is rotatably installed on the opposite surface of the base plate 51. An mounting plate is fixedly installed on the opposite surface of the base plate 51 below the detection conveyor belt 1. One end of the telescopic member 52 is rotatably installed on the surface of the mounting plate. The other end of the telescopic member 52 is hinged to the surface of the guide plate 53.

[0030] After the inspection component inspects the appearance of the tunable laser chip, if there are no defects in the appearance, the telescopic component 52 extends and drives the lower side of the guide plate 53 to rotate around the hinge mounting point between the upper side and the substrate 51, so that the lower side moves closer to the upper conveyor belt 3, thereby guiding and conveying the qualified tunable laser chip at the inspection conveyor belt 1 to the upper conveyor belt 3.

[0031] When there is an appearance defect, the telescopic component 52 retracts, thereby driving the guide plate 53 closer to the lower conveyor belt 4, thereby guiding and conveying the unqualified tunable laser chip at the inspection conveyor belt 1 to the lower conveyor belt 4.

[0032] It should be noted that the telescopic member 52 can be any existing telescopic component. In this embodiment, an existing electric push rod is used. In addition, an existing hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder can also be used.

[0033] The two stop points of the telescopic component 52 when it extends and retracts correspond to the upper conveyor belt 3 and the lower conveyor belt 4, respectively.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, limiting plates 6 are fixedly installed on both sides of the guide plate 53. The limiting plates 6 can limit the movement of the tunable laser chip and its tooling on the surface of the guide plate 53, thereby preventing slippage during the guiding and conveying of the tunable laser chip and its tooling, which helps to ensure transportation safety.

[0035] As shown in the figure, a vertical wall 61 is fixedly installed above the upper conveyor belt 3 and the lower conveyor belt 4. The vertical wall 61 can limit and protect the tunable laser chip and its tooling as they enter the upper conveyor belt 3 or the lower conveyor belt 4 from the guide plate 53, thereby preventing the tunable laser chip and its tooling from slipping during the process of entering the upper conveyor belt 3 or the lower conveyor belt 4 through the guide wall, which helps to ensure transportation safety.

[0036] like Figures 1 to 5 As shown, especially Figure 2 , Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a protruding plate 7 is fixedly installed on the side of the vertical wall 61 near the guide plate 53, and a trigger body 71 is fixedly installed on the opposite side of the protruding plate 7 and the guide plate 53, respectively.

[0037] The trigger 71 can employ any existing structure or device that triggers a signal upon contact, such as existing mechanical contact switches, like miniature tactile switches or limit switches, or conductive contacts such as two conductive electrodes. The specific control method is a mature existing technology, and those skilled in the art can control it using various existing technologies, for example: The detection body 2, i.e., the industrial control computer of the machine vision system, is connected to the PLC controller via an Ethernet interface. The output of the PLC controller is electrically connected to the drive module of the telescopic component 52 and the motor drivers of the three conveyor belts. When the detector 2 determines that the chip is qualified, the industrial control computer sends a "qualified signal" to the PLC. The PLC controls the extension component 52 to extend, which drives the guide plate 53 to turn and triggers the upper conveyor belt 3 to start. At the same time, the detector conveyor belt 1 maintains the same speed as the upper conveyor belt 2, for example, 1-1.5m / s. When the detector 2 determines that the chip is defective, the industrial control computer sends a "defect signal". The PLC controls the telescopic component 52 to retract, which drives the guide plate 53 to turn and triggers the lower conveyor belt 3 to start. The speed of the detection conveyor belt 1 and the lower conveyor belt 3 are matched, for example, 1-1.5m / s. The trigger 71 uses a miniature limit switch, and the trigger signal is fed back to the PLC to ensure that the conveyor belt only starts when the chip is being transferred, and remains stationary when there is no chip to save energy.

[0038] As for the specific circuits, parameters, and other data of this part of the structure, they are existing mature technologies and will not be elaborated on here.

[0039] When the guide plate 53 rotates closer to the upper conveyor belt 3, the trigger body 71 above the guide plate 53 contacts the trigger body 71 below the protrusion 7 of the upper conveyor belt 3, thereby triggering a signal to control the upper conveyor belt 3 to start running, thus driving the tunable laser chip and its tooling to move along the upper conveyor belt 3. When the guide plate 53 rotates closer to the lower conveyor belt 4, the trigger body 71 below the guide plate 53 contacts the trigger body 71 above the protrusion 7 of the lower conveyor belt 4, thereby triggering a signal to control the lower conveyor belt 4 to start running, thus driving the tunable laser chip and its tooling to move along the lower conveyor belt 4.

[0040] A trigger body 71 is fixedly installed on the upper edge and lower edge of the guide plate 53 respectively; a trigger body 71 matching the trigger body 71 on the upper edge of the guide plate 53 is fixedly installed on the lower surface of the vertical wall 61 protrusion 7 of the upper conveyor belt 3, and a trigger body 71 matching the trigger body 71 on the lower edge of the guide plate 53 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the vertical wall 61 protrusion 7 of the lower conveyor belt 4, so as to ensure that the trigger body 71 corresponding to the conveyor belt only contacts when the guide plate 53 turns.

[0041] like Figure 2 As shown, a rotating body 8 is rotatably mounted on the surface of the guide plate 53 along the width of the detection conveyor belt 1. The rotating body 8 is a spherical or roller-shaped structure, thereby utilizing the spherical or roller-shaped rotating body 8 to support the movement of the tunable laser chip and its tooling, which helps to reduce friction and facilitate movement.

[0042] like Figure 2As shown, there are multiple rotating bodies 8 arranged in a movable square array along the surface of the guide plate 53. The multiple rotating bodies 8 in the array can adjust the contact area between the guide plate 53 and the tunable laser chip and its fixture by adjusting the number of array members. This facilitates adjustment and control of friction, allowing for smooth and slow movement. It avoids the impact of excessively fast movement on the tunable laser chip or excessive friction causing jamming and hindering smooth movement. Furthermore, it allows the use of existing fixtures with vibration damping properties to support the tunable laser chip.

[0043] It should be noted that when the tunable laser chip and its tooling move on the surface of the guide plate 53, they mainly rely on the inertia and gravity of the movement. In addition, the existing conveyor belt can be used to replace the guide plate 53 for conveying.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, a low-speed blower 9 is fixedly installed on the side of the detection body 2 away from the upper conveyor belt 3 or the lower conveyor belt 4. The low-speed blower 9 uses existing nitrogen purging equipment, such as existing integrated nitrogen purging guns or wafer process purging equipment. This allows the surface of the tunable laser chip to be purged before the detection body 2 performs the inspection, thereby removing dust from the surface of the tunable laser chip before inspection, avoiding false detections and improving image quality.

[0045] The low-speed blowing body 9 uses a nitrogen blowing gun with a blowing speed of 5-10 m / s to avoid damaging the chip surface; the blowing direction is at a 30-45° angle to the surface of the detection conveyor belt, and the vertical distance between the installation position and the chip surface is 10-20 mm; the blowing time is linked to the movement rhythm of the detection conveyor belt, and the blowing is started 1-2 seconds before the chip enters the detection body to ensure thorough dust removal.

[0046] During the inspection of the appearance of tunable laser chips: The fixture containing the tunable laser chip and the tunable laser chip move on the surface of the inspection conveyor belt 1. As the tunable laser chip and its fixture move closer to the inspection body 2, a low-speed air purifier 9 blows away dust from the surface of the tunable laser chip, thereby avoiding false detections and improving image quality. Then, the tunable laser chip and its fixture move below the inspection body 2, and the inspection body 2 inspects the surface of the tunable laser chip.

[0047] After the inspection is completed, the inspection conveyor belt 1 continues to move the tunable laser chip, and under the action of inertia, it enters the guide plate 53. At this time, the telescopic component 52 is controlled to extend or retract according to the inspection result of the inspection body 2. Specifically, when there are no defects in appearance, the telescopic component 52 extends and drives the lower side of the guide plate 53 to rotate around the hinge mounting point between the upper side and the substrate 51, so that the lower side moves closer to the upper conveyor belt 3, thereby guiding and conveying the qualified tunable laser chip at the inspection conveyor belt 1 to the upper conveyor belt 3. When there are defects in appearance, the telescopic component 52 retracts, thereby driving the guide plate 53 closer to the lower conveyor belt 4, thereby guiding and conveying the unqualified tunable laser chip at the inspection conveyor belt 1 to the lower conveyor belt 4.

[0048] This allows for the automatic sorting and classification of qualified and defective tunable laser chips, facilitating targeted subsequent processing without the need for manual screening. This reduces labor costs, avoids unnecessary subsequent investments, and improves production efficiency and scalability.

[0049] When the guide plate 53 rotates and approaches the upper conveyor belt 3, the trigger body 71 above the guide plate 53 contacts the trigger body 71 below the protrusion 7 of the upper conveyor belt 3, thereby triggering a signal to control the upper conveyor belt 3 to start running, thus driving the tunable laser chip and its tooling to move along the upper conveyor belt 3. When the guide plate 53 rotates and approaches the lower conveyor belt 4, the trigger body 71 below the guide plate 53 contacts the trigger body 71 above the protrusion 7 of the lower conveyor belt 4, thereby triggering a signal to control the lower conveyor belt 4 to start running, thus driving the tunable laser chip and its tooling to move along the lower conveyor belt 4.

[0050] Meanwhile, as the tunable laser chip and its tooling move on the surface of the guide plate 53, the multiple rotating bodies 8 of the array can adjust the contact area between the guide plate 53 and the tunable laser chip and its tooling by the number of arrays. This makes it easier to adjust and control the friction force, and facilitates smooth and slow movement. This avoids the impact caused by excessively fast movement speed, which could affect the tunable laser chip, or excessive friction force that makes it difficult to move smoothly and cause jamming.

[0051] After the tunable laser chip enters the upper conveyor belt 3 or the lower conveyor belt 4, the upper conveyor belt 3 and the lower conveyor belt 4 respectively transport tunable laser chips with no defects and those with defects for subsequent process flows.

[0052] Those skilled in the art should understand that this utility model is not limited to the above embodiments. The embodiments and descriptions in the specification are merely illustrative of the principles of this utility model. Various changes and modifications can be made to this utility model without departing from its spirit and scope, and all such changes and modifications fall within the scope of the claimed utility model. The scope of protection of this utility model is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A device for inspecting the appearance of a tunable laser chip, comprising an inspection conveyor belt (1), an inspection body (2), an upper conveyor belt (3), a lower conveyor belt (4), and a switching guide (5), characterized in that: A detection body (2) is fixedly installed on the detection conveyor belt (1). An upper conveyor belt (3) is fixedly installed below one end of the detection conveyor belt (1). A lower conveyor belt (4) is fixedly installed below the upper conveyor belt (3). A switching guide (5) is installed between the detection conveyor belt (1), the upper conveyor belt (3), and the lower conveyor belt (4). The switching guide (5) rotates to switch the detection conveyor belt (1) with the upper conveyor belt (3) and the lower conveyor belt (4).

2. The tunable laser chip appearance inspection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The switching guide (5) includes a base plate (51), a telescopic member (52), and a guide plate (53). The base plate (51) is fixedly installed at the ends of both sides of the detection conveyor belt (1). The guide plate (53) is rotatably installed on the opposite side of the base plate (51). The mounting plate is fixedly installed on the opposite side of the base plate (51) below the detection conveyor belt (1). One end of the telescopic member (52) is rotatably installed on the surface of the mounting plate. The other end of the telescopic member (52) is hinged to the surface of the guide plate (53).

3. The tunable laser chip appearance inspection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: Limiting plates (6) are fixedly installed on both sides of the guide plate (53).

4. The tunable laser chip appearance inspection device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A vertical wall (61) is fixedly installed above the upper conveyor belt (3) and the lower conveyor belt (4).

5. The tunable laser chip appearance inspection device according to claim 4, characterized in that: A protruding plate (7) is fixedly installed on the side of the vertical wall (61) near the guide plate (53), and a trigger body (71) is fixedly installed on the side of the protruding plate (7) near the guide plate (53).

6. The tunable laser chip appearance inspection device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The guide plate (53) has a rotating body (8) mounted on its surface in the direction of the width of the detection conveyor belt (1).

7. The tunable laser chip appearance inspection device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A low-speed blower (9) is fixedly installed on the side of the detection body (2) away from the upper conveyor belt (3) or the lower conveyor belt (4).

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