Repair device, defect handling system, defect handling device, and repair method

Abstract

To increase the density of metal in the repaired area. [Solution] The repair device is a device for repairing defects 94 in a pattern 93 formed on the upper surface 91 of a substrate 9. The substrate holding part holds the substrate 9 on which the pattern 93 is formed on the upper surface 91. The application part 32 applies droplet-shaped conductive paste to the defects 94 in the pattern 93. The hardening part 33 hardens the conductive paste by heating and drying it. The compression part 34 presses the hardened conductive paste toward the substrate 9 while heating it. This makes it possible to increase the density of metal in the repair part provided to fill the defects 94.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for repairing a defective portion of a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in the production process of printed wiring boards, inspection of wiring patterns formed on the substrate surface is performed, and repair is carried out on substrates determined to be defective. For example, when a part of the wiring is missing and a disconnection occurs, the disconnection is repaired by applying a conductive paste to the defective part of the wiring and firing it.

[0003] On the other hand, Patent Document 1 discloses a method for repairing a defective portion of wiring in a substrate for a liquid crystal display. In this repair method, a transfer member provided with a metal film of a low melting point metal on the lower surface of a base material such as polyimide is adhered to the defective portion of the wiring. Then, by irradiating the adhered portion with laser light through the base material to melt the metal film, an alloy layer of the metal film and the wiring is formed to repair the defective portion.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in the repair method using the above-mentioned conductive paste (for example, copper paste), the density of the repaired portion after the solvent of the conductive paste volatilizes by firing becomes low, and there is a possibility that the electrical resistance in the repaired portion becomes higher than that of the wiring in the vicinity of the repaired portion. In addition, even if the repair method of Patent Document 1 can be applied when the wiring is very thin as in a liquid crystal display, it is difficult to apply when the wiring is relatively thick as in a printed wiring board.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to increase the density of metal in the repaired area. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is a repair apparatus for repairing defects in a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding unit for holding a substrate on which a pattern is formed on the surface; an application unit for applying droplet-shaped conductive paste to the defects in the pattern; a curing unit for hardening the conductive paste by heating and drying it; and a compression unit for heating the hardened conductive paste and pressing it toward the substrate.

[0008] A second aspect of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to the first aspect, further comprising a removal unit that removes the portion of the conductive paste that has protruded around the defective area after being pressed by the compression unit by irradiating it with a laser.

[0009] A third aspect of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 1 (or aspect 1 or 2), wherein the hardening portion includes a gas ejection portion that ejects heated gas toward the conductive paste.

[0010] Aspect 4 of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 3, wherein the gas is an inert gas.

[0011] Aspect 5 of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 3 (or aspect 3 or 4), wherein the compression section comprises a rod-shaped compressor that directly contacts the conductive paste with its heated tip and presses toward the substrate. The gas ejection section comprises a gas nozzle arranged around the compressor. The tip of the compressor is heated by the gas ejected from the gas nozzle along the compressor.

[0012] Aspect 6 of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 1 (or aspect 1 or 2), wherein the compression section comprises a rod-shaped compressor that directly contacts the conductive paste with its heated tip and presses toward the substrate. The hardening section shares the compressor with the compression section. The conductive paste hardens due to radiant heat from the tip when the heated tip of the compressor is separated from the conductive paste.

[0013] Aspect 7 of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 1 (which may be any one of aspects 1 to 6), wherein the compression section comprises a rod-shaped compressor that directly contacts the conductive paste with a heated tip and presses toward the substrate. The compressor and the conductive particles contained in the conductive paste are made of the same type of metal.

[0014] Aspect 8 of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 1 (which may be any one of aspects 1 to 7), wherein the application of the conductive paste by the application unit, the curing of the conductive paste by the curing unit, and the pressing of the conductive paste by the compression unit are performed in an inert gas atmosphere.

[0015] Aspect 9 of the present invention is a repair apparatus according to aspect 1 (which may be any one of aspects 1 to 8), wherein a laser is irradiated near the defective portion of the pattern to perform pretreatment before the conductive paste is applied by the application unit.

[0016] Aspect 10 of the present invention is a defect processing system for detecting and repairing defects in a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, comprising: an inspection device for inspecting a substrate having a pattern on its surface; and a repair device according to any one of aspects 1 to 9. The inspection device comprises: an image acquisition unit for capturing an image of the substrate to acquire an image under inspection; a defect detection unit for detecting defects in the pattern based on the image under inspection; and an output unit for outputting position information of the defects detected by the defect detection unit to the repair device. The repair device repairs the defects based on the position information of the defects output from the output unit.

[0017] Aspect 11 of the present invention is a defect processing apparatus for detecting and repairing a defective portion of a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, including any one of the repair apparatuses of Aspects 1 to 9, an image acquisition unit that images the substrate held by the substrate holding unit of the repair apparatus to acquire a test image, and a defect detection unit that detects the defective portion of the pattern based on the test image. The defective portion is repaired based on the position information of the defective portion detected by the defect detection unit.

[0018] Aspect 12 of the present invention is a repair method for repairing a defective portion of a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, comprising: a) a step of applying a droplet-shaped conductive paste to the defective portion of the pattern formed on the surface of the substrate; b) a step of curing the conductive paste; and c) a step of pressing the cured conductive paste toward the substrate while heating it.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] In the present invention, the density of the metal in the repair portion can be increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020] [Figure 1] It is a side view showing the configuration of the repair apparatus according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is a diagram showing the internal structure of the repair head. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of the flow of repairing a defective portion. [Figure 4] It is a side view showing a partially enlarged repair head. [Figure 5] It is a side view showing a partially enlarged repair head. [Figure 6] It is a plan view showing a part of the substrate. [Figure 7] It is a side view showing a partially enlarged repair head. [Figure 8] It is a side view showing a partially enlarged repair head. [Figure 9] It is a plan view showing a part of the substrate. [Figure 10] It is a side view showing an enlarged part of the repair head. [Figure 11] It is a side view showing an enlarged part of the repair head. [Figure 12] It is a side view showing the configuration of the defect processing system. [Figure 13] It is a diagram showing the configuration of the control unit. [Figure 14] It is a block diagram showing the functions of the control unit. [Figure 15] It is a side view showing the configuration of the defect processing apparatus according to the second embodiment.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] FIG. 1 is a side view showing the configuration of a repair apparatus 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The repair apparatus 1 is an apparatus for repairing a defective portion of a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate 9. In FIG. 1, three mutually orthogonal directions are indicated by arrows as the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the X direction and the Y direction are horizontal directions perpendicular to each other, and the Z direction is a vertical direction (that is, the up-and-down direction). The same applies to other figures.

[0022] The substrate 9 is, for example, a substantially rectangular flat printed wiring board. In the substrate 9, for example, a circuit pattern formed of a metal such as copper is provided on the surface of a substantially rectangular flat base material formed of a composite material containing glass and resin. Note that the type, shape, etc. of the substrate 9 may be variously changed.

[0023] The repair apparatus 1 includes a substrate holding unit 21, a moving mechanism 22, a repair head 3, and a control unit 8. The control unit 8 has a configuration of a general computer system including a CPU, a GPU, a ROM, a RAM, a fixed disk, a display, an input unit, a reading device, a communication unit, and a bus. The control unit 8 controls each configuration such as the moving mechanism 22 and the repair head 3.

[0024] The substrate holder 21, the moving mechanism 22, and the repair head 3 are arranged on a roughly rectangular base 11. Specifically, the first moving mechanism 23 (described later) of the moving mechanism 22 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 11 (i.e., the main surface on the (+Z) side), and the substrate holder 21 is supported from below (i.e., the (-Z) side) by the first moving mechanism 23. A gate-shaped support section 12 (a so-called gantry) is erected on the upper surface of the base 11, straddling the substrate holder 21 and the first moving mechanism 23. The repair head 3 is mounted so as to be movable in the X direction to a beam section 13 extending in the X direction of the support section 12. In other words, the support section 12 supports the repair head 3 so as to be movable in the X direction.

[0025] The substrate holding portion 21 is, for example, a roughly rectangular flat stage, and is located spaced apart from the repair head 3 on the (-Z) side (i.e., downward side). The substrate holding portion 21 holds the substrate 9 by contacting the main surface (i.e., the bottom surface) on the (-Z) side of the substrate 9 and supporting the substrate 9 from below. The substrate holding portion 21 includes, for example, a vacuum chuck (not shown) that holds the bottom surface of the substrate 9 by suction. The substrate holding portion 21 may also include a holding structure other than a vacuum chuck (e.g., a mechanical chuck). The main surface (hereinafter also referred to as the "upper surface 91") on the (+Z) side of the substrate 9 held by the substrate holding portion 21 is roughly perpendicular to the Z direction and roughly parallel to the X and Y directions. A circuit pattern (not shown) made of a metal such as copper is pre-formed on the upper surface 91 (i.e., the surface of the substrate) of the substrate 9.

[0026] The moving mechanism 22 is a mechanism that moves the substrate holder 21 relative to the repair head 3 in a horizontal direction (i.e., a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9). The moving mechanism 22 comprises a first moving mechanism 23 and a second moving mechanism 24. The first moving mechanism 23 is provided on the upper surface of the base 11 and moves the substrate holder 21 linearly in the Y direction along a guide rail. The second moving mechanism 24 is provided on the girder portion 13 of the support portion 12 and moves the repair head 3 linearly in the X direction. The drive source for the first moving mechanism 23 and the second moving mechanism 24 is, for example, a linear servo motor or a motor attached to a ball screw. The structure of the first moving mechanism 23 and the second moving mechanism 24 can be modified in various ways.

[0027] Figure 2 shows the internal structure of the repair head 3. In Figure 2, the head cover 31 of the repair head 3 is shown in cross-section, and the internal structure of the head cover 31 is shown by solid lines. The repair head 3 comprises an application section 32, a hardening section 33, a compression section 34, and a removal section 35. The application section 32, hardening section 33, compression section 34, and removal section 35 are housed inside the head cover 31. The head cover 31 is, for example, a roughly rectangular parallelepiped with an opening on its lower surface.

[0028] The application unit 32 applies droplet-shaped conductive paste to the missing portion 94 of the pattern 93 provided on the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9. In the example shown in Figure 2, a missing portion 94, which is an open defect, exists in one of the pattern elements 931 that constitute the pattern 93. An open defect (i.e., a break in the wire) is a defect in which a part of the pattern element 931 is missing, causing the substrate 95 to be exposed at the location where the pattern element 931 should originally be, resulting in a break in the pattern element 931 at that location. The thickness of the pattern element 931 in the Z direction (i.e., vertical direction) is, for example, 10 μm to 20 μm. The pattern element 931 is, for example, copper (Cu) wiring. The thickness and material of the pattern element 931 can be varied.

[0029] In the example shown in Figure 2, the application unit 32 includes a dispenser 321 that drops a small amount of conductive paste onto the substrate 9. The conductive paste is a mixture of highly conductive metal particles dispersed in a relatively viscous solvent (so-called metal ink). The average particle size of these particles is, for example, 0.5 μm to 5 μm. In this embodiment, tiny droplets of copper paste, in which copper particles are dispersed in a solvent, are dropped onto the substrate 9 from the dispenser 321. That is, in this embodiment, the metal particles contained in the conductive paste and the metal forming the pattern elements 931 are of the same type. For example, a pneumatic or mechanical dispenser can be used as the dispenser 321. Note that the application unit 32 may also apply the conductive paste onto the substrate 9 using a configuration other than the dispenser 321.

[0030] The curing unit 33 hardens the droplets of conductive paste applied to the substrate 9 by the application unit 32 by heating and drying them. The curing unit 33 includes a gas ejection unit 331 that ejects heated, high-temperature gas toward the droplets of conductive paste on the substrate 9. The gas ejection unit 331 is, for example, a substantially cylindrical nozzle that ejects gas toward the substrate 9 from an outlet provided at its tip (i.e., lower end). The gas ejection unit 331 is connected to a gas supply source (not shown), and the gas sent from the gas supply source is heated before being supplied to the gas ejection unit 331. The gas ejected from the gas ejection unit 331 is, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas. The temperature of the gas ejected from the gas ejection unit 331 is, for example, 100°C to 200°C. The temperature of the gas may be appropriately changed depending on the type of conductive paste and the amount applied to the substrate 9.

[0031] The compression section 34 compresses the conductive paste hardened by the hardening section 33 by heating it and pressing it toward the substrate 9. The compression section 34 comprises a compressor 341 and a pressing mechanism 342. The compressor 341 is a rod-shaped (for example, substantially cylindrical) member extending substantially parallel to the Z direction. The pressing mechanism 342 is a mechanism that moves the compressor 341 in the Z direction. The pressing mechanism 342 is, for example, an air cylinder that moves the compressor 341 in the (-Z) direction by the pressure of air supplied inside and presses it toward the substrate 9. The pressing mechanism 342 may be a mechanism other than an air cylinder. The compressor 341 is formed of, for example, the same type of metal as the conductive particles (i.e., metal particles) contained in the conductive paste. In this embodiment, the compressor 341 is made of copper.

[0032] The compressor 341 is heated, for example, by an electric heater provided inside the compressor 341 or the pressing mechanism 342. Alternatively, the compressor 341 may be heated by applying heated gas to the compressor 341 from the gas ejection section 331 of the hardening section 33. Heating of the compressor 341 may be carried out by various other means. The tip portion (i.e., the lower end) of the compressor 341 that directly contacts and presses the conductive paste is heated and maintained at, for example, 160°C to 180°C. The temperature of the tip portion of the compressor 341 may be appropriately changed depending on the type of conductive paste and the amount of conductive paste applied to the substrate 9.

[0033] The removal unit 35 irradiates a laser onto the portion of the conductive paste that has protruded around the defective portion 94 after being pressed by the compression unit 34, and removes the protruding portion from the substrate 9.

[0034] On the substrate 9, the excess conductive paste that has spilled out from the defective area 94 is irradiated with a laser, and the excess conductive paste is removed by laser ablation. Specifically, in a plan view, the conductive paste that has spilled out to the side of the defective area 94 is removed by laser irradiation from the removal unit 35. In addition, any excess conductive paste adhering to the existing pattern element 931 in the vicinity of the defective area 94 is also removed by laser irradiation from the removal unit 35. The laser light source 351 is, for example, an LD (Laser Diode). Note that the laser light source 351 may be a light source other than an LD.

[0035] The imaging device 352 is positioned on the (+Z) side of the optical element 353 and images the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 via the optical element 353. Specifically, illumination light is shone onto the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 from an illumination light source (not shown), and the illumination light reflected from the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9 (i.e., reflected light) is transmitted through the optical element 353 and received by the imaging device 352. The image acquired by the imaging device 352 is sent to the control unit 8 (see Figure 1) and compared with design data such as CAD data of the wiring pattern that is stored in the control unit 8 beforehand. In the control unit 8, the laser irradiation area of ​​the removal unit 35 on the substrate 9 is controlled based on the comparison result between the image and the design data, so that other pattern elements 931 adjacent to the pattern element 931 having a defect 94 are not mistakenly removed by the removal unit 35.

[0036] In the repair apparatus 1, before the conductive paste is applied by the application unit 32, a laser emitted from the laser light source 351 can be used to irradiate the area near the defect 94 of the pattern element 931 having the defect 94, thereby performing a pretreatment to remove the metal oxide film (for example, a thin film of copper oxide) present on the surface of that area.

[0037] Next, the process of repairing the damaged portion 94 by the repair device 1 will be explained with reference to Figures 3 to 9. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the repair process for the damaged portion 94. Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8 are enlarged side views showing a part of the repair head 3 in the repair device 1 during the repair of the damaged portion 94. In Figures 4, 5, 7, and 8, similar to Figure 2, the head cover 31 of the repair head 3 is drawn in cross-section, and the internal structure of the head cover 31 is shown with solid lines. Figures 6 and 9 are plan views showing a part of the substrate 9 during the repair of the damaged portion 94.

[0038] When a defective portion 94 is repaired by the repair device 1, first, the substrate 9 is inspected by an inspection device (not shown) to obtain the position of the defective portion 94 on the substrate 9 (i.e., the coordinates of the defective portion 94) present in the pattern 93. The position information of the defective portion 94 obtained by the inspection device is sent from the inspection device to the repair device 1 and stored in the control unit 8 (see Figure 1). The number of defective portions 94 whose position information is stored in the control unit 8 may be one or multiple.

[0039] The defective portion 94 whose positional information is stored in the control unit 8 is not limited to the open defect described above, but may also be a chipped defect or a worn defect. A chipped defect is a defect in which, in a part of the pattern element 931, only the upper part of the portion is missing, making the thickness of the pattern element 931 thinner than the surrounding area. A worn defect is a defect in which, in a part of the pattern element 931, a portion in the width direction of the portion is missing, making the width of the pattern element 931 thinner than the surrounding area when viewed from above. In the following description, the defective portion 94 will be described as an open defect.

[0040] Next, the substrate 9, which has been inspected by the inspection device described above, is transported to the repair device 1 shown in Figure 1 and held by the substrate holding unit 21 (step S11). Once the substrate 9 is held, the control unit 8 controls the movement mechanism 22 (see Figure 1) based on the position information of the defective portion 94, and the repair head 3 is positioned above the defective portion 94. Specifically, as shown in Figure 4, the substrate 9 moves relative to the repair head 3 so that the optical axis J1 of the removal unit 35 (i.e., the optical axis J1 of the laser emitted from the laser light source 351) overlaps with the defective portion 94.

[0041] Then, a laser emitted from the laser light source 351 is irradiated onto the area of ​​the pattern element 931 having the defect 94, thereby performing a pretreatment to remove the metal oxide film (for example, a thin film of copper oxide) present on the surface of that area (step S12). In step S12, in particular, the laser is irradiated onto the end face of the pattern element 931 that constitutes the defect 94, and the metal oxide film on that end face is removed.

[0042] Once the above-described pre-processing is complete, the substrate 9 is moved relative to the repair head 3 by the moving mechanism 22, so that the dispenser 321 of the application unit 32 is positioned vertically above the defect 94. Then, as shown in Figure 5, droplets of conductive paste are applied from the dispenser 321 to the defect 94, and the conductive paste 96 is filled into the defect 94 (step S13). Since the droplets of conductive paste 96 are larger than the defect 94 of the pattern element 931, as shown in Figure 6, the conductive paste 96 spreads around the defect 94 and adheres to the substrate 95. The shape of the conductive paste 96 in the state dropped on the substrate 9 is, for example, approximately circular with a diameter of about 50 μm in a plan view. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the conductive paste 96 is raised on the (+Z) side of the defect 94 (i.e., above the upper surface of the pattern element 931 near the defect 94).

[0043] Once the application of the conductive paste 96 is complete, heated gas is ejected from the gas ejection section 331 of the curing section 33 toward the conductive paste 96 on the substrate 9, thereby heating the conductive paste 96. As a result, the conductive paste 96 dries and hardens (step S14). The gas applied to the conductive paste 96 in step S14 is, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen gas. This suppresses the formation of a metal oxide film on the surface of the hardened conductive paste 96 (hereinafter also referred to as "hardened paste") and the pattern elements 931 near the hardened paste. Depending on the positional relationship between the gas ejection section 331 and the conductive paste 96 on the substrate 9, the substrate 9 may be moved relative to the repair head 3 by the moving mechanism 22 (see Figure 1) between step S13 and step S14 so that the heated gas is suitably applied to the conductive paste.

[0044] Once the conductive paste 96 has cured (i.e., the cured paste has formed), the substrate 9 is moved relative to the repair head 3 by the moving mechanism 22, so that the compressor 341 of the compression section 34 is positioned vertically above the defect 94 filled with cured paste. Then, as shown in Figure 7, the preheated compressor 341 is moved in the (-Z) direction by the pressing mechanism 342, approaching and contacting the cured paste filled in the defect 94 from the (+Z) side. The compressor 341 moves further in the (-Z) direction, heating the cured paste and pressing it toward the substrate 9 (step S15).

[0045] As a result, the hardened paste is crushed and further filled into the defect 94, increasing the density of metal particles (e.g., copper particles) in the hardened paste within the defect 94. The metal particles in the hardened paste then sinter and join together with each other, as well as with the end faces of the pattern element 931, which is the member to be joined. As a result, a repaired portion 97 is formed that fills the defect 94 and is joined to the pattern element 931 where the defect 94 is located. The repaired portion 97 is made of a relatively high-density metal (e.g., copper). Once the compression is complete, the compressor 341 moves upward away from the repaired portion 97.

[0046] Once the repaired portion 97 is formed, the substrate 9 is moved relative to the repair head 3 by the moving mechanism 22, so that the optical axis J1 of the removal portion 35 is positioned to overlap with or near the repaired portion 97, as shown in Figure 8. The imaging device 352 then images the repaired portion 97 and the area near the repaired portion 97 on the substrate 9, and the captured image is sent to the control unit 8 (see Figure 1). In the control unit 8, the captured image is compared with the design data (e.g., CAD data) to identify the area where hardened paste has protruded from the defective portion 94 (i.e., hardened paste that should be removed).

[0047] Subsequently, the laser light source 351 and the moving mechanism 22 are controlled by the control unit 8, and the laser is irradiated onto the cured paste that has protruded from the defective portion 94 of the pattern element 931 (i.e., the portion of the cured paste that does not constitute the repaired portion 97, hereinafter also referred to as "excess cured paste"), and the excess cured paste is removed from the substrate 9 as shown in Figure 9 (step S16). The excess cured paste includes the cured paste that has protruded from the defective portion 94 in a plan view, as shown in Figure 6. The excess cured paste also includes the cured paste adhering to the upper surface of the pattern element 931 around the defective portion 94 (i.e., on the (+X) side and (-X) side), and the portion of the cured paste that overlaps with the defective portion 94 in a plan view and protrudes above the upper surface of the pattern element 931.

[0048] In this way, in the repair device 1, the repair of the defective portion 94 of the pattern 93 is completed when the defective portion 94 is filled by the repair portion 97 and the excess hardened paste on the substrate 9 is removed.

[0049] Furthermore, the repair device 1 may also repair defects other than the missing portion 94 of the pattern 93. For example, if the inspection device described above detects a short circuit defect or a protrusion defect in the pattern, the location information of these defects is sent to the repair device 1. A short circuit defect is a defect in which wiring material is mistakenly applied to the gap between two adjacent pattern elements 931, causing the two pattern elements 931 to be electrically connected against intent. A protrusion defect is a defect in which a part of a pattern element 931 mistakenly protrudes in the width direction, making the width of the pattern element 931 wider than its surroundings in a plan view. In the repair device 1, the removal section 35 of the repair head 3 is positioned above the short circuit defect or protrusion defect, and a laser is irradiated onto the area where the wiring material has been mistakenly applied. As a result, the mistakenly applied wiring material is removed from the substrate 9, and the defect is repaired.

[0050] As described above, the repair device 1 is a device for repairing defects 94 in a pattern 93 formed on the surface (i.e., top surface 91) of a substrate 9. The substrate holding unit 21 holds the substrate 9 on which the pattern 93 is formed on the top surface 91. The application unit 32 applies droplet-shaped conductive paste 96 to the defects 94 in the pattern 93. The curing unit 33 hardens the conductive paste 96 by heating and drying it. The compression unit 34 presses the hardened conductive paste 96 (i.e., cured paste) toward the substrate 9 while heating it.

[0051] This makes it possible to increase the density of the metal in the repaired portion 97, which is provided to fill the defective portion 94. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in resistance in the repaired portion 97 in the pattern element 931 where the defective portion 94 has been repaired. In addition, it is possible to increase the bonding strength of the repaired portion 97 to the pattern element 931 and the substrate 9.

[0052] As described above, it is preferable that the repair device 1 further includes a removal unit 35 that irradiates a laser to remove the portion of the conductive paste 96 (i.e., the hardened paste after pressing) that has protruded around the defective portion 94 after being pressed by the compression unit 34. In this way, by removing the unnecessary portion of the conductive paste 96 (i.e., excess hardened paste) from the substrate 9 using the removal unit 35, the desired pattern 93 shape can be achieved.

[0053] As described above, the curing section 33 preferably includes a gas ejection section 331 that ejects heated gas toward the conductive paste 96. This allows the conductive paste 96 to be cured easily and quickly. Furthermore, it is preferable that the gas is an inert gas, which suppresses the formation of a metal oxide film on the surface of the repaired section 97 and the pattern element 931 near the repaired section 97.

[0054] As described above, the compression section 34 preferably includes a rod-shaped compressor 341 that directly contacts the conductive paste 96 (i.e., the hardened paste) with its heated tip and presses toward the substrate 9. Furthermore, it is preferable that the compressor 341 and the conductive particles contained in the conductive paste 96 are made of the same type of metal. This makes it possible to suppress contamination of the pattern 93 due to contact with the compressor 341 (for example, contamination of impurities).

[0055] As described above, in the repair device 1, it is preferable that a laser is irradiated near the defective portion 94 of the pattern 93 to perform pretreatment before the conductive paste 96 is applied by the application unit 32. This makes it possible to remove or reduce metal oxides present on the surface of the pattern element 931 near the defective portion 94. As a result, it is possible to suppress the increase in resistance at the joint between the repaired portion 97 and the pattern element 931.

[0056] The repair method described above includes the steps of: applying a droplet-shaped conductive paste 96 to a defective portion 94 of a pattern 93 formed on the surface (i.e., the upper surface 91) of the substrate 9 (step S13); hardening the conductive paste 96 (step S14); and heating the hardened conductive paste 96 (i.e., cured paste) while pressing it toward the substrate 9 (step S15). This makes it possible to increase the density of metal in the repaired portion 97, in substantially the same manner as described above.

[0057] In the above example, the curing of the conductive paste 96 (step S14) is performed in an inert gas atmosphere by inert gas ejected from the gas ejection unit 331, and the pretreatment (step S12), application of the conductive paste 96 (step S13), pressing of the cured paste (step S15), and removal of excess cured paste (step S16) are performed in an air atmosphere, but are not limited to this. For example, the application of the conductive paste 96 by the application unit 32, the curing of the conductive paste 96 by the curing unit 33, and the pressing of the conductive paste 96 by the compression unit 34 (i.e., pressing of the cured paste) may be performed in an inert gas atmosphere. This further suppresses the formation of a metal oxide film on the surface of the repaired portion 97 and the pattern element 931 near the repaired portion 97. In addition, the pretreatment by the removal unit 35 and / or the removal of excess cured paste by the removal unit 35 may also be performed in an inert gas atmosphere.

[0058] In the repair device 1, the structure of the repair head 3 is not limited to the example shown in Figure 2 and can be modified in various ways. For example, in the example shown in Figure 2, the compressor 341 and the gas ejection part 331 are spaced apart from each other on the (+X) side and (-X) side of the dispenser 321, but this is not limited to this, and they may be provided integrally as shown in Figure 10. In the repair head 3a illustrated in Figure 10, instead of the gas ejection part 331 shown in Figure 2, a substantially cylindrical gas ejection part 331a is provided around the compressor 341. The gas ejection part 331a surrounds the substantially cylindrical compressor 341 almost all the way around. Note that the shape, material and arrangement of the compressor 341 in Figure 10 are substantially the same as those in Figure 2.

[0059] Inside the gas outlet section 331a, there is a substantially cylindrical gas passage 332a that makes direct contact with the outer surface of the compressor 341 over almost its entire circumference and extends substantially parallel to the longitudinal direction of the compressor 341. At the lower end of the gas passage 332a, there is a substantially annular gas outlet 333a. The gas outlet 333a surrounds the compressor 341 over almost its entire circumference and makes direct contact with the outer surface of the compressor 341. The gas outlet 333a is located above the tip (i.e., the lower end) of the compressor 341.

[0060] The high-temperature gas ejected from the gas nozzle 333a flows downward (i.e., towards the (-Z) side) along the outer surface of the compressor 341, heating the tip of the compressor 341 and being applied to the conductive paste 96 on the substrate 9. As a result, the conductive paste 96 is heated and dried, causing it to harden. The compressor 341 is also heated by contact with the heated gas flowing through the gas channel 332a inside the gas nozzle 331a.

[0061] As described above, in the repair head 3a, the compression section 34 includes a rod-shaped compressor 341 that directly contacts the conductive paste 96 with its heated tip and presses it toward the substrate 9. The gas ejection section 331a includes a gas nozzle 333a positioned around the compressor 341. The tip of the compressor 341 is heated by the gas ejected from the gas nozzle 333a along the compressor 341.

[0062] In the repair head 3a, the structure of the repair head 3a can be simplified by combining the curing section 33, which hardens the conductive paste 96, with the configuration for heating the tip of the compressor 341. Furthermore, the repair head 3a can be miniaturized by integrally providing the compressor 341 and the gas ejection section 331a. Therefore, the structure of the repair device 1 on which the repair head 3a is provided can be simplified, and the repair device 1 can also be miniaturized.

[0063] In the repair device 1, the hardening section 33 does not necessarily need to be equipped with gas ejection sections 331 and 331a that eject high-temperature gas; the conductive paste 96 may be hardened by heating and drying it using other methods. For example, in step S14 described above, the compressor 341 is lowered by the pressing mechanism 342 and approaches the conductive paste 96 applied to the substrate 9, and the tip of the preheated compressor 341 may be positioned close to the conductive paste 96 while being spaced upward from the conductive paste 96, as shown in Figure 11. Then, the conductive paste 96 is heated and dried by radiant heat from the tip of the compressor 341, thereby hardening. In this case, in the repair head 3b illustrated in Figure 11, the gas ejection section 331 shown in Figure 2, etc., may be omitted.

[0064] As described above, in the repair head 3b, the compression section 34 includes a rod-shaped compressor 341 that directly contacts the conductive paste 96 with its heated tip and presses it toward the substrate 9. The hardening section 33 shares the compressor 341 with the compression section 34. When the heated tip of the compressor 341 is separated from the conductive paste 96, the conductive paste 96 hardens due to radiant heat from the tip.

[0065] In the repair head 3b, the structure of the repair head 3b can be simplified by having the compressor 341 also serve the purpose of curing the conductive paste 96. Furthermore, the repair head 3b can be made smaller compared to the case where a curing section 33 is provided separately from the compressor 341. Therefore, the structure of the repair device 1 in which the repair head 3b is provided can be simplified, and the repair device 1 can also be made smaller.

[0066] As shown in Figure 12, the repair device 1 may be used in combination with the inspection device 6 as a defect processing system 10. The defect processing system 10 is a system that detects and repairs defects in patterns formed on the surface of the substrate 9.

[0067] The repair apparatus 1 illustrated in Figure 12 has a similar structure to the repair apparatus 1 shown in Figure 2. The inspection apparatus 6 illustrated in Figure 12 is an apparatus for inspecting a substrate 9 having a pattern on its surface. The inspection apparatus 6 comprises a substrate holding section 621, a moving mechanism 622, an imaging head 63, and a control unit 8a. The moving mechanism 622 comprises a first moving mechanism 623 and a second moving mechanism 624. The structure and shape of the substrate holding section 621, the moving mechanism 622, the first moving mechanism 623, and the second moving mechanism 624 are substantially the same as those of the substrate holding section 21, the moving mechanism 22, the first moving mechanism 23, and the second moving mechanism 24 of the repair apparatus 1, respectively. The substrate holding section 621 holds the substrate 9 by supporting it from below. The moving mechanism 622 moves the substrate holding section 621 relative to the imaging head 63 in a horizontal direction (i.e., a direction substantially parallel to the upper surface 91 of the substrate 9).

[0068] The substrate holder 621, the moving mechanism 622, and the imaging head 63 are arranged on a roughly rectangular base 611. Specifically, the first moving mechanism 623 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 611 (i.e., the main surface on the (+Z) side), and the substrate holder 621 is supported from below by the first moving mechanism 623. A gate-shaped support section 612 (a so-called gantry) is erected on the upper surface of the base 611, straddling the substrate holder 621 and the first moving mechanism 623. The imaging head 63 is mounted so as to be movable in the X direction relative to the girder section 613 of the support section 612 that extends in the X direction. The second moving mechanism 624 is provided on the girder section 613 of the support section 612 and moves the imaging head 63 linearly in the X direction.

[0069] The imaging head 63 comprises a head cover 631 and an image acquisition unit 632. The image acquisition unit 632 is located inside the head cover 631. The image acquisition unit 632 emits illumination light toward the substrate 9 and receives the reflected light from the substrate 9 with an imaging sensor or the like, thereby imaging the substrate 9 and acquiring an image of the substrate under inspection.

[0070] Figure 13 shows the configuration of the control unit 8a. The control unit 8a has the configuration of a general computer system, including a CPU 81, a GPU 82, a ROM 83, a RAM 84, a fixed disk 85, a display 86, an input unit 87, a reader 88, a communication unit 89, and a bus 80. The CPU 81 performs various calculations. The GPU 82 performs various calculations related to image processing. The ROM 83 stores the basic program. The RAM 84 stores various information. The fixed disk 85 stores information. The display 86 is a display unit that displays various information such as images.

[0071] The input unit 87 includes a keyboard 87a and a mouse 87b that accept input from the operator. The reader 88 reads information from a computer-readable recording medium 881 such as an optical disk, magnetic disk, magneto-optical disk, or memory card. The display 86, keyboard 87a, mouse 87b, and reader 88 are connected to the bus 80 via an interface I / F. The communication unit 89 sends and receives signals to and from external devices of the control unit 8a. The bus 80 is a signal circuit that connects the CPU 81, GPU 82, ROM 83, RAM 84, fixed disk 85, display 86, input unit 87, reader 88, and communication unit 89.

[0072] In the control unit 8a, program 882 is read in advance from the recording medium 881 via the reader 88 and stored in the fixed disk 85. Program 882 may also be stored in the fixed disk 85 via a network. The CPU 81 and GPU 82 perform arithmetic processing using RAM 84 and the fixed disk 85 according to program 882. The CPU 81 and GPU 82 function as arithmetic units in the control unit 8a. Other configurations besides the CPU 81 and GPU 82 that function as arithmetic units may also be employed.

[0073] Figure 14 shows the functional configuration realized by the control unit 8a executing calculations and other processing according to the program 882. Figure 14 also shows the configuration other than the control unit 8a. The control unit 8a comprises a storage unit 801, a defect detection unit 802, and an output unit 803. All or part of these functions may be realized by dedicated electrical circuits. Alternatively, these functions may be realized by multiple computers. The storage unit 801 is mainly realized by RAM 33 and a fixed disk 85. The defect detection unit 802 and the output unit 803 are realized by a CPU 81, GPU 82, ROM 83, RAM 84, a fixed disk 85, and their peripheral configurations.

[0074] In the defect processing system 10 shown in Figure 12, first, the substrate 9 is brought into the inspection device 6 and held by the substrate holding unit 621. Next, the substrate 9 is moved relative to the imaging head 63 by the moving mechanism 622, and the image under inspection is acquired by the image acquisition unit 632. The image under inspection acquired by the image acquisition unit 632 is sent to the control unit 8a and stored in the storage unit 801 shown in Figure 14.

[0075] Next, the defect detection unit 802 detects the missing portion 94 (see Figure 2) of the pattern 93 on the substrate 9 based on the image under inspection. The detection of the missing portion 94 by the defect detection unit 802 may be performed by various known methods. For example, the missing portion 94 may be detected by rule-based inspection, or by inspection using a trained model. Alternatively, the missing portion 94 may be detected by sequentially performing rule-based inspection and inspection using a trained model. The trained model is generated in advance by machine learning and stored in the memory unit 801.

[0076] In the control unit 8a, the position information of the defective portion 94 detected by the defect detection unit 802 is output to the control unit 8 of the repair device 1 by the output unit 803. In the repair device 1, the movement mechanism 22 and the repair head 3, etc. are controlled by the control unit 8 based on the position information of the defective portion 94, thereby performing the steps S11 to S16 described above and repairing the defective portion 94.

[0077] As described above, the defect processing system 10 comprises an inspection device 6 and a repair device 1. The inspection device 6 inspects a substrate 9 having a pattern 93 on its surface (i.e., the top surface 91). The inspection device 6 comprises an image acquisition unit 632, a defect detection unit 802, and an output unit 803. The image acquisition unit 632 captures an image of the substrate 9 to acquire an image under inspection. The defect detection unit 802 detects a missing portion 94 of the pattern 93 based on the image under inspection. The output unit 803 outputs the position information of the missing portion 94 detected by the defect detection unit 802 to the repair device 1. The repair device 1 repairs the missing portion 94 based on the position information of the missing portion 94 output from the output unit 803. This allows for efficient detection and repair of the missing portion 94.

[0078] Next, a defect processing device 100 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 15 is a side view showing the configuration of the defect processing device 100. The defect processing device 100 is a device that detects and repairs defects in a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate 9.

[0079] The defect processing device 100 illustrated in Figure 15 further includes the imaging head 63 of the inspection device 6 shown in Figure 12, in addition to the components of the repair device 1 shown in Figure 2. Furthermore, the defect processing device 100 includes a control unit 8b instead of the control unit 8 shown in Figure 2. The other components of the defect processing device 100 are substantially the same as those of the repair device 1 shown in Figure 2, and in the following description, the same reference numerals are used for components corresponding to those of the repair device 1.

[0080] The imaging head 63 is supported together with the repair head 3 by the support unit 12. The imaging head 63 is moved in the X direction by the second moving mechanism 24. The imaging head 63 can move independently of the movement of the repair head 3. The control unit 8b has the same configuration as the control unit 8a shown in Figure 13, including a general computer system configuration that includes a CPU, GPU, ROM, RAM, fixed disk, display, input unit, reader, communication unit, and bus. The control unit 8b implements the functions realized by the control unit 8 described above, and the functions realized by the control unit 8a (see Figure 14). The control unit 8b controls each component, such as the moving mechanism 22, the repair head 3, and the imaging head 63.

[0081] In the defect processing device 100, first, the substrate 9 is brought in and held by the substrate holding unit 21. Next, the imaging head 63 is moved in the X direction by the second moving mechanism 24 of the moving mechanism 22 and positioned above the substrate 9. At this time, the repair head 3 is positioned in the retracted position on the (-X) side of the support unit 12 so as not to overlap with the substrate 9 in a plan view. Then, the substrate 9 is moved relative to the imaging head 63 by the first moving mechanism 23 and the second moving mechanism 24, and the image under inspection is acquired by the image acquisition unit 632. The image under inspection acquired by the image acquisition unit 632 is sent to the control unit 8b and stored in the storage unit 801 (see Figure 14).

[0082] Next, the defect detection unit 802 (see Figure 14) detects the missing portion 94 (see Figure 2) of the pattern 93 on the substrate 9 based on the image under inspection, in substantially the same manner as described above. The detection of the missing portion 94 by the defect detection unit 802 may be performed by various known methods as described above. In the control unit 8b, the position information of the missing portion 94 detected by the defect detection unit 802 is stored in the storage unit 801.

[0083] Once the detection of the defective portion 94 is complete, the imaging head 63 is moved in the (+X) direction by the second movement mechanism 24 of the movement mechanism 22 and positioned in the retracted position on the (+X) side of the support portion 12. The repair head 3 is also moved in the (+X) direction by the second movement mechanism 24 and positioned above the substrate 9. Then, based on the position information of the defective portion 94 stored in the memory unit 801, steps S11 to S16 described above are performed and the defective portion 94 is repaired.

[0084] As described above, the defect processing device 100 comprises a repair device 1, an image acquisition unit 632, and a defect detection unit 802. The image acquisition unit 632 captures an image of the substrate 9 held in the substrate holding unit 21 of the repair device 1 to acquire an image of the substrate under inspection. The defect detection unit 802 detects the missing portion 94 of the pattern 93 based on the image of the substrate under inspection. Then, based on the position information of the missing portion 94 detected by the defect detection unit 802, the missing portion 94 is repaired. This allows for efficient detection and repair of the missing portion 94.

[0085] Various modifications are possible to the repair device 1, defect processing system 10, defect processing device 100, and repair method described above.

[0086] For example, in the defect processing device 100, the imaging head 63 may be supported by a support part different from the support part 12 that supports the repair head 3, and may be movable by a movement mechanism different from the second movement mechanism 24 that moves the repair head 3.

[0087] In the pretreatment step S12 described above, it is not necessarily required that the laser irradiation be performed by the removal unit 35; the laser irradiation may be performed by a configuration other than the removal unit 35.

[0088] In steps S11 to S16 described above, the pretreatment in step S12 may be omitted. Also, if the cured paste (i.e., the cured conductive paste 96) has hardly protruded from the defect 94, the removal of excess cured paste in step S16 may be omitted.

[0089] The compressor 341 may be formed from a different type of metal than the conductive particles contained in the conductive paste, or from a non-metallic material (e.g., ceramics).

[0090] The gas ejected from the gas ejection port 331 may be a gas other than an inert gas (for example, air).

[0091] The curing of the conductive paste is not limited to the application of heated gas to the conductive paste and the application of radiant heat from the tip of the compressor 341, but may be carried out by various other means.

[0092] The substrate 9 described above is not necessarily limited to a printed circuit board. The repair device 1 may, for example, repair defects in patterns on semiconductor substrates, substrates for semiconductor packages, glass substrates for flat panel display devices such as liquid crystal displays and plasma displays, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for solar panels, etc.

[0093] The configurations in the above embodiments and each modified example may be combined as appropriate, as long as they do not contradict each other. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] 1. Repair device 6. Inspection equipment 9 circuit boards 10. Defect Processing System 21 Board holding part 32 Granting section 33 Hardened part 34 Compression section 35 Removal part 91 Top surface (of the circuit board) 93 patterns 94 Defective part 96 Conductive paste 100 Defect Processing Unit 331,331a Gas ejection section 333a Gas nozzle 341 Compressor 632 Image acquisition unit 802 Defect detection unit 803 Output section S11~S16 Step

Claims

1. A repair device for repairing defects in patterns formed on the surface of a substrate, A substrate holding part that holds a substrate on which a pattern is formed on the surface, An applicator for applying droplet-shaped conductive paste to the missing portion of the pattern, A hardened portion which is cured by heating and drying the conductive paste, A compression unit that heats the hardened conductive paste and presses it toward the substrate, A repair device equipped with [a specific feature / feature].

2. A repair device according to claim 1, A repair device further comprising a removal unit that removes the portion of the conductive paste that has protruded around the defective area after being pressed by the compression unit by irradiating it with a laser.

3. A repair device according to claim 1, The repair device comprises a hardening section equipped with a gas ejection section that ejects heated gas toward the conductive paste.

4. A repair device according to claim 3, The aforementioned gas is an inert gas; repair device.

5. A repair device according to claim 3, The compression section comprises a rod-shaped compressor that directly contacts the conductive paste with its heated tip and presses it toward the substrate. The gas ejection section comprises a gas nozzle arranged around the compressor, A repair device in which the tip of the compressor is heated by the gas ejected from the gas nozzle along the compressor.

6. A repair device according to claim 1, The compression section comprises a rod-shaped compressor that directly contacts the conductive paste with its heated tip and presses it toward the substrate. The hardening section shares the compressor with the compression section, A repair device in which the heated tip of the compressor is separated from the conductive paste, and the conductive paste hardens due to radiant heat from the tip.

7. A repair device according to claim 1, The compression section comprises a rod-shaped compressor that directly contacts the conductive paste with its heated tip and presses it toward the substrate. A repair device in which the compressor and the conductive particles contained in the conductive paste are formed from the same type of metal.

8. A repair device according to claim 1, A repair apparatus in which the application of the conductive paste by the application unit, the curing of the conductive paste by the curing unit, and the pressing of the conductive paste by the compression unit are performed in an inert gas atmosphere.

9. A repair device according to claim 1, A repair apparatus in which a laser is irradiated near the defective portion of the pattern to perform pretreatment before the conductive paste is applied by the application unit.

10. A defect processing system that detects and repairs defects in patterns formed on the surface of a substrate, An inspection device for inspecting substrates having patterns on their surface, A repair device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, Equipped with, The inspection device, An image acquisition unit that captures an image of the substrate to obtain an image of the substrate under inspection, A defect detection unit that detects missing parts of the pattern based on the image under inspection, An output unit that outputs the location information of the defective part detected by the defect detection unit to the repair device, Equipped with, The repair device is a defect processing system that repairs the defective part based on the position information of the defective part output from the output unit.

11. A defect processing device for detecting and repairing defects in patterns formed on the surface of a substrate, A repair device according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The repair device includes an image acquisition unit that captures an image of the substrate held in the substrate holding section of the repair device to acquire an image of the substrate under inspection, A defect detection unit that detects missing parts of the pattern based on the image under inspection, Equipped with, A defect processing device that repairs the defective part based on the location information of the defective part detected by the defect detection unit.

12. A repair method for repairing defects in a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, a) A step of applying droplet-shaped conductive paste to the defective areas of a pattern formed on the surface of a substrate, b) A step of curing the conductive paste, c) A step of heating the cured conductive paste and pressing it toward the substrate, A repair method that includes [this feature].

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