Inspection Equipment

Abstract

To provide an inspection device which can be easily incorporated into an existing production line and exhibits excellent inspection functions. [Solution] An inspection device used in a semiconductor manufacturing line in which an arrangement space is interposed between at least two adjacent processing positions 91 in the horizontal spacing direction, the semiconductor manufacturing line having an installation plate 911 arranged to face the arrangement space at one of the processing positions 91, and a transport means 92 for transporting workpieces between each of the processing positions 91, and the inspection device comprises an image capture 1 attached to the installation plate 911 and having at least two photographing means 11 adjacent to each other in a horizontal lateral direction perpendicular to the horizontal spacing direction, and an illumination unit 2 arranged on the installation plate 911 so as to project light from below the image capture 1 toward the workpiece transported by the transport means 92.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an inspection device for checking the condition of workpieces being processed on a semiconductor manufacturing line. [Background technology]

[0002] The semiconductor industry is one of the most important industries, and in order to improve the quality of its production process, it is important to constantly understand the condition of the processed object, and in particular to identify and remove defective products as early as possible between each step in the production process, thereby eliminating unnecessary processing and contributing to the adjustment of process parameters and improvements in processing methods. On the other hand, although technological development in the current semiconductor industry is rapid, many manufacturers' production lines are already established and in operation, making it difficult to add new inspection spots to production lines.

[0003] Furthermore, the conventional inspection device described in Patent Document 1 is intended to be incorporated into an existing production line, but there is still room for improvement. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Taiwan Patent Publication No. I737207 Specification Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT DISCLOSURE In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an inspection device that can be easily incorporated into an existing production line and that can provide excellent inspection functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an inspection device for use in a semiconductor manufacturing line in which an arrangement space is interposed between at least two processing positions adjacent to each other in a horizontal spacing direction, the inspection device comprising: the semiconductor manufacturing line includes a mounting plate disposed in one of the processing positions so as to face the placement space, and a conveying means for conveying a workpiece between each of the processing positions; The inspection device includes an image capture device attached to the installation plate and having at least two image capturing means adjacent to each other in a horizontal lateral direction perpendicular to the horizontal spacing direction; and an illumination unit disposed on the mounting plate so as to project light from below the image capture toward the workpiece transported by the transport means. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the technology disclosed herein, the inspection device of the present invention is equipped with an image capture and lighting unit arranged as described above, and therefore, while being simple and occupying a small overall volume, it has multiple imaging means and a lighting unit that supports imaging by each imaging means, making it easy to introduce into existing semiconductor production lines. Furthermore, by using the inspection device of the present invention to more accurately grasp the status of workpieces in existing semiconductor production lines, it is possible to improve the production and processing quality of the semiconductor production line without making major changes to the semiconductor production line or building a new one. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an inspection device according to the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an image capture and lighting unit according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 3 is a diagram showing the relative positions of the light source of the lighting unit and the two photographing means in the image capture at an angle different from that in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the operating state of an adjustment means in an image capture. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a function of adjusting a light source of a calibration means in the lighting unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] 1 and 2 show an embodiment of the inspection device of the present invention, and as shown in the figures, a semiconductor production line to which the inspection device of the present invention is applied is, for example, a production line for manufacturing silicon wafers. This semiconductor production line has a number of processing positions 91 where various processing steps are performed in the silicon wafer manufacturing process, and a transport means 92 for transporting workpieces between each processing position 91.

[0010] For easy understanding, only two adjacent processing positions 91 are shown in Fig. 2 among the many processing positions in the semiconductor manufacturing line. As shown in the figure, the two processing positions 91 are adjacent to each other in the horizontal spacing direction D, and an arrangement space 900 is interposed between the two processing positions 91. Furthermore, one of the two processing positions 91 (the processing position 91 on the right side in Fig. 2) is configured with an installation plate 911 arranged to face the arrangement space 900.

[0011] The inspection apparatus in this embodiment comprises an image capturer 1 arranged on a mounting plate 911, and an illumination unit 2 arranged on the mounting plate 911 so as to project light from below the image capturer 1 toward the workpiece transported by the transport means 92. As for the processing at each processing position 91, it is not necessary for a specific processing process to be performed; if it is recognized that there is a particular need for inspection in the semiconductor manufacturing process and there is sufficient space for placement (placement space 900), the inspection device of the present invention can be placed and applied in constructing the mounting plate 911.

[0012] The transport means 92 is specifically configured to transport the workpiece between each processing position 91, and examples thereof include a robot arm and a wafer chuck.

[0013] In this embodiment, a silicon wafer is shown as an example of the workpiece to be inspected, but the workpiece processed by the semiconductor manufacturing line to which the inspection device of the present invention can be applied can also be other products such as glass substrates and printed circuit boards.

[0014] As shown in Fig. 3 and Fig. 4, the specific configuration of the image capture 1 arranged on the installation plate 911 includes at least two photographing means 11 (two in this embodiment) adjacent to each other in the horizontal lateral direction H perpendicular to the horizontal spacing direction D, and an adjustment means 12 fixed to the installation plate 911 and on which the two photographing means 11 are arranged. In this embodiment, each photographing means 11 is a CCD image sensor, and by inspecting and analyzing the image of the workpiece photographed by the photographing means 11, it is possible to determine whether the workpiece is acceptable, should be discarded, or should be modified. In order for each photographing means 11 to reliably photograph the image of the workpiece, the orientation of each photographing means 11 is adjusted by using the adjustment means 12 that rotates about a predetermined rotation axis extending parallel to the horizontal spacing direction D, as shown in Fig. 4.

[0015] Specifically, the adjustment means 12 can be configured to adjust the orientation of each imaging means 11 arranged on the adjustment means 12 by adjusting / changing the relative rotation between the adjustment means 12 and the mounting plate 911 using a slot formed in the mounting plate 911 and a screw that passes through the slot formed in the mounting plate 911 and is fixed to the adjustment means 12.

[0016] It should be noted that the configuration illustrated in FIG. 4 is merely one example for implementing the inspection device of the present invention, and it is of course possible to adopt, as the adjustment means 12, for example, a universal joint, a rail, a robot arm, or a combination of these.

[0017] Referring again to Figures 3 and 5, the lighting unit 2 has a housing 20, a light source 21 attached to the housing 20 and projecting light toward the workpiece transported by the transport means 92, and a calibration means 22 configured to adjust the direction of the light projected by the light source 21. Specifically, the light source 21 used in this embodiment is disposed so as to be located between the image capture 1 and the conveying means 92, and the housing 20 is formed with a light-passing slit 201 (see FIG. 1) that opens toward each photographing means 11 and through which the light projected by the light source 21 passes, so that each photographing means 11 possessed by the image capture 1 can capture an image of the workpiece more clearly through the light-passing slit 201.

[0018] In other words, by configuring an illumination unit 2 that projects light from below the image capture 1 toward the workpiece being transported by the transport means 92, it is possible to save width in the horizontal lateral direction H of the inspection device of the present invention, so that the inspection device of the present invention can be installed in more locations in the semiconductor production line.

[0019] Furthermore, in order to align the direction in which the light source 21 projects light with the direction in which each imaging means 11 is photographing, i.e., to direct the light projected by the light source 21 toward the workpiece being transported by the transport means 92, for example, as shown in Figure 5, a reflective mirror 221 that reflects the light projected by the light source 21 can be configured in the calibration means 22, thereby widening the adjustable range of the direction of the light projected by the light source 21 and making it easier to align with the direction in which each imaging means 11 is photographing, thereby improving the photographing quality of each imaging means 11.

[0020] It should be noted that the configuration using the reflecting mirror 221 shown in FIG. 5 is merely one example of how to implement the inspection device of the present invention, and it is of course possible to adopt other configurations for the calibration means 22 as long as the direction of the light projected by the light source 21 can be adjusted.

[0021] As described above, although the inspection device of the present invention has a simple configuration and occupies a small overall volume, it has multiple imaging means 11 configured and arranged as described above and a light source 21 that supports imaging by each imaging means 11, so it can be easily introduced into existing semiconductor production lines. By using the inspection device of the present invention to more accurately grasp the condition of workpieces in existing semiconductor production lines, it is possible to improve the production and processing quality of the semiconductor production line without making major changes to the semiconductor production line or building a new one.

[0022] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0023] 1 Image Capture 11. Shooting Method 12 Adjustment means 2 Lighting Unit 20. Housing 201 Light passing slit 21 Light source 22 Calibration means 221 Reflective Mirror 900 Placement space 91 Processing Position 911 Installation Plate 92 Means of transportation D Horizontal spacing direction H horizontal direction

Claims

1. An inspection apparatus for use in a semiconductor manufacturing line in which an arrangement space is interposed between at least two processing positions adjacent to each other in a horizontal spacing direction, comprising: the semiconductor manufacturing line includes a mounting plate disposed in one of the processing positions so as to face the placement space, and a conveying means for conveying a workpiece between each of the processing positions; The inspection device includes an image capture device attached to the installation plate and having at least two image capturing means adjacent to each other in a horizontal lateral direction perpendicular to the horizontal spacing direction; an illumination unit disposed on the mounting plate so as to project light from below the image capture toward the workpiece conveyed by the conveying means; An inspection device comprising:

2. 2. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the image capture device is fixed to the mounting plate and further comprises an adjustment device on which the imaging device is disposed.

3. 3. The inspection device according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment means of the image capture device is configured to be able to adjust the orientation of each of the imaging means by rotating the image capture device about a predetermined rotation axis extending parallel to the horizontal spacing direction.

4. 4. The inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the illumination unit includes a light source that projects light toward the workpiece transported by the transport means, and a calibration means configured to adjust the direction of the light projected by the light source.

5. The inspection apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the light source of the illumination unit is disposed between the image capture device and the conveying means.

6. 5. The inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the illumination unit further comprises a housing in which the light source and the calibration means are attached and which has a light passing slit that opens toward each of the imaging means and through which the light projected by the light source passes.

7. The inspection device according to claim 4, wherein the calibration means of the illumination unit has a reflecting mirror that adjusts the direction of the light projected by the light source by reflecting the light projected by the light source so that the light is directed toward the workpiece being transported by the transport means.

Images