Foreign matter removal device, foreign matter removal method, and program

Abstract

To more easily remove foreign matter with a simpler configuration.SOLUTION: A foreign matter removal device removes foreign matter adhering to a surface of an object by using foreign matter removing material formed by attaching adhesive material to at least one of end portions of a rod having predetermined length. The foreign matter removal device includes: first transport means that transports a tray on which the foreign matter removal material is placed; pinching means that pinches the foreign matter removal material from a side surface and pinches the foreign matter removal material to take out the foreign matter removal material from the tray; angular position displacement means that displaces an angular position of the pinching means to any one of a first angular position at which the foreign matter removal material in the tray can be pinched from the side surface and a second angular position at which the adhesive material of the pinched foreign matter removal material is directed in a predetermined removal direction; and second transport means that transports the object to a removal direction side of the foreign matter removal material pinched by the pinching means at the second angular position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a foreign matter removal device, a foreign matter removal method, and a program, and more particularly to a foreign matter removal device, a foreign matter removal method, and a program for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object.

Background Art

[0002] When foreign matter adheres to an image sensor used in a camera or the like, or optical products such as lenses and glass filters, it causes product defects. Therefore, when visually confirmed through a microscope and foreign matter is adhered, a method of removing the foreign matter by transferring it to the adhesive side with a stick with a semi-solid adhesive material such as an elastomer (hereinafter referred to as a foreign matter removal stick) is generally performed.

[0003] In some cases, foreign matter removal using a foreign matter removal stick is also performed by an automatic machine. There is known a device that detects foreign matter with an image inspection device using a high-resolution camera and automatically presses a foreign matter removal stick against the location where the foreign matter is present to remove the foreign matter.

[0004] However, in this method, since foreign matter is adsorbed on the lower surface side of the stick, the foreign matter removal effect deteriorates after several uses, so it is necessary to frequently replace the foreign matter removal stick. A method of removing foreign matter by changing the angle of the foreign matter removal stick has also been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] However, the stick replacement standby station and the stick replacement mechanism are also complicated.

[0006] Furthermore, when using a foreign matter removal stick, manually, one by one, a holder for gripping with a tool gripper is attached to the end of the stick portion (hereinafter referred to as the stick) of the foreign matter removal stick, and it has to be inserted into the stick replacement standby station.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007] Patent Document 1 U.S. Patent No. 114000495 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] Thus, the replacement stick standby station and the stick replacement mechanism are also complex, and troublesome operations such as attaching the holder and inserting it into the replacement stick standby station are required.

[0009] The present invention has been made in view of such a situation, and enables foreign matter to be removed more simply with a simpler configuration. Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The foreign matter removing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a foreign matter removing device that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object using a foreign matter removing material having an adhesive material attached to at least one of the ends of a rod of a predetermined length, and includes a first conveying means for conveying a tray on which the foreign matter removing material is placed, a clamping means for clamping the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching it from the side and taking it out from the tray, an angular position displacement means for displacing the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position where the foreign matter removing material in the tray can be sandwiched from the side or a second angular position where the adhesive material of the clamped foreign matter removing material is directed in a predetermined removal direction, and a second conveying means for conveying the object to the removal direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means in the second angular position.

[0011] The first conveying means can convey a tray arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removing material in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removing material.

[0012] The clamping means can clamp the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching the side surface of the rod with opposing members.

[0013] The clamping means can sandwich the side surface of the rod with two pairs of opposing members.

[0014] The first conveying means conveys a container with an open upper side to the lower side of the clamping means at the first angular position, and the clamping means can release the foreign object removing material being clamped above the container at the first angular position.

[0015] The second conveying means can displace the object and bring the object into contact with the adhesive material of the foreign object removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position.

[0016] It is further possible to provide a first imaging means for imaging the adhesive material of the foreign object removing material clamped by the clamping means at the first angular position, a second imaging means for imaging the adhesive material of the foreign object removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position, and a first recognition means for recognizing the position of the adhesive material of the foreign object removing material from the image captured by the first imaging means and the image captured by the second imaging means.

[0017] It is further possible to provide a third imaging means for imaging the object being conveyed by the second conveying means, and a second recognition means for recognizing the position of the foreign object adhering to the surface of the object from the image captured by the third imaging means.

[0018] It is further possible to provide a correction means for correcting the position of the foreign object adhering to the surface of the object recognized by the second recognition means at the position of the adhesive material recognized by the first recognition means.

[0019] It is further possible to provide a detection means for detecting the position of the upper surface of the object being conveyed by the second conveying means.

[0020] The foreign matter removal method according to one aspect of the present invention is a foreign matter removal method for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object by a foreign matter removal device including: a first conveying means for conveying a tray on which a foreign matter removal material formed by attaching an adhesive material to one end of a rod having a predetermined length is placed; a clamping means for clamping the foreign matter removal material from the side and removing it from the tray; an angular position displacement means for displacing the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position where the foreign matter removal material in the tray can be clamped from the side or a second angular position where the adhesive material of the clamped foreign matter removal material is directed in a predetermined removal direction; and a second conveying means for conveying an object to the removal direction side of the foreign matter removal material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position. The method includes: a step of clamping the foreign matter removal material placed on the tray by clamping the rod of the foreign matter removal material from the side by the clamping means at the first angular position and removing it from the tray; a step of displacing the angular position of the clamping means to the second angular position by the angular position displacement means; a step of conveying the object to the removal direction side of the foreign matter removal material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position by the second conveying means; and a step of bringing the adhesive material of the foreign matter removal material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position into contact with the object to remove the foreign matter from the object.

[0021] The program according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer that controls a foreign matter removing device including: a first conveying means for conveying a tray on which a foreign matter removing material having an adhesive material attached to one end of a rod of a predetermined length is placed; a clamping means for clamping the foreign matter removing material from the side and removing it from the tray; an angular position displacement means for displacing the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position where the foreign matter removing material in the tray can be clamped from the side or a second angular position where the adhesive material of the clamped foreign matter removing material is directed in a predetermined removing direction; and a second conveying means for conveying an object to the removing direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position, to execute a process including: a step of causing the clamping means at the first angular position to clamp and remove the foreign matter removing material placed on the tray by clamping the rod of the foreign matter removing material from the side; a step of displacing the angular position of the clamping means to the second angular position by the angular position displacement means; a step of causing the second conveying means to convey an object to the removing direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position; and a step of bringing the adhesive material of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position into contact with the object to remove foreign matter from the object.

Effect of the Invention

[0022] As described above, according to the present invention, foreign matter can be removed more easily with a simpler configuration.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

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Figure 5

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Figure 11

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0024] The embodiments of the present invention will be described below. As an example of the correspondence between the constituent elements of the present invention and the embodiments described in the detailed description of the invention, it is as follows. This description is for confirming that the embodiments supporting the present invention are described in the detailed description of the invention. Therefore, even if there are embodiments that are not described here but are described in the detailed description of the invention as embodiments corresponding to the constituent elements of the present invention, this does not mean that those embodiments do not correspond to those constituent elements. Conversely, even if an embodiment is described here as corresponding to a constituent element, this does not mean that the embodiment does not correspond to other constituent elements.

[0025] The foreign matter removing device according to one aspect of the present invention is a foreign matter removing device (for example, the foreign matter removing device 11 in FIG. 1) that removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object by using a foreign matter removing material having an adhesive material attached to at least one of the ends of a rod having a predetermined length. The foreign matter removing device includes: a first conveying means (for example, the stick conveying unit 22 in FIG. 1) that conveys a tray on which the foreign matter removing material is placed; a clamping means (for example, the clamping portion 41 in FIG. 2) that clamps the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching it from the side and takes it out of the tray; an angular position displacement means (for example, the rotating portion 42 in FIG. 2) that displaces the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position where the foreign matter removing material in the tray can be sandwiched from the side or a second angular position where the adhesive material of the clamped foreign matter removing material is directed in a predetermined removing direction; and a second conveying means (for example, the work conveying unit 23 in FIG. 1) that conveys the object to the removing direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position.

[0026] Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11, a foreign matter removing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

[0027] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an outline of the configuration of a foreign matter removing device 11 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The foreign matter removing device 11 removes foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object. For example, the object is a semiconductor element or a lens. The foreign matter removing device 11 uses a foreign matter removing stick called a gel stick to remove foreign matter adhering to the surface of the object. Hereinafter, as an example of the object, a case where foreign matter adhering to the surface of an image sensor is removed will be taken as an example to explain the foreign matter removing device 11. In this case, the surface of the image sensor is the surface on the side where light is incident on the image sensor when the image sensor is used.

[0028] The foreign object removal device 11 includes a foreign object removal head 21, a stick conveyance unit 22, a work conveyance unit 23, an adhesive tip position detection camera 24, an adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25, a foreign object recognition camera 26, and a displacement sensor 27. The foreign object removal head 21 holds the foreign object removal stick. The foreign object removal stick held by the foreign object removal head 21 is pressed against the surface of the image sensor and then separated, thereby removing the foreign objects adhering to the surface of the image sensor.

[0029] The stick conveyance unit 22 is an example of a first conveyance means and conveys the foreign object removal stick. The work conveyance unit 23 is an example of a second conveyance means and conveys the image sensor as the work. The adhesive tip position detection camera 24 and the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25 image the foreign object removal stick held by the foreign object removal head 21, respectively. The foreign object recognition camera 26 images the image sensor as the work. The displacement sensor 27 detects the position of the upper surface of the image sensor as the work.

[0030] Hereinafter, in the foreign object removal device 11, with the side on which the image sensor as the work is conveyed being the right side, the left - right direction is illustrated by the X - axis, the up - down direction is illustrated by the Z - axis, and the front - rear direction is illustrated by the Y - axis. Also, hereinafter, among the Y - axis directions, the lower - right side in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the front side, and among the Y - axis directions, the upper - left side in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the rear side. Further, hereinafter, among the X - axis directions, the lower - left side in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the left side, and among the X - axis directions, the upper - right side in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the right side. Furthermore, hereinafter, among the Z - axis directions, the upper side in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the upper side, and among the Z - axis directions, the lower side in FIG. 1 is simply referred to as the lower side. Note that the front side is the positive direction of the Y - axis, the right side is the positive direction of the X - axis, and the upper side is the positive direction of the Z - axis. Also, the Z - axis direction is also simply referred to as the up - down direction, the X - axis direction is also simply referred to as the left - right direction, and the Y - axis direction is also simply referred to as the front - rear direction. Furthermore, the direction along the plane parallel to the X - axis and the Y - axis is also simply referred to as the horizontal direction. Furthermore, the direction including a relatively small angle with the horizontal direction and the horizontal direction are also referred to as the lateral direction, and the direction including a relatively small angle with the up - down direction and the up - down direction are also referred to as the longitudinal direction. The same applies to the following figures.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing details of the configuration of the foreign matter removal head 21. The foreign matter removal head 21 includes a clamping part 41, a rotating part 42, a Z-axis linear motion part 43, and a buffer part 44. The clamping part 41 is an example of clamping means, and clamps the foreign matter removal stick 101 by sandwiching it from the side. The foreign matter removal stick 101 is an example of a foreign matter removal material, and an adhesive material 122 is attached to at least one of the ends of a rod 121 having a predetermined length. The rod 121 is made of resin or the like. The adhesive material 122 is a semi-solid adhesive material such as an elastomer. For example, the adhesive material 122 is an adhesive gel-like elastomer.

[0032] For example, the clamping part 41 sandwiches the side surface of the rod 121 with opposing members to clamp the foreign matter removal stick 101. The opposing members provided on the clamping part 41 can be opened and closed by air, electricity, or the like. For example, the opposing members provided on the clamping part 41 can be opened and closed such that the distance between the opposing members changes in the X-axis direction. In this way, the clamping part 41 can sandwich the rod 121 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 from the side to clamp the foreign matter removal stick 101, or can release the foreign matter removal stick 101 by separating from the side surface of the rod 121.

[0033] For example, the clamping part 41 sandwiches the side surface of the rod 121 with two pairs of opposing members. By doing so, even if a force is applied to the foreign matter removal stick 101, it is less likely to shift in the vertical direction or the rotational direction from the clamping part 41.

[0034] The rotating part 42 is an example of an angular position displacement means, and rotates the clamping part 41 within a predetermined angular range. For example, the rotating part 42 is composed of an electric motor, gears, etc. Also, for example, the rotating part 42 can be a rotary air actuator. The rotating part 42 positions the angular position of the clamping part 41. The rotating part 42 rotates the clamping part 41 within a predetermined angular range about a rotation axis parallel to the X-axis. The Z-axis linear movement part 43 displaces the clamping part 41 within a predetermined range in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). For example, the Z-axis linear movement part 43 is composed of an electric motor, a rack and pinion mechanism, a linear guide, etc. Also, the Z-axis linear movement part 43 positions the clamping part 41 in the Z-axis direction. The buffer part 44 buffers the force applied to the clamping part 41 in the vertical direction by air pressure.

[0035] For example, the rotating part 42 rotates the clamping part 41 so that the opening and closing side of the opposing member provided on the clamping part 41 faces forward. Also, for example, the rotating part 42 rotates the clamping part 41 so that the opening and closing side of the opposing member provided on the clamping part 41 faces downward.

[0036] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a state of the foreign matter removal head 21 in which the clamping part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where it can sandwich the foreign matter removal stick 101 on the stick conveyance unit 23 from the side. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state of the foreign matter removal head 21 in which the clamping part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 being clamped is directed in a predetermined removal direction.

[0037] The stick conveying unit 22 conveys the tray 131 on which the foreign object removing stick 101 is placed. The stick conveying unit 22 conveys the tray 131 placed on the stage 61. The X-axis linear movement part 62 of the stick conveying unit 23 displaces the stage 61 in the X-axis direction (left and right direction) within a predetermined range. Also, the X-axis linear movement part 62 positions the stage 61 in the X-axis direction (left and right direction). For example, the X-axis linear movement part 62 is composed of an electric motor, a rack and pinion mechanism, a linear guide, and the like. Furthermore, the stick conveying unit 22 conveys the waste box 63 which is an open-top container. The waste box 63 is attached to the stage 61.

[0038] Here, the tray 131 can be the tray in which the foreign object removing stick 101 is stored when purchasing the foreign object removing stick 101.

[0039] It can also be said that the stick conveying unit 22 conveys the foreign object removing stick 101 placed on the stage 61. The stick conveying unit 22 conveys the foreign object removing stick 101 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the object removing stick 101. That is, the stick conveying unit 22 conveys the foreign object removing stick 101 with the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removing stick 101 being the horizontal direction. More specifically, the stick conveying unit 22 conveys a plurality of foreign object removing sticks 101 arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removing stick 101, in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removing stick 101.

[0040] The adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 is provided on the left side of the clamping part 41 which is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the foreign object removing stick 101 on the stick conveying unit 23 can be clamped from the side. The adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 images its own right side. That is, the optical axis of the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 is parallel to the X-axis.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 3, when the clamping part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the foreign object removing stick 101 on the stick conveying unit 23 can be clamped from the side, the opening and closing side of the opposing member of the clamping part 41 is downward. When the clamping part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the foreign object removing stick 101 on the stick conveying unit 23 can be clamped from the side, the foreign object removing stick 101 is clamped from the side and removed from the tray 131 while being clamped.

[0042] When the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the clamping part 41 can clamp the foreign object removing stick 101 on the stick conveying unit 23 from the side and the foreign object removing stick 101 is being clamped, the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 images the foreign object removing stick 101 being clamped by the foreign object removing head 21. More specifically, in this case, the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 images the end part on the rear side of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removing stick 101 being clamped by the foreign object removing head 21. When the clamping part 41 is displaced to an angular position where the foreign object removing stick 101 on the stick conveying unit 23 can be clamped from the side, the position of the end part on the rear side of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removing stick 101 clamped by the clamping part 41 becomes the position of the lower end part of the foreign object removing stick 101 when the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removing stick 101 clamped by the clamping part 41 is directed in a predetermined removing direction.

[0043] Here, the removing direction refers to the direction of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removing stick 101 in the foreign object removing stick 101, which is the direction in which foreign objects can be removed from the surface of the image sensor 201. For example, the removing direction is the direction in which the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removing stick 101 is located directly below the foreign object removing stick 101. Note that the removing direction is not limited to the case where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removing stick 101 is directly below the foreign object removing stick 101, and it is sufficient that foreign objects can be removed from the surface of the image sensor 201, and the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removing stick 101 may intersect the Z axis.

[0044] The work transfer unit 23 transfers the image sensor 201 which is a work. In this case, the work transfer unit 23 is arranged such that the surface of the image sensor 201 faces upward and transfers the image sensor 201. The work transfer unit 23 transfers the carrier 202 on which the image sensor 201 is placed. The work transfer unit 23 transfers the carrier 202 placed on the stage 81. The Z-axis linear motion part 82 of the work transfer unit 23 displaces the stage 81 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction) within a predetermined range. The Z-axis linear motion part 82 positions the stage 81 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction). Although details will be described later with reference to FIG. 7, the work transfer unit 23 is provided with a Y-axis linear motion part 83 and an X-axis linear motion part 84. The Y-axis linear motion part 83 of the work transfer unit 23 displaces the stage 81 in the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction) within a predetermined range. The Y-axis linear motion part 83 positions the stage 81 in the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction). The X-axis linear motion part 84 of the work transfer unit 23 displaces the stage 81 in the X-axis direction (left-right direction) within a predetermined range. The X-axis linear motion part 84 positions the stage 81 in the X-axis direction (left-right direction). For example, the Z-axis linear motion part 82, the Y-axis linear motion part 83, and the X-axis linear motion part 84 each include an electric motor, a rack and pinion mechanism, a linear guide, and the like.

[0045] As shown in FIG. 4, when the clamping part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removing stick 101 being clamped is directed in a predetermined removing direction, the opening and closing side of the member facing the clamping part 41 is directed forward. In this case, the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removing stick 101 is arranged below the clamping part 41.

[0046] Returning to FIG. 1, the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 is provided below the clamping part 41 which is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removing stick 101 being clamped is directed in a predetermined removing direction. The adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 images the upper side of itself. That is, the optical axis of the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 is parallel to the Z-axis.

[0047] The adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 is provided with a Y-axis linear motion part 51 and an X-axis linear motion part 52. The Y-axis linear motion part 51 of the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 displaces the (optical axis of the) adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 in the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction) within a predetermined range. The Y-axis linear motion part 51 positions the (optical axis of the) adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 in the Y-axis direction (front-rear direction). The X-axis linear motion part 52 of the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 displaces the (optical axis of the) adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 in the X-axis direction (left-right direction) within a predetermined range. The X-axis linear motion part 52 positions the (optical axis of the) adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 in the X-axis direction (left-right direction). For example, the Y-axis linear motion part 51 and the X-axis linear motion part 52 each consist of an electric motor, a rack and pinion mechanism, a linear guide, and the like.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 4, when the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 is displaced by the rotation part 42 to an angular position where the clamping part 41 directs the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 being clamped in a predetermined removal direction and the foreign matter removal stick 101 is clamped, the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 images the foreign matter removal stick 101 being clamped by the foreign matter removal head 21. More specifically, in this case, the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 is arranged below the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 by the Y-axis linear motion part 51 and the X-axis linear motion part 52 so that the optical axis of the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 passes through the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101. Then, the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25 images the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 being clamped by the foreign matter removal head 21.

[0049] From the image captured by the adhesion part horizontal position detection camera 25, even when the rod 121 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 is bent, the left-right position and the front-rear position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 are recognized.

[0050] The work transfer unit 23 conveys the image sensor 201 to the removal direction side of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the holding part 41 at an angular position where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 being held is directed in a predetermined removal direction. That is, for example, when the holding part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the opening and closing side of the member facing the holding part 41 is forward, the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 is arranged below with respect to the holding part 41. So, the work transfer unit 23 conveys the image sensor 201 to the removal direction side of the foreign object removal stick 101, that is, below the foreign object removal stick 101.

[0051] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the foreign object removal device 11 pressing the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 against the surface of the image sensor 201. When the holding part 41 is displaced by the rotating part 42 to an angular position where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 being held is directed in a predetermined removal direction, for example, the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 is arranged below with respect to the holding part 41. The work transfer unit 23 lifts the image sensor 201 conveyed to the removal direction side of the foreign object removal stick 101 and brings the image sensor 201 into contact with the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101. Then, the foreign objects adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 are adhered to the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101. After that, when the work transfer unit 23 lowers the image sensor 201, the image sensor 201 separates from the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101, and the foreign objects adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 are removed.

[0052] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the stick transfer unit 22. The stick transfer unit 22 transfers a plurality of trays 131 placed on the stage 61 left and right by the X-axis linear motion unit 62. The stick transfer unit 22 transfers the trays 131 arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removing stick 101 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removing stick 101. For example, the waste box 63 is attached to the left end of the stage 61. The length of one side of the waste box 63 is made longer than the length of the foreign object removing stick 101. For example, the length of the waste box 63 in the front-rear direction is made longer than the longitudinal length of the foreign object removing stick 101. The vertical position of the upper end of the waste box 63 is generally the same as the vertical position of the upper surface of the stage 61.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the work transfer unit 23. The work transfer unit 23 horizontally displaces the carrier 202 placed on the stage 81 by the Y-axis linear motion unit 83 and the X-axis linear motion unit 84. Further, the work transfer unit 23 positions the carrier 202 placed on the stage 81 at a predetermined position in the horizontal direction by the Y-axis linear motion unit 83 and the X-axis linear motion unit 84.

[0054] Further, the work transfer unit 23 vertically displaces the carrier 202 placed on the stage 81 by the Z-axis linear motion unit 82. Further, the work transfer unit 23 positions the carrier 202 placed on the stage 81 at a predetermined position in the vertical direction by the Z-axis linear motion unit 82.

[0055] An image sensor 201 is placed on the carrier 202.

[0056] The foreign object recognition camera 26 images the image sensor 201 that is on the optical axis of the foreign object recognition camera 26 and at which the focus of the foreign object recognition camera 26 is placed, by the work transfer unit 23. Further, the displacement sensor 27 detects the vertical position of the upper surface of the image sensor 201 disposed below the displacement sensor 27, by the work transfer unit 23. For example, the displacement sensor 27 is a confocal displacement sensor. For example, the displacement sensor 27 detects the vertical position on the surface side of the transparent body provided on the surface of the image sensor 201.

[0057] Further, the foreign object removing device 11 is provided with a control unit 300 for controlling the foreign object removing head 21, the stick transfer unit 22, the work transfer unit 23, the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24, the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25, the foreign object recognition camera 26, the displacement sensor 27, and the Y-axis linear motion part 51 and the X-axis linear motion part 52. For example, the control unit 300 is a dedicated or general-purpose controller. For example, the control unit 300 can be a sequence controller or an industrial computer.

[0058] Next, with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, the control unit 300 will be described. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 300. In the control unit 300 which is a computer, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 301, a ROM (Read only memory) 302, and a RAM (Random access memory) 303 are interconnected by a bus 304.

[0059] The bus 304 is further connected to an input / output interface 305. The input / output interface 305 includes an input unit 306 for inputting predetermined data or signals from, for example, the adhesive tip position detection camera 24, the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25, the foreign object recognition camera 26, or the displacement sensor 27; an output unit 307 for outputting signals such as predetermined commands and data such as coordinate values to the clamping unit 41, the rotating unit 42, the Z-axis linear movement unit 43, the buffer unit 44, the X-axis linear movement unit 62, the Z-axis linear movement unit 82, the Y-axis linear movement unit 83, or the X-axis linear movement unit 84; a storage unit 308 composed of a non-volatile memory such as a hard disk or an SSD (Solid State Drive); a communication unit 309 composed of a network interface or the like; and a drive 310 for driving a removable medium 311 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory. Note that the output unit 307 supplies a signal for instructing and controlling imaging or measurement to the adhesive tip position detection camera 24, the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25, the foreign object recognition camera 26, or the displacement sensor 27.

[0060] In the control unit 300 configured as described above, for example, the CPU 301 loads and executes a program stored in the storage unit 308 via the input / output interface 305 and the bus 304, thereby performing a series of processes described later.

[0061] The program executed by the computer (CPU 301) is recorded on a removable medium 311 which is a package medium composed of, for example, a magnetic disk (including a flexible disk), an optical disk (such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc - Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), etc.), a magneto-optical disk, or a semiconductor memory, or is provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, or digital satellite communication.

[0062] Then, the program can be installed on the computer by mounting the removable media 311 on the drive 310 and storing it in the storage unit 308 via the input / output interface 305. Also, the program can be installed on the computer by receiving it in the communication unit 309 via a wired or wireless transmission medium and storing it in the storage unit 308. Additionally, the program can be pre-installed on the computer by pre-storing it in the ROM 302 or the storage unit 308.

[0063] FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration realized by the control unit 300 that executes the program. By executing the program by the control unit 300, a head control unit 331, a stick conveyance control unit 332, a work conveyance control unit 333, an imaging control unit 334, a displacement sensor measurement control unit 335, an image processing unit 336, a correction value calculation unit 337, a foreign object position storage unit 338, and a foreign object position correction unit 339 are realized.

[0064] The head control unit 331 controls the operation of the foreign object removal head 21. The head control unit 331 includes a clamping unit drive control unit 361, a rotation unit drive control unit 362, a Z-axis drive control unit 363, and a buffer pressure control unit 364. The clamping unit drive control unit 361 controls the opening and closing of the opposing members provided in the clamping unit 41 to control the clamping of the foreign object removal stick 101 by sandwiching the side surface of the rod 121. The rotation unit drive control unit 362 controls the rotation of the rotation unit 42 to displace the clamping unit 41 to a predetermined angular position. The Z-axis drive control unit 363 controls the Z-axis linear motion unit 43 to displace the clamping unit 41 to a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction. The buffer pressure control unit 364 controls the air pressure applied to the buffer unit 44 to control the magnitude of the buffering force by the buffer unit 44.

[0065] The stick conveyance control unit 332 controls the conveyance of the tray 131 on which the foreign object removal stick 101 is placed by the stick conveyance unit 22. The stick conveyance control unit 332 includes an X-axis drive control unit 365. The X-axis drive control unit 365 controls the X-axis linear motion unit 62 to displace the stage 61 to a predetermined position in the X-axis direction.

[0066] The workpiece transfer control unit 333 controls the transfer of the image sensor 201 by the workpiece transfer unit 23. The workpiece transfer control unit 333 includes a Z-axis drive control unit 366, an X-axis drive control unit 367, and a Y-axis drive control unit 368. The Z-axis drive control unit 366 controls the Z-axis linear motion unit 82 to displace the stage 81 to a predetermined position in the Z-axis direction. The X-axis drive control unit 367 controls the X-axis linear motion unit 84 to displace the stage 81 to a predetermined position in the X-axis direction. The Y-axis drive control unit 368 controls the Y-axis linear motion unit 83 to displace the stage 81 to a predetermined position in the Y-axis direction.

[0067] The imaging control unit 334 controls the imaging of the adhesive tip position detection camera 24, the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25, and the foreign object recognition camera 26. The imaging control unit 334 includes an adhesive tip position detection camera imaging control unit 371, an adhesive horizontal position detection camera imaging control unit 372, and a foreign object recognition camera imaging control unit 373. The adhesive tip position detection camera imaging control unit 371 controls the imaging of the adhesive tip position detection camera 24. The adhesive horizontal position detection camera imaging control unit 372 controls the imaging of the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25. Further, the adhesive horizontal position detection camera imaging control unit 372 controls the Y-axis linear motion unit 51 and the X-axis linear motion unit 52 to position the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25 below the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101. The foreign object recognition camera imaging control unit 373 controls the foreign object recognition camera 26 to image the image sensor 201 with the foreign object recognition camera 26.

[0068] The displacement sensor measurement control unit 335 controls the displacement sensor 27 to detect the vertical position of the upper surface of the image sensor 201.

[0069] The image processing unit 336 processes the images captured by the adhesive tip position detection camera 24, the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25, or the foreign object recognition camera 26. The image processing unit 336 includes an adhesive tip position recognition unit 381, an adhesive horizontal position recognition unit 382, and a foreign object recognition unit 383. The adhesive tip position recognition unit 381 recognizes the position of the rear end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the foreign object removal head 21 from the image captured by the adhesive tip position detection camera 24. Note that, in the image captured by the adhesive tip position detection camera 24, the position of the rear end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the foreign object removal head 21 is rotated 90 degrees around the X axis, for example, so that the holding portion 41 that has rotated the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 in a predetermined removal direction by the rotating portion 42 can hold the position of the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101.

[0070] The adhesive horizontal position recognition unit 382 recognizes the left - right position and the front - rear position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the holding portion 41 that has rotated the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 in a predetermined removal direction by the rotating portion 42 from the image captured by the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25. The foreign object recognition unit 383 recognizes the foreign objects adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 and the horizontal positions of the foreign objects from the image captured by the foreign object recognition camera 26.

[0071] The correction value calculation unit 337 calculates a correction value for correcting the position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 from the difference between the stored reference position and the position recognized by the adhesive tip position recognition unit 381, which is the position of the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 obtained by recognition, and the position in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 recognized by the adhesive horizontal position recognition unit 382. In this case, the reference position indicates the position in the left-right direction, the position in the front-rear direction, and the position of the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 when the clamping unit 41 that has rotated the foreign matter removal stick 101 with a standard amount of the adhesive material 122 attached to the straight rod 121 in a predetermined removal direction is clamping the foreign matter removal stick 101.

[0072] The foreign matter position storage unit 338 stores the horizontal position of each foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 recognized by the foreign matter recognition unit 383.

[0073] The foreign matter position correction unit 339 corrects the horizontal position of each foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 stored in the foreign matter position storage unit 338 with the correction value calculated by the correction value calculation unit 337. Even if the rod 121 is bent, the horizontal position of each foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 is corrected by the foreign matter position correction unit 339. Therefore, the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 clamped by the clamping unit 41 that has rotated the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 in a predetermined removal direction can be surely arranged above the foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201. Also, even if the adhesive material 122 attached to the rod 121 is dripping, the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 can be pressed against the surface of the image sensor 201 by a predetermined distance.

[0074] Next, the operation of replacing the foreign object removal stick 101 by the foreign object removal device 11 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the process of replacing the foreign object removal stick 101. The process of replacing the foreign object removal stick 101 starts from the state where the clamping part 41 clamps the foreign object removal stick 101 used for removing the foreign object adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201. Note that the foreign object removal stick 101 is replaced when it is used for removing foreign objects a predetermined number of times or when a predetermined number of foreign objects are removed.

[0075] In step S11, the Z-axis drive control unit 363 of the head control unit 331 outputs a signal for instructing driving to the output unit 307, thereby moving the foreign object removal head 21 to a position at a predetermined height (vertical position) on the Z-axis linear movement unit 43. In step S11, the vertical position to which the foreign object removal head 21 is moved is a predetermined position where interference with the tray 131 placed on the stage 61 of the stick conveyance unit 22 can be avoided even if the foreign object removal head 21 operates in the next step S12.

[0076] In step S12, the rotation unit drive control unit 362 of the head control unit 331 outputs a signal for instructing driving to the output unit 307, thereby displacing the angular position of the clamping part 41 on the rotation unit 42 so that the foreign object removal stick 101 clamped by the clamping part 41 is horizontal in the longitudinal direction of the foreign object removal stick 101. That is, the rotation unit 42 displaces the clamping part 41 to an angular position where the foreign object removal stick 101 in the tray 131 can be clamped from the side.

[0077] In step S13, the X-axis drive control unit 365 of the stick conveyance control unit 332 outputs a signal for instructing driving to the output unit 307, thereby moving the stage 61 so that the foreign object removal stick 101 clamped by the clamping part 41 is positioned above the waste box 63 on the X-axis linear movement unit 62 of the stick conveyance unit 22, thereby moving the waste box 63.

[0078] In step S14, the clamping unit drive control unit 361 of the head control unit 331 outputs a signal for commanding driving to the output unit 307, thereby opening the opposing member of the clamping unit 41 and releasing the foreign matter removal stick 101 that the clamping unit 41 has been clamping. Since the upper side of the waste box 63 is open, the used foreign matter removal stick 101 falls into the waste box 63 and is stored in the waste box 63.

[0079] In step S15, the X-axis drive control unit 365 of the stick conveyance control unit 332 outputs a signal for commanding driving to the output unit 307, thereby moving the stage 61 so that the rod 121 of the new foreign matter removal stick 101 (unused foreign matter removal stick 101) placed on the tray 131 is positioned directly below the opposing member of the clamping unit 41, and thus moving the tray 131 on which the foreign matter removal stick 101 is placed.

[0080] In step S16, the Z-axis drive control unit 363 of the head control unit 331 outputs a signal for commanding driving to the output unit 307, thereby lowering the foreign matter removal head 21 to the Z-axis linear motion unit 43. Next, the clamping unit drive control unit 361 of the head control unit 331 outputs a signal for commanding driving to the output unit 307, thereby closing the opposing member of the clamping unit 41 and causing the clamping unit 41 to grip the new foreign matter removal stick 101 placed on the tray 131.

[0081] In step S17, the Z-axis drive control unit 363 of the head control unit 331 outputs a signal for commanding driving to the output unit 307, thereby raising the foreign matter removal head 21 to a position at a predetermined height (vertical position) of the Z-axis linear motion unit 43. In step S17, the vertical position at which the foreign matter removal head 21 is moved is a predetermined position at which the adhesive tip position detection camera 24 can image the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 clamped by the clamping unit 41 in the next step S18.

[0082] In step S18, the adhesive part tip position detection camera imaging control unit 371 of the imaging control unit 334 causes the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby causing the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 to image the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 held by the holding part 41. The adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 is provided on the left side of the holding part 41, and the optical axis of the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 is parallel to the X-axis. Therefore, the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 images the adhesive material 122 from the left side of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101. The adhesive part tip position detection camera 24 supplies, via the input unit 306, the control unit 300 with the image data obtained by imaging the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101. Then, the adhesive part tip position recognition unit 381 of the image processing unit 336 recognizes the position of the tip of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, which is the position in the Y-axis direction, from the image captured by the adhesive part tip position detection camera 24.

[0083] In step S19, the rotation part drive control unit 362 of the head control unit 331 causes the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby displacing the angular position of the holding part 41 in the rotation part 42 so that the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 held by the holding part 41 is positioned below the foreign matter removal stick 101. For example, the angular position of the holding part 41 is displaced in the rotation part 42 so that the foreign matter removal stick 101 held by the holding part 41 is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removal stick 101. That is, the rotation part 42 displaces the holding part 41 to an angular position that directs the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 held thereby in a predetermined removal direction.

[0084] In step S20, the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera imaging control unit 372 of the imaging control unit 334 causes the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby arranging the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 below the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 in the Y-axis linear movement part 51 and the X-axis linear movement part 52.

[0085] In step S21, the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera imaging control unit 372 of the imaging control unit 334 causes the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby causing the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 to image the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 sandwiched by the sandwiching part 41. The adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 is provided below the sandwiching part 41, and the optical axis of the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 is parallel to the Z-axis upward. Therefore, the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 images the adhesive material 122 from below the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101. The adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25 supplies, via the input unit 306, the control unit 300 with the image data obtained by imaging the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101. Then, the adhesive part horizontal position recognition unit 382 recognizes, from the image captured by the adhesive part horizontal position detection camera 25, the position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, that is, the position in the Y-axis direction and the position in the X-axis direction.

[0086] In step S18, the position of the tip of the adhesive material 122 of the recognized foreign matter removal stick 101, that is, the position in the Y-axis direction, is converted to the position rotated 90 degrees around the X-axis, so as to be the position of the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, which is the position in the Z-axis direction. Thereby, as the position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, the position in the Y-axis direction, the position in the X-axis direction, and the position of the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, that is, the position in the Z-axis direction, can be obtained.

[0087] Also, in step S21 or step S18, if the obtained position in the Y-axis direction, the position in the X-axis direction, or the position in the Z-axis direction exceeds a predetermined range, it is determined that the sandwiching part 41 has failed to sandwich the foreign matter removal stick 101. In this case, for example, from step S11, the process of replacing the foreign matter removal stick 101 is performed again.

[0088] In step S22, the correction value calculation unit 337 calculates a correction value for correcting the position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 from the difference between the stored reference position and the obtained Z-axis direction position of the lower end of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, the Y-axis direction position, and the X-axis direction position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101, and the process of replacing the foreign matter removal stick 101 ends.

[0089] Next, the operation of removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 by the foreign matter removal device 11 will be described. FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining the process of removing foreign matter. Before the process of removing foreign matter, under the control of the foreign matter recognition camera imaging control unit 373 of the imaging control unit 334, the foreign matter recognition camera 26 images the surface of the image sensor 201, and the foreign matter recognition unit 383 of the image processing unit 336 recognizes foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 and the Y-axis direction position and X-axis direction position of each foreign matter from the image captured by the foreign matter recognition camera 26. The foreign matter position storage unit 338 stores the Y-axis direction position and X-axis direction position of each foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201 recognized by the foreign matter recognition unit 383. Note that the process of removing foreign matter described with reference to FIG. 11 is for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of one image sensor 201. When there are a plurality of image sensors 201, the process of removing foreign matter is executed for each image sensor 201.

[0090] In step S41, the foreign matter position correction unit 339 reads out the data of the position of the foreign matter adhering to the image sensor 201 that is the target of the foreign matter removal process from the foreign matter position storage unit 338, and also acquires the correction value from the correction value calculation unit 337, and corrects the position of the foreign matter adhering to the target image sensor 201 with the correction value of the foreign matter removal stick 101 held by the holding unit 41 of the foreign matter removal head 21. The foreign matter position correction unit 339 supplies the data of the corrected foreign matter position to the work conveyance control unit 333.

[0091] In step S42, the displacement sensor measurement control unit 335 causes the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby causing the displacement sensor 27 to detect the position of the upper surface of the image sensor 201 in the Z-axis direction. The displacement sensor 27 supplies data indicating the position of the upper surface of the image sensor 201 in the Z-axis direction to the control unit 300 via the input unit 306. The workpiece transfer control unit 333 acquires data indicating the position of the upper surface of the image sensor 201 in the Z-axis direction.

[0092] In step S43, the workpiece transfer control unit 333 acquires the position of the foreign matter to be removed next, which is the position corrected in the procedure of step S41. In step S44, the Z-axis drive control unit 366, the X-axis drive control unit 367, and the Y-axis drive control unit 368 of the workpiece transfer control unit 333 cause the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby displacing and positioning the stage 81 of the workpiece transfer unit 23 so that the foreign matter to be removed is located under the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 held by the clamping portion 41 of the foreign matter removal head 21 in the Z-axis linear motion unit 82, the Y-axis linear motion unit 83, and the X-axis linear motion unit 84.

[0093] In step S45, the Z-axis drive control unit 366 of the workpiece transfer control unit 333 causes the output unit 307 to output a signal for commanding driving, thereby displacing the stage 81 of the workpiece transfer unit 23 upward so as to press the foreign matter to be removed against the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101 held by the clamping portion 41 of the foreign matter removal head 21 in the Z-axis linear motion unit 82.

[0094] By doing so, it becomes difficult for foreign matter to fall from the foreign matter removal head 21 onto the image sensor 201.

[0095] In step S46, the Z-axis drive control unit 366 of the workpiece transfer control unit 333 outputs a signal for commanding the drive to the output unit 307, thereby displacing the stage 81 of the workpiece transfer unit 23 downward in the Z-axis linear movement unit 82, and removing the foreign matter adhering to the image sensor 201 from the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101. That is, the foreign matter adhering to the image sensor 201 is transferred to the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removal stick 101.

[0096] In step S47, the workpiece transfer control unit 333 determines whether there is any foreign matter on the target image sensor 201. If it is determined that there is foreign matter, the procedure returns to step S43, and the above-described procedure is repeated. In step S47, if it is determined that there is no foreign matter, the process of removing the foreign matter ends.

[0097] In this way, since the tray 131, which is the tray stored when the foreign matter removal stick 101 is purchased, can be directly placed on the stick transfer unit 22, there is no need for troublesome operations such as attaching the holder or inserting it into the replacement stick waiting station.

[0098] There is no need to attach the holder or prepare the replacement stick waiting station, and a simple configuration can be achieved.

[0099] Also, the used foreign matter removal stick 101 can be easily recovered.

[0100] In this way, foreign matter can be removed more simply with a simpler configuration.

[0101] Note that although the foreign matter removal device 11 has been described as removing foreign matter from the image sensor 201, which is an individual imaging element as an example of a semiconductor element, it is not limited to this, and foreign matter on various semiconductor elements such as digital and analog integrated circuits such as memory and signal processing, and semiconductor elements for power can be removed.

[0102] Further, the foreign matter removing device 11 can remove foreign matter from an object such as optical components like lenses, glass filters, mirrors, etc., and articles that dislike fine foreign matter.

[0103] In this way, the foreign matter removing device 11 uses a foreign matter removing stick 101 formed by attaching an adhesive material 122 to at least one end of a rod 121 of a predetermined length to remove foreign matter adhering to the surface of the image sensor 201. The foreign matter removing device 11 includes a stick conveying unit 22 that conveys a tray 131 on which the foreign matter removing stick 101 is placed, a clamping unit 41 that clamps the foreign matter removing stick 101 by sandwiching it from the side and removes it from the tray 131, a rotating unit 42 that displaces the angular position of the clamping unit 41 to either a first angular position where the foreign matter removing stick 101 in the tray 131 can be sandwiched from the side or a second angular position where the adhesive material 122 of the foreign matter removing stick 101 being clamped is directed in a predetermined removal direction, and a work conveying unit 23 that conveys the image sensor 201 to the removal direction side of the foreign matter removing stick 101 clamped by the clamping unit 41 at the second angular position.

[0104] The stick conveying unit 22 can convey the trays 131 arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removing stick 101 in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removing stick 101.

[0105] The clamping unit 41 can clamp the foreign matter removing stick 101 by sandwiching the side surface of the rod 121 with opposing members.

[0106] The clamping unit 41 can sandwich the side surface of the rod 121 with two pairs of opposing members.

[0107] The stick conveying unit 22 conveys an open-top container to the lower side of the clamping unit 41 at the first angular position, and the clamping unit 41 can release the foreign matter removing stick 101 being clamped above the container at the first angular position.

[0108] The work transfer unit 23 can displace the image sensor 201 and bring the image sensor 201 into contact with the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the holding portion 41 at the second angular position.

[0109] An adhesive tip position detection camera 24 that images the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the holding portion 41 at the first angular position, an adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25 that images the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 held by the holding portion 41 at the second angular position, and an adhesive tip position recognition unit 381 and an adhesive horizontal position recognition unit 382 that recognize the position of the adhesive material 122 of the foreign object removal stick 101 from the image captured by the adhesive tip position detection camera 24 and the image captured by the adhesive horizontal position detection camera 25 can be further provided.

[0110] A foreign object recognition camera 26 that images the image sensor 201 being transported by the work transfer unit 23, and a foreign object recognition unit 383 that recognizes the position of the foreign object attached to the surface of the image sensor 201 from the image captured by the foreign object recognition camera 26 can be further provided.

[0111] A foreign object position correction unit 339 that corrects the position of the foreign object attached to the surface of the image sensor 201 recognized by the foreign object recognition unit 383 based on the position of the adhesive material 122 recognized by the adhesive tip position recognition unit 381 and the adhesive horizontal position recognition unit 382 can be further provided.

[0112] A displacement sensor 27 that detects the position of the upper surface of the image sensor 201 being transported by the work transfer unit 23 can be further provided.

[0113] Also, the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0114] 11 Foreign object removal device, 21 Foreign object removal head, 22 Stick conveyance unit, 23 Work conveyance unit, 24 Adhesive tip position detection camera, 25 Adhesive horizontal position detection camera, 26 Foreign object recognition camera, 27 Displacement sensor, 41 Clamping part, 42 Rotating part, 43 Z-axis linear motion part, 44 Buffer part, 51 Y-axis linear motion part, 52 X-axis linear motion part, 61 Stage, 62 X-axis linear motion part, 63 Waste box, 81 Stage, 82 Z-axis linear motion part, 83 Y-axis linear motion part, 84 X-axis linear motion part, 101 Foreign object removal stick, 121 Rod, 122 Adhesive material, 131 Tray, 201 Image sensor, 202 Carrier, 300 Control unit, 301 CPU, 302 ROM, 303 RAM, 304 Bus, 305 Input / output interface, 306 Input part, 307 Output part, 308 Storage part, 309 Communication part, 310 Drive, 311 Removable media, 331 Head control unit, 332 Stick conveyance control unit, 333 Work conveyance control unit, 334 Imaging control unit, 335 Displacement sensor measurement control unit, 336 Image processing unit, 337 Correction value calculation unit, 338 Foreign object position memory unit, 339 Foreign object position correction unit, 361 Clamping part drive control unit, 362 Rotating part drive control unit, 363 Z-axis drive control unit, 364 Buffer pressure control unit, 365 X-axis drive control unit, 366 Z-axis drive control unit, 367 X-axis drive control unit, 368 Y-axis drive control unit, 371 Adhesive tip position detection camera imaging control unit, 372 Adhesive horizontal position detection camera imaging control unit, 373 Foreign object recognition camera imaging control unit, 381 Adhesive tip position recognition unit, 382 Adhesive horizontal position recognition unit, 383 Foreign object recognition unit

Claims

1. In a foreign matter removing device for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object, using a foreign matter removing material having an adhesive material attached to at least one end of a rod of a predetermined length, a first conveying means for conveying a tray on which the foreign matter removing material is placed; a clamping means for clamping the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching it from the side and taking it out of the tray; an angular position displacement means for displacing the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position where the foreign matter removing material in the tray can be sandwiched from the side or a second angular position where the adhesive material of the foreign matter removing material being clamped is directed in a predetermined removal direction; and a second conveying means for conveying the object to the removal direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means in the second angular position. A foreign matter removing device comprising the above.

2. In the foreign matter removing device according to Claim 1, the first conveying means conveys the trays arranged at a predetermined interval in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removing material in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the foreign matter removing material. A foreign matter removing device.

3. In the foreign matter removing device according to Claim 1, the clamping means clamps the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching the side surface of the rod with opposing members. A foreign matter removing device.

4. In the foreign matter removing device according to Claim 3, the clamping means sandwiches the side surface of the rod with two pairs of opposing members. A foreign matter removing device.

5. In the foreign matter removing device according to Claim 1, the first conveying means conveys a container with an open upper side to the lower side of the clamping means in the first angular position, and the clamping means releases the foreign matter removing material being clamped above the container in the first angular position. Foreign object removal device.

6. In the foreign object removal device according to claim 1, The second conveying means displaces the object and brings the object into contact with the adhesive material of the foreign object removal material held by the holding means at the second angular position. Foreign object removal device.

7. In the foreign object removal device according to claim 1, A first imaging means for imaging the adhesive material of the foreign object removal material held by the holding means at the first angular position; A second imaging means for imaging the adhesive material of the foreign object removal material held by the holding means at the second angular position; A first recognition means for recognizing the position of the adhesive material of the foreign object removal material from the image captured by the first imaging means and the image captured by the second imaging means A foreign object removal device further comprising.

8. In the foreign object removal device according to claim 7, A third imaging means for imaging the object being conveyed by the second conveying means; A second recognition means for recognizing the position of the foreign object adhering to the surface of the object from the image captured by the third imaging means A foreign object removal device further comprising.

9. In the foreign object removal device according to claim 8, A foreign object removal device further comprising a correction means for correcting the position of the foreign object adhering to the surface of the object recognized by the second recognition means at the position of the adhesive material recognized by the first recognition means.

10. In the foreign object removal device according to claim 7, A foreign object removal device further comprising a detection means for detecting the position of the upper surface of the object being conveyed by the second conveying means.

11. A foreign matter removing method for removing foreign matter adhering to the surface of an object by a foreign matter removing device comprising: a first conveying means for conveying a tray on which a foreign matter removing material having an adhesive material attached to one end of a rod of a predetermined length is placed; a clamping means for clamping the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching it from the side and taking it out of the tray; an angular position displacing means for displacing the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position for sandwiching the foreign matter removing material in the tray from the side or a second angular position for directing the adhesive material of the foreign matter removing material being clamped in a predetermined removing direction; and a second conveying means for conveying an object to the removing direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position. clamping, by the clamping means at the first angular position, the foreign matter removing material placed on the tray by sandwiching the rod of the foreign matter removing material from the side and taking it out of the tray; displacing, by the angular position displacing means, the angular position of the clamping means to the second angular position; conveying, by the second conveying means, the object to the removing direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position; contacting the adhesive material of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position with the object to remove the foreign matter from the object. The foreign matter removing method includes the above steps.

12. A computer for controlling a foreign matter removing device comprising: a first conveying means for conveying a tray on which a foreign matter removing material having an adhesive material attached to one end of a rod of a predetermined length is placed; a clamping means for clamping the foreign matter removing material by sandwiching it from the side and taking it out of the tray; an angular position displacing means for displacing the angular position of the clamping means to either a first angular position for sandwiching the foreign matter removing material in the tray from the side or a second angular position for directing the adhesive material of the foreign matter removing material being clamped in a predetermined removing direction; and a second conveying means for conveying an object to the removing direction side of the foreign matter removing material clamped by the clamping means at the second angular position. The step of removing the foreign matter removing material placed on the tray from the tray by sandwiching and holding the rod of the foreign matter removing material from the side by the holding means at the first angular position; The step of displacing the angular position of the holding means to the second angular position by the angular position displacement means; The step of conveying the object to the removal direction side of the foreign matter removing material held by the holding means at the second angular position by the second conveying means; The step of bringing the adhesive material of the foreign matter removing material held by the holding means at the second angular position into contact with the object to remove the foreign matter from the object; A program for executing a process including the above steps.

Images