Integrated non-contact cleaning and inspection system and method for electronic components

Abstract

The inspection system for electronic components includes a stand. The inspection system also includes a carrier for supporting the electronic components and moving them to different locations around the stand. The inspection system further includes an inspection device positioned to inspect for defects in the electronic components when they are not supported by the carrier. The inspection system further includes a cleaning subsystem for cleaning the electronic components without any contact between the cleaning subsystem and the electronic components.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] Cross-Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 542,316 filed on October 4, 2023, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety into the present specification.

[0002] The embodiments described in the present specification relate to cleaning and inspection systems for electronic components.

BACKGROUND ART

[0003] Inspection processes are used to detect defects during the manufacturing processes of electronic components at various stages in the manufacturing processes of wafers, panels, or other electronic components. If an inspection system indicates that an electronic component does not meet one or more inspection criteria, the failed component typically needs to be separated from the passed components, which reduces the yield enjoyed by wafer or panel manufacturers.

[0004] The electronic components to be inspected are carried by a carrier and transported to a camera or other device arranged to inspect the lower surface of the electronic components placed in the carrier. To reduce the possibility of failing to inspect the lower surface of the electronic component, a cleaning procedure may be performed on the lower surface of the electronic component.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0005]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

PATENT DOCUMENT 2

PATENT DOCUMENT 3

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0006] One cleaning process involves providing a cleaning mechanism having an air jet positioned to clean the underside of an electronic component while it is placed within a carrier. However, such a cleaner cannot reliably clean the portions of the underside of the device where the closed corners and / or edges of the carrier support the electronic component, due to the obstruction of the air jet at these locations. Alternatively, a brushing cleaner may be provided to perform the cleaning procedure. However, a moving brush unnecessarily requires contact between the cleaning unit and the electronic component, which can damage the electronic component. Furthermore, brush bristles from the cleaning tool can become a source of contamination throughout the system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an inspection system for electronic components includes a platform. The inspection system also includes a carrier for supporting the electronic components and moving the electronic components to different locations around the platform. The inspection system further includes an inspection device positioned to inspect the electronic components for defects when the electronic components are not supported by the carrier. The inspection system further includes a cleaning subsystem for cleaning the electronic components without any contact between the cleaning subsystem and the electronic components.

[0008] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a non-contact cleaning system is provided for cleaning an electronic component during an inspection process of the electronic component. The non-contact cleaning system includes an air knife for ejecting a high-pressure air curtain toward the underside of the electronic component. The non-contact cleaning system also includes a suction block operably coupled to the air knife for removing particulate matter from the area between the air knife and the underside of the electronic component. The non-contact cleaning system further includes an air filter fluidly coupled to the suction block for containing the particulate matter removed from the area between the air knife and the underside of the electronic component.

[0009] A method for inspecting and cleaning an electronic component is provided according to yet another aspect of the present disclosure. The method includes moving the electronic component in a carrier along a platform. The method also includes removing the electronic component from the carrier for inspection of the underside of the electronic component. The method further includes determining whether the electronic component is defective based on the inspection of the underside and classifying the electronic component as pass or fail. The method further includes moving the electronic component to the carrier if the electronic component is classified as pass. The method also includes moving the electronic component to a cleaning subsystem located on the platform for non-contact cleaning of the underside of the electronic component if the electronic component is classified as fail.

[0010] These embodiments, as well as other advantages and features, will become apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] The subject matter considered to be embodiments of the present invention is specifically pointed out and explicitly asserted in the claims of the concluding portion of the specification. The features and advantages of the disclosed embodiments will become apparent from the following detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Figure 1] This is a plan view of an integrated non-contact cleaning and inspection system for electronic components. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the cleaning and inspection system. [Figure 3] This is a cross-sectional view of an electronic component being cleaned. [Figure 4] This diagram schematically illustrates a method for cleaning electronic components using a cleaning and inspection system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Referring to the drawings illustrating the invention with reference to specific embodiments, it should be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely examples of the invention, which may be embodied in various and alternative forms. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, as some features may be exaggerated, reduced, or simplified in order to illustrate the details of certain components. Accordingly, certain structural and functional details disclosed herein and shown in the drawings should not be construed as limitations, but rather as representative grounds for teaching those skilled in the art to employ the invention in various ways.

[0013] Referring to Figure 1, an integrated non-contact cleaning and inspection system is shown, generally referred to as reference numeral 10. The integrated system 10 includes a cleaning subsystem that is directly integrated with the entire inspection system and configured for use in the manufacturing and inspection of electronic components. Electronic components referred to herein may be any suitable wafer, substrate, flat panel for flat panel displays or solar panels, printed circuit board, film layer, reticle, molded part, or any other suitable object. Thus, the term “electronic component” as used herein generally refers to any of the aforementioned objects, but is not limited to them.

[0014] The inspection system 10 includes various components suitable for supporting, moving, and inspecting electronic components relative to the base 12. In particular, the carrier 14 supports the electronic components 16 and is movable in a first direction A. In some embodiments, the carrier 14 may be configured to support multiple electronic components 16 at once. The carrier 14 may be any type of container suitable for moving the electronic components 16 to various locations around the base 12. For example, the carrier 14 may be a tray, a bowl, a metal carrier, a metal boat magazine, a carrier tape, a gel pack, or a diced wafer on a film frame. The above list is a non-limiting list of examples of the carrier 14 and does not limit the carrier 14.

[0015] As an example not limited to this disclosure, embodiments are shown in Figure 1 and described below. A carrier 14 moves along a track 18 mounted on or formed integrally with the base 12. The track 18 extends substantially in a first direction A. In some embodiments, a plurality of tracks 18 having a first track 18a and a second track 18b are provided on the base 12, as in the illustrated example. The carrier 14 is movable along the track 18 to a position close to an optical inspection device 20. The optical inspection device 20 may be any inspection device suitable for detecting defects or features of the electronic component 16 that would lead to classifying the electronic component 16 as unacceptable to the requirements of the inspection system 10. For example, the optical inspection device 20 may be a camera or an automated optical device, but other devices may be used. Regardless of the specific optical inspection device provided, the optical inspection device 20 is arranged and configured to inspect the underside of the electronic component 16 for conditions that are considered defective according to programmed criteria and / or human judgment. In this specification, the underside of the electronic component 16 is described as the surface to be inspected, but it should be understood that this disclosure also envisions inspecting and / or cleaning one or more sides of the electronic component 16.

[0016] When the carrier 14 reaches a position close to the optical inspection device 20, the electronic component 16 is moved from the carrier 14 to a position above the optical inspection device 20 for inspection of the underside of the electronic component 16. The movement of the electronic component 16 from the carrier 14 to the position above the optical inspection device 20 can be carried out using any component suitable for movement in the vertical direction and in a second direction B. For example, the component used to move the electronic component 16 may be called a pick-and-place head. In some embodiments, the second direction B is substantially perpendicular to the first direction A. The direction of movement of the component used to move the electronic component 16 may be linear, such as on an XYZ stage, in some embodiments, and rotational on a circular turret in other embodiments.

[0017] If the electronic component 16 is rejected upon completion of the inspection of the lower surface of the electronic component 16, the electronic component 16 is moved to the cleaning subsystem 22 for cleaning of the electronic component 16. This is different from an inspection system that simply discards electronic components upon a failed initial inspection. The embodiments disclosed in the present specification provide a non-contact cleaning subsystem 22 integrated into the inspection system 10, in an attempt to efficiently rectify inspection failures caused by dust or other particulate matter. In some cases, simply cleaning the electronic component 16 can yield an acceptable inspection result for the electronic component 16. An inspection system that simply discards electronic components after an initial failure can significantly and unnecessarily reduce the yield achieved by the manufacturer of the electronic component 16.

[0018] While FIG. 1 and the related description disclose examples of the type of stage 12 and movement of the carrier 14 along the track 18, it should be understood that various other types of stages and movement systems are within the scope of the present disclosure. In particular, the carrier 14 containing the electronic component 16 may move on the stage 12 two-dimensionally on a longitudinal track referred to as an XY table, or three-dimensionally on an XYZ table. Furthermore, the carrier 14 may be associated with a rotary stage. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the track 18 may not be essential. Due to the different types of stage and carrier movement included in the present disclosure, angular movement relative to directions A and B, as well as vertical movement, are further contemplated, and it should be understood that the movement in the directions referred to as A and B in FIG. 1 is merely illustrative and not restrictive.

[0019] Regardless of the manner in which the carrier 14 is moved relative to the stage 12 and the direction in which the component (e.g., pick-and-place head) that picks up the electronic component 16 moves, a pass (PASS) or fail (FAIL) classification is assigned to the electronic component 16 upon completion of the initial inspection of the lower surface of the electronic component 16. A pass classification leads to the electronic component 16 being returned to the carrier 14 for further inspection and / or processing within the overall manufacturing process. A fail classification leads to the electronic component 16 being moved to the cleaning subsystem 22. In the illustrated embodiment, the cleaning subsystem 22 is disposed at a position on the stage 12 that overlaps with the optical inspection device 20 along an axis parallel to the first direction A and the track 18. Therefore, when classified as inspection-failed, the electronic component 16 is moved in the second direction B from the position above the optical inspection device 20 to the cleaning subsystem 22. Although the cleaning subsystem 22 is shown as being disposed on the stage 12 between the first track 18a and the second track 18b in the illustrated embodiment, the cleaning subsystem 22 may be disposed at any suitable location on the stage relative to the optical inspection device 20.

[0020] Upon completion of the non-contact cleaning of the lower surface of the electronic component 16, the electronic component 16 is returned to the position above the optical inspection device 20 for subsequent inspection. The subsequent inspection again leads to a pass or fail classification, and the electronic component may be sent back to the cleaning subsystem for an additional cleaning step. This process is a loop with a user-definable number of repetitions. Accordingly, this process may be repeated any number of times before a final fail determination is made and the electronic component 16 is discarded.

[0021] Although the initial inspection of the electronic component 16 is described as being performed before the cleaning of the electronic component 16, it is also conceivable to loop the remaining process as described above to clean the electronic component 16 before the initial inspection.

[0022] Although the movement of the electronic component 16 onto the cleaning subsystem 22 is illustrated and described herein, in some embodiments the cleaning subsystem 22 may be moved to a position below the electronic component 16.

[0023] Referring next to Figure 2, the cleaning subsystem 22 is shown in detail. The cleaning subsystem 22 includes a pressurized air source container 24 fluidly coupled to an air knife 26 via one or more air lines and one or more valves. The air knife 26 is positioned to eject a curtain of airflow onto the underside of the electronic component 16 when the electronic component 16 is placed on the cleaning subsystem 22 for cleaning. In this specification, the air knife 26 is illustrated and described as a component used to eject an air curtain for cleaning the underside of the electronic component 16, but other air ejection components may be included. For example, any suitable air nozzle, air jet, etc. may be used. The size of the air knife 26 (or alternative air curtain ejection component) may vary depending on the size of the electronic component to be cleaned and the desired airflow characteristics.

[0024] The air knife 26 is located at least partially within the suction block 28. The suction block 28 is formed by 3D printing in some embodiments, but alternative materials and manufacturing methods are also within the scope of this disclosure. The suction block 28 includes a vacuum chute 30 and a vacuum ejector 32 for removing dust or other particulate matter from areas adjacent to the electronic components 16 during cleaning of the underside. The cleaning subsystem 22 also includes an ionizer 34 and an air filter 36 for dust removal, as described herein.

[0025] The suction block 28 and air knife 26 are supported by a stage 38, which is vertically adjustable to raise or lower the suction block 28 and air knife 26. This ensures optimized cleaning performance for the electronic components 16.

[0026] Referring now to Figure 3, a cross-sectional view of a portion of the cleaning subsystem 22 during the cleaning operation of the electronic component 16 is shown. In the illustrated embodiment, the electronic component 16 is moved over the air knife 26 in a second direction B, as indicated by arrow C, although, as mentioned above, in some embodiments, the movement (or rotation) may be in other directions. In this position, the lower surface 40 of the electronic component 16 is exposed to an air curtain 42 ejected by the air knife 26. An ionizer 34 is connected to the air knife 26 and generates a highly regulated air pressure at a low airflow rate to remove dust from the lower surface 40 of the electronic component 16. The suction block 28, together with the vacuum chute 30 and vacuum ejector 32, ensures a high flow rate at low pressure to extract dust and other particulate matter from the area adjacent to the lower surface 40 of the electronic component 16. In particular, the vacuum components 30, 32 control the overall airflow to move the removed dust from right to left in Figure 3. The air filter 36 is connected in a sealed manner to the vacuum ejector 32 to collect and contain the extracted dust, as indicated by arrow D. Sending the dust to the air filter 36 and containing it prevents contamination of the entire inspection system 10.

[0027] Referring next to Figure 4, the pneumatic operation of the cleaning subsystem 22 is schematically shown. As described herein, the cleaning subsystem 22 includes cleaning operations and dust collection operations. These subprocesses are illustrated together with the relevant components which are described in detail herein. As shown, a pressurized air supply is provided to both subprocesses of the system by a pressurized air source container 24. Valves 50, 52, which may be solenoids or any other suitable airflow regulators, selectively control whether a pressurized air supply is provided to the cleaning operations and dust collection operations. In particular, one or more valves 50 control whether a pressurized air supply is provided to the ionizer 34 and air knife 26 for cleaning the underside of the electronic components 16. Furthermore, one or more valves 52 control whether a pressurized air supply is provided to the vacuum ejector 32 for dust removal and collection operations.

[0028] The schematic diagram in Figure 4 shows a 5.5 bar pressurized air supply and various pressures in the fluid lines between the components of the cleaning subsystem 22. In particular, a pressure of 5 bar is supplied to the valve 52 for the dust collection operation, and 2.2 bar is supplied to the vacuum ejector 32. Furthermore, a pressure of 4.3 bar is supplied to the valve 50 for the cleaning operation, 3.1 bar is supplied to one or more ionizers 34, and 1.7 bar is supplied to the air knife 26. It should be understood that the pressures described above are merely examples and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Specifically, the exact pressure of the air supplied by the pressurized air source container 24 may be greater or less than the 5.5 bar described above. Furthermore, the pressure of the air supplied to each component in the cleaning subsystem 22 may differ from those specified above. Each pressure can be modified based on the specific application.

[0029] Embodiments disclosed herein provide an integrated cleaning and inspection system for electronic components to increase the number of electronic components that pass inspection, thereby improving the manufacturer's yield and profit. This is achieved while avoiding the need for contact between the cleaning components and the electronic components. Brushes or other contacting cleaning components can scratch or damage electronic components and may introduce additional sources of contamination by shedding bristles or other features into the system. The cleaning subsystem 22 disclosed herein requires less maintenance compared to brushing cleaners because it does not require the replacement of motors or brushes. Furthermore, the cleaning process includes dust removal and containment operations to prevent contamination of any component of the overall inspection system. An ionizer is integrated with the cleaning subsystem 22 to provide ESD (electrostatic discharge) safety protection to the electronic components 16 being cleaned and inspected.

[0030] Although the present invention has been described in detail in relation to only a limited number of embodiments, it should be readily understood that the invention is not limited to such disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention can be modified to incorporate any number of variations, alterations, substitutions, or equivalent arrangements that are consistent with the spirit and scope of the invention, although these have not been described herein. Furthermore, although various embodiments of the invention have been described, it should be understood that aspects of the invention may include only a subset of the embodiments described. Moreover, any feature, element, component, or advantage of any one embodiment can be used in any of the other embodiments. Therefore, the invention should not be considered limited by the foregoing description.

Claims

1. An inspection system for electronic components, The stand and A carrier for supporting an electronic component and moving the electronic component to different locations around the base, An inspection device arranged to inspect for defects in the electronic component when the electronic component is not supported by the carrier, A cleaning subsystem for cleaning the electronic component while there is no contact between the cleaning subsystem and the electronic component, An inspection system equipped with the following features.

2. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device inspects the lower surface of the electronic component, and the cleaning subsystem cleans the lower surface of the electronic component.

3. The aforementioned cleaning subsystem is An air ejection device for ejecting a high-pressure air curtain toward the lower surface of the electronic component, An ionizer operably connected to the air ejection device and generating an air pressure adjusted to remove dust from the lower surface of the electronic component, A suction block operably coupled to the air ejector device for removing particulate matter from the region between the air ejector device and the lower surface of the electronic component, The inspection system according to claim 2, comprising:

4. The inspection system according to claim 3, wherein the air ejection device is one of an air knife, an air nozzle, and an air jet.

5. The inspection system according to claim 3, wherein the suction block comprises a vacuum chute and a vacuum ejector.

6. The inspection system according to claim 5, further comprising an air filter fluidly coupled to the vacuum ejector to contain the particulate matter removed from the area between the air ejector and the lower surface of the electronic component.

7. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a track extending longitudinally in a first direction along the base, wherein the carrier moves the electronic component in the first direction along the track.

8. The inspection system according to claim 7, wherein the trajectory along which the carrier moves is located between the inspection device and the cleaning subsystem.

9. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device comprises an optical inspection device.

10. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a pick-and-place head arranged to transport the electronic component from the carrier and to move the electronic component so as to selectively place it on the inspection device and on the cleaning subsystem.

11. The inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a pick-and-place head arranged to transport the electronic component from the carrier and to move the electronic component so as to selectively place the electronic component on the inspection device, wherein the cleaning subsystem is movable along the platform so as to be positioned beneath the electronic component held stationary by the pick-and-place head.

12. The inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the inspection device inspects at least one side of the electronic component, and the cleaning subsystem cleans at least one side of the electronic component.

13. A non-contact cleaning system for cleaning electronic components during the inspection process of the electronic components, An air knife for spraying a high-pressure air curtain toward the underside of the electronic component, A suction block operably coupled to the air knife for removing particulate matter from the region between the air knife and the lower surface of the electronic component, An air filter is fluidly coupled to the suction block and for containing the particulate matter removed from the region between the air knife and the lower surface of the electronic component, A non-contact cleaning system equipped with the following features.

14. The non-contact cleaning system according to claim 13, wherein the suction block comprises a vacuum chute and a vacuum ejector, and the air filter is fluidly coupled to the vacuum ejector.

15. The non-contact cleaning system according to claim 13, wherein the inspection process uses an optical inspection device.

16. A method for inspecting and cleaning electronic components, Moving electronic components within the carrier along the platform, To inspect the lower surface of the aforementioned electronic component, the electronic component is removed from the carrier, Based on the inspection of the lower surface, it is determined whether the electronic component is defective and classified as either pass or fail. If the electronic component is classified as acceptable, the electronic component is moved to the carrier. If the electronic component is classified as unacceptable, the electronic component is moved to a cleaning subsystem located on the stand for non-contact cleaning of its lower surface. Methods that include...

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein the non-contact cleaning of the lower surface includes using an air knife to spray a pressurized air curtain toward the lower surface.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: removing particulate matter from the region between the lower surface and the air knife using a suction block; and confining the removed particulate matter using an air filter fluidly coupled to the suction block.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising repeating the inspection of the lower surface of the electronic component after the non-contact cleaning step is completed.

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