PIG visual inspection apparatus and method

Abstract

Visual inspection of PIG (Phosphor In Glass) products for electronic components. [Solution] The device includes a main body on which a loading / unloading cassette is installed for stacking multiple PIG products in a stacked structure, a transport module provided for pulling out individual PIG products and placing them on an inspection stage to transport them to an inspection position, a multiple illumination module provided for irradiating with different lighting conditions, an image acquisition module that captures images of the PIG products multiple times in conjunction with the operation of the multiple illumination module and acquires an external image, an image discrimination module that analyzes the image information to determine whether or not there are defects, and a laser marking module that performs laser marking on defective products or defective areas. [Effects] This technology can improve the accuracy and speed of inspections of PIG products. It can also be applied to visual inspection equipment for other materials such as glass substrates, wafers, and ceramic substrates.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a PIG appearance inspection apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a PIG appearance inspection apparatus and method capable of automatically detecting appearance defects such as size, surface defects, cracks, contamination and pattern defects of PIG (Phosphor In Glass) products for electronic components using an optical camera and an illumination system, and marking defective PIG products using a laser.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, with the rapid development of the electronics, information and communication, and IT industries, along with the development of the flat panel display industry such as LCD panels for mobile communication terminals including smartphones, LCD monitors for laptops / notebooks, and LCD televisions for home use, the manufacturing technology of PIG (phosphor in glass) products used in the manufacturing processes of semiconductors, LED displays, and electronic components is also developing rapidly.

[0003] PIG products are used in the manufacturing processes of semiconductors, LED displays, and electronic components, so ultra-precision processing, thermal / chemical resistance stability and durability are required for PIG products. Since such minute defects in PIG products lead to performance degradation and failure of the products, work is performed to confirm the defect status through defect inspection.

[0004] Conventionally, appearance inspection of PIG products has been mainly performed by visual inspection or using a simple imaging apparatus.

[0005] However, the appearance inspection of PIG products according to the prior art not only lacks inspection consistency due to dependence on the subjective judgment of inspectors, but also has the problem that it is difficult to detect minute defects in PIG products, thereby increasing the defect rate.

[0006] In addition, the appearance inspection of PIG products, which relies on manual work, causes a decrease in inspection speed and a problem of reducing production efficiency.

[0007] Therefore, there is a growing need for high-speed / high-precision automated inspection equipment for visual inspection of PIG products. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Registered Patent No. 1719470 of the Republic of Korea (Date of Publication: March 27, 2017) [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The technical problem of the present invention is to provide a PIG (Phosphor In Glass) visual inspection apparatus and method that can automatically, quickly, and precisely detect minute cracks, contamination, pattern defects, etc. occurring on the edges of PIG products, and sort defective products by marking them.

[0010] The technical problems that this invention aims to solve are not limited to those mentioned above, and other technical problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those with ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The aforementioned technical problem is a device for inspecting the appearance of PIG products, comprising: a main body of the device on which a loading / unloading cassette is installed for stacking multiple PIG products in a stacked structure; a transport module provided for pulling out individual PIG products from the loading / unloading cassette and placing them on an inspection stage for transport to an inspection position; a multiple illumination module provided for illuminating the PIG products transported to the inspection position by the transport module with illumination under different conditions; an image acquisition module provided for imaging the PIG products multiple times in conjunction with the operation of the multiple illumination module to acquire an image of the appearance of the PIG products; an image discrimination module provided for analyzing the image information from the image acquisition module to determine whether or not there are defects; and a laser marking module provided for performing laser marking on defective products or defective areas determined by the image discrimination module.

[0012] The multi-lighting module includes a dome-shaped upper light installed below the image acquisition module that illuminates the image acquisition path of the PIG product from the image acquisition module, multiple bar-shaped side lights installed along the lower perimeter of the upper light that illuminate the PIG product in the direction of the PIG product, and a lower light installed on the inspection stage corresponding to the upper light that illuminates the image acquisition path of the PIG product with backlight from the inspection stage. The multi-lighting module is characterized in that it can simultaneously or selectively illuminate with multiple wavelengths, irradiation angles, and intensities using the upper light, side light, and lower light.

[0013] The image acquisition module is characterized by being composed of a line scan camera or an area camera so as to be able to acquire an external image of the PIG product.

[0014] The image discrimination module is characterized by using a deep learning algorithm or a deep learning algorithm combined with a rule-based preprocessing algorithm to determine the size, microcracks, contamination, and pattern defects of PIG products.

[0015] The laser marking module is characterized by either marking the entire defective product on a PIG product or marking only the defective area locally.

[0016] The defective products marked by the laser marking module are separated from the main unit of the device and tracked for management purposes.

[0017] The aforementioned technical problem is an inspection method using the PIG appearance inspection apparatus, characterized by comprising: a transport step of transporting individual PIG products loaded on the loading / unloading cassette to an inspection position using a transport module; an illumination irradiation step of irradiating the PIG products transported to the inspection position using a multiple illumination module with illumination under different conditions; an image acquisition step of acquiring appearance images by taking multiple images of the PIG products using an image acquisition module when illumination is irradiated using the multiple illumination module; an image discrimination step of analyzing the image information of the PIG products acquired by the image acquisition module using an image discrimination module to determine whether or not there are defects; and a laser marking step of performing laser marking on the PIG products or defective areas determined to be defective by the image discrimination module using a laser marking module. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] This invention has the effect of improving production efficiency by minimizing the defect rate while increasing the accuracy and speed of inspections, by constructing a high-speed / high-precision automated inspection structure for PIG products.

[0019] Furthermore, with the automated inspection structure of the present invention, the present invention can not only be widely used for appearance inspection of PIG products used in technical fields such as the manufacturing industry of semiconductors, LED displays, and electronic components, but also has the effect of being applicable to appearance inspection equipment for other glass substrates, wafers, ceramic substrates, and the like. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a three-dimensional view illustrating a PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating the PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a main part of the PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a loading / unloading cassette provided on an apparatus main body of the PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a conveyance module of the PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a main part of the conveyance module shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a multiple illumination module and an image acquisition module of the PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a PIG appearance inspection method according to the present invention. MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, in the description of the present invention, descriptions of already known functions or configurations will be omitted to clarify the gist of the present invention.

[0022] Referring to Figures 1 to 3, the PIG product appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a main body 10 on which a loading / unloading cassette 12 is installed, a transport module 20, a multi-lighting module 30, an image acquisition module 40, an image discrimination module 50, and a laser marking module 60.

[0023] Furthermore, the PIG product appearance inspection apparatus according to the present invention includes a control module 70 for synchronously controlling a loading / unloading cassette 12, a transport module 20, a multiple illumination module 30, an image acquisition module 40, an image discrimination module 50, and a laser marking module 60.

[0024] The main body of the apparatus 10 is provided to form the base frame of the PIG product visual inspection apparatus according to the present invention, and a loading / unloading cassette 12 is installed on it for stacking multiple PIG products 1 in a stacked structure. The loading / unloading cassette 12 is structured to supply the PIG products 1 to be inspected individually to the transport module 20.

[0025] Here, the PIG product 1 is formed in the shape of a disc or a square plate, and the loading / unloading cassette 12 is loaded with a mixture of disc-shaped PIG products 1A and square-shaped PIG products 1B.

[0026] Furthermore, the main body of the device 10 has a structure in which a transport module 20, a multi-lighting module 30, an image acquisition module 40, an image discrimination module 50, and a laser marking module 60 are installed. Therefore, after the PIG product 1 supplied from the loading / unloading cassette 12 is transported to the inspection position by the transport module 20, an inspection process can be sequentially performed, such as acquiring an external image by the multi-lighting module 30 and the image acquisition module 40, discriminating the acquired image by the image discrimination module 50, and marking defective products or defective areas by the laser marking module 60.

[0027] Referring to Figure 4, the loading / unloading cassette 12 is provided to allow multiple PIG products 1 to be stacked in a stacked structure and includes a vertical guide rail 14 and a lifting motor 16.

[0028] The loading / unloading cassette 12 is mounted on a vertical guide rail 14 fixed to the main body of the device 10 so as to be able to move up and down. The lifting motor 16 is installed at the top of the vertical guide rail 14 so as to be connected to the loading / unloading cassette 12. The role of this lifting motor 16 is to move the loading / unloading cassette 12 up and down in the longitudinal direction of the vertical guide rail 14.

[0029] The loading / unloading cassette 12 configured in this way is structured to move up and down so that the PIG product 1 can be pulled out individually by the transport module 20 at the set position. Therefore, the PIG product 1 can be pulled out by the transport module 20 at the set position of the loading / unloading cassette 12 during inspection and transported to the inspection position. After inspection, the PIG product 1 can be pulled back into the set position of the loading / unloading cassette 12 by the transport module 20.

[0030] Here, the set position of the loading / unloading cassette 12 refers to the position in which the PIG product 1 can be pulled out or pulled in by the pickup arm 22 provided on the transport module 20.

[0031] Referring to Figures 5 and 6, the transport module 20 is configured to pull individual PIG products 1 from the loading / unloading cassette 12 and transport them to the inspection position, and includes a pickup arm 22, a transport conveyor 24, and an inspection stage 26.

[0032] The pickup arm 22 is installed on the main body 10 adjacent to the loading / unloading cassette 12. The pickup arm 22 has a structure that allows it to move back and forth in the direction of the loading / unloading cassette 12 so that it can pull out the PIG product 1 from the loading / unloading cassette 12. The role of such a pickup arm 22 is to pull out a single PIG product 1 at a set position on the loading / unloading cassette 12 and place it on the inspection stage 26.

[0033] The conveyor belt 24 is installed to transport the PIG product 1, which is placed on the inspection stage 26, to the inspection position. For this purpose, the main body of the device 10 is equipped with a guide rail 25 that extends in the inspection direction to guide the transport of the conveyor belt 24, and the conveyor belt 24 is installed above the guide rail 25. Thus, the conveyor belt 24 can transport the PIG product 1 from the loading / unloading cassette 12 to the inspection position by the guidance structure of the guide rail 25.

[0034] The inspection stage 26 is installed above the conveyor belt 24. The PIG product 1 to be inspected is placed on the inspection stage 26. The inspection stage 26 is equipped with a vacuum suction device (not shown) to prevent movement of the PIG product 1 during the transport and inspection process. That is, the vacuum suction device vacuum-suctions the PIG product 1 to the inspection stage 26, thereby ensuring that the PIG product 1 is transported to the inspection position or that movement is prevented during the inspection process.

[0035] Furthermore, the inspection stage 26 is equipped with a first guide rail 27 and a second guide rail 28, respectively, to guide the PIG products 1, which are formed in the shape of a disc and a square plate on the left and right sides, to their designated positions on the inspection stage 26.

[0036] The first guide rails 27 are installed on both the left and right sides of the inspection stage 26, corresponding to each other. These first guide rails 27 play a role in guiding the rectangular plate-shaped PIG product 1 to be placed in the designated position on the inspection stage 26.

[0037] The second guide rails 28 are installed on both the left and right sides of the inspection stage 26, corresponding to each other, so as to form a width that is relatively larger than that of the first guide rails 27. These second guide rails 28 play a role in guiding the disc-shaped PIG product 1 to be placed in the designated position on the inspection stage 26.

[0038] Furthermore, the inspection stage 26 is configured to move along the X and Y axes relative to the transport conveyor 24 and to move up and down along the Z axis. This is so that the image acquisition module 40 can acquire an overall image of the PIG product 1.

[0039] Since the image acquisition module 40 is fixedly installed on the main body 10, it is difficult to acquire an overall external image of the PIG product 1 placed on the inspection stage 26. Therefore, the inspection stage 26 is configured to move in the X and Y directions relative to the transport conveyor 24 and to move up and down in the Z direction, so that the image acquisition module 40 can accurately acquire an overall external image of the PIG product 1.

[0040] Here, the transport conveyor 24 is equipped with motors (not shown) that can move the inspection stage 26 in the X-axis and Y-axis directions relative to the transport conveyor 24, with the plane of the inspection stage 26 as the reference point, and a lifting cylinder (not shown) that can raise and lower the inspection stage 26 above the transport conveyor 24 (in the Z-axis direction).

[0041] Therefore, the inspection stage 26 can be moved along the X and Y axes relative to the transport conveyor 24 and raised and lowered along the Z axis when an image is acquired by the image acquisition module 40.

[0042] The transport module 20 configured in this way can pull out individual PIG products 1 from the loading / unloading cassette 12 and transport them to the inspection position using the pickup arm 22, the transport conveyor 24, and the inspection stage 26.

[0043] Referring to Figure 7, the multiple illumination module 30 is configured to illuminate the PIG product 1, which has been transported to the inspection position by the transport module 20, with illumination under different conditions from each other, and includes a dome-shaped upper light 32, a bar-shaped side light 34, and a lower light 36.

[0044] The dome-shaped upper illumination 32 is installed below the image acquisition module 40. This upper illumination 32 has a structure that illuminates the image acquisition path of the PIG product 1 from the image acquisition module 40.

[0045] Multiple bar-shaped side lights 34 are installed so as to be positioned around the lower part of the upper light 32. These side lights 34 have a structure that emits light from the lower part of the upper light 32 in one direction towards the PIG product.

[0046] The lower light 36 is installed on the inspection stage 26 to correspond to the upper light 32. This lower light 36 has a structure that illuminates the image acquisition path of the PIG product 1 from the inspection stage 26 with backlight. In this case, the lower light 36 is configured as a backlight.

[0047] The multi-lighting module 30 configured in this way can provide uniform illumination without blind spots across the entire appearance of the PIG product 1 by simultaneously or selectively illuminating it with multiple wavelengths (white, red, UV, blue), illumination angles, and intensities from the upper illumination 32, side illumination 34, and lower illumination 36 when the PIG product 1 is photographed by the image acquisition module 40.

[0048] Referring to Figure 7, the image acquisition module 40 is configured to capture images of the PIG product 1 multiple times in conjunction with the operation of the multiple illumination module 30, thereby acquiring external images of the PIG product 1. For this purpose, the image acquisition module 40 is installed on the main body 10 of the apparatus and may consist of a line scan camera or area camera having high precision and high resolution to acquire external images of the PIG product 1. Furthermore, the image acquisition module 40 may consist of a variety of known cameras, as long as they can acquire high precision and high resolution external images of the PIG product 1.

[0049] The image acquisition module 40 configured in this way can capture and acquire an external image of the PIG product 1 using either a line scan camera or an area camera configuration.

[0050] Referring to Figure 3, the image discrimination module 50 is configured to analyze the image information from the image acquisition module 40 to determine the presence or absence of defects. For this purpose, the image discrimination module 50 is installed inside the main body of the device 10. Such an image discrimination module 50 may consist of an AI (artificial intelligence) based deep learning algorithm or a deep learning algorithm combined with a rule-based preprocessing algorithm.

[0051] The image recognition module 50 configured in this way uses an AI (artificial intelligence) based deep learning algorithm or a deep learning algorithm combined with a rule-based preprocessing algorithm to determine the size, microcracks, contamination, and pattern defects of the PIG product 1.

[0052] Referring to Figures 1 and 2, the laser marking module 60 is configured to perform laser marking on defective products or defective areas identified by the image recognition module 50. Such a laser marking module 60 is structured to irradiate a laser onto defective products or defective areas of the PIG identified as defective by the image recognition module 50 to perform marking.

[0053] Therefore, PIG product 1 can be distinguished as a normal product or a defective product depending on whether or not it has markings from the laser marking module 60.

[0054] Here, PIG products 1 that are determined to be normal are re-loaded into the loading / unloading cassette 12 by the transport module from the inspection position, while PIG products 1 that are determined to be defective can be separated from the main unit 10 by another process and tracked.

[0055] The PIG visual inspection method according to the present invention will be described below with reference to Figure 8.

[0056] Referring to Figure 8, first, the individual PIG product 1 loaded onto the loading / unloading cassette 12 of the main unit 10 is placed on the inspection stage 26 by the transport module 20, and then transported to the inspection position (S10).

[0057] Next, when the PIG product 1 is transported to the inspection position by the transport module 20, the multiple illumination module 30 is used to illuminate the PIG product 1 with light under different conditions (S20).

[0058] Next, when the PIG product 1 is illuminated by the multiple illumination module 30, the image acquisition module 40 takes multiple images of the PIG product 1 to acquire an external image (S30).

[0059] Next, when the image acquisition module 40 acquires an external image of the PIG product 1, the image discrimination module 50 analyzes the acquired image information of the PIG product 1 to determine the size of the PIG product 1 and whether or not there are defects such as fine cracks, contamination, and pattern defects (S40).

[0060] Then, the defective product or defective area identified by the image recognition module 50 is laser-marked and saved using the laser marking module (S50).

[0061] As described above, unlike conventional technologies that rely on manual inspection of PIG products, the PIG visual inspection apparatus and method according to the present invention can improve production efficiency by constructing a high-speed / high-precision automated inspection structure, thereby increasing the accuracy and speed of inspection while minimizing the defect rate.

[0062] Furthermore, the PIG visual inspection apparatus and method according to the present invention, with its automated inspection structure, can be widely used for visual inspection of PIG products used in technical fields such as semiconductor, LED display, and electronic component manufacturing, and can also be applied to visual inspection equipment for other materials such as glass substrates, wafers, and ceramic substrates.

[0063] As described above, specific embodiments of the present invention have been explained and illustrated, but it is obvious to those ordinary skill in the art that the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments and can be modified and transformed in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, such modifications or transformations should not be understood separately from the technical spirit or viewpoint of the present invention, and the transformed embodiments should fall within the scope of the claims of the present invention. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 10: Main unit of the device 12: Loading / Unloading Cassette 20: Transport Module 22: Pickup arm 24: Conveyor 26: Examination Stage 30: Multiple lighting module 32: Overhead lighting 34: Side lighting 36: Lower lighting 40: Image acquisition module 50: Image Recognition Module 60: Laser marking module 70: Control Module

Claims

1. A device for inspecting the appearance of PIG products, The device includes a main body on which a loading / unloading cassette is installed for stacking multiple PIG products in a stacked structure, A transport module is provided to pull out individual PIG products from the aforementioned loading / unloading cassette, place them on an inspection stage, and transport them to the inspection position. A multi-lighting module is provided to illuminate the PIG product, which has been transported to the inspection position by the transport module, with lighting under different conditions from each other. An image acquisition module is provided to capture images of the PIG product multiple times in conjunction with the operation of the multi-lighting module and to acquire an image of the PIG product's appearance. An image discrimination module is provided to analyze the image information of the aforementioned image acquisition module and determine whether or not there are defects, A PIG visual inspection apparatus, characterized by including a laser marking module provided for performing laser marking on defective products or defective areas identified by the image discrimination module.

2. The aforementioned multi-lighting module is A dome-shaped upper light is installed below the image acquisition module and illuminates the image acquisition path of the PIG product from the image acquisition module, Multiple bar-shaped side lights are installed along the lower perimeter of the aforementioned upper lighting, emitting light in the direction of the PIG product, Includes a lower light, which is installed on the inspection stage to correspond to the upper light and illuminates the image acquisition path of the PIG product from the inspection stage with a backlight, The PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the multi-lighting module can simultaneously or selectively irradiate with multiple wavelengths, irradiation angles, and intensities of light by upper lighting, side lighting, and lower lighting.

3. The PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the image acquisition module is configured with a line scan camera or an area camera to acquire an image of the appearance of a PIG product.

4. The PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the image discrimination module uses a deep learning algorithm or a rule-based preprocessing algorithm to determine the size, microcracks, contamination, and pattern defects of a PIG product.

5. The PIG appearance inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the laser marking module marks the entire defective product or marks the defective area locally on the PIG product.

6. The PIG visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that defective products marked by the laser marking module are separated from the main body of the apparatus and tracked.

7. A method for inspecting a PIG visual inspection apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A transport step in which a single PIG product loaded on the aforementioned loading / unloading cassette is transported to an inspection position by a transport module, The illumination step involves irradiating the PIG product, which has been transported to the inspection position by the transport module, with illumination under different conditions using a multiple illumination module. The image acquisition step involves using the image acquisition module to take multiple images of the PIG product when it is illuminated by the aforementioned multi-lighting module, thereby acquiring an image of its appearance. Image discrimination step: Analyzes image information of PIG products acquired by the image acquisition module using an image discrimination module to determine whether or not there are defects, A PIG visual inspection method characterized by comprising a laser marking step of performing laser marking on a PIG product or defective area determined to be defective by the image discrimination module using a laser marking module.

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