Alignment Mark Reference for Precision Surface Measurement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing measuring devices face challenges in accurately determining the measurement position of components, particularly for components with fine surface shapes or sliding surfaces, due to reliance on visual inspection, which leads to errors in repeated measurements.

Innovation Solution

A measuring device that includes an alignment microscope, capturing unit, detection unit, and reference coordinate system creation to accurately specify and store measurement positions, allowing for precise measurement of surface roughness and shape without visual inspection, using a system that captures images and converts them into machine coordinates for repeatable measurements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If visual inspection is used to determine measurement position, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates due to positioning errors

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemeasurement position accuracyVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

An alignment mark is introduced as an intermediary element between the measurement object and the measurement system. The alignment mark serves as a mediator that enables precise positioning by providing a detectable reference feature, allowing the measurement system to accurately locate the measurement position without direct visual inspection of the measurement object itself.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The manual visual inspection process is replaced with an automated image processing system. The detection unit captures images of the alignment mark and automatically calculates its position through image processing, substituting the mechanical/visual positioning method with an optical-digital system that achieves higher precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Reliability

If visual inspection is used to determine measurement position, then the ease of operation is high, but the reliability deteriorates due to inability to repeatedly measure the same position

Engineering Contradiction:

Improverepeatability of measurementVSAvoidoperation simplicity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The alignment mark acts as a reliable intermediary reference that remains consistent across multiple measurements. By detecting the position of this stable reference feature, the system can reliably locate the same measurement position repeatedly, ensuring measurement reliability without complicating the operational process.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The position information of the alignment mark is captured and stored as image data, creating a digital copy of the reference position. This copied position information can be repeatedly used to locate the measurement position, ensuring consistency and reliability across multiple measurements while maintaining ease of operation through automated retrieval.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If visual inspection is used to determine measurement position, then the device complexity is low, but the measurement precision deteriorates for miniaturized patterns

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepositioning accuracy for fine patternsVSAvoidmeasurement system complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

For miniaturized patterns where direct visual inspection becomes difficult, an alignment mark is introduced as an intermediary with larger, more easily detectable features. The alignment mark's position can be accurately detected even when the actual measurement target is too small for reliable visual positioning, thereby achieving high measurement precision for fine patterns.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The limitations of visual inspection for miniaturized patterns are overcome by replacing it with an image processing-based detection system. The detection unit captures high-resolution images of the alignment mark, and image processing algorithms precisely calculate its position, enabling accurate measurement positioning even for very small features that are difficult to locate visually.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Data Source

PatentUS9921401B2Measuring device with alignment and reference position for measurement object

Publication Date: 2018.03.20 SINTOKOGIO LTD

AI summary

A measuring device includes: a placement unit that places thereon a measurement object; an alignment microscope that observes an area including a measurement reference position of the measurement object placed on the placement unit; an capturing unit that captures an image of the area including the measurement reference position observed by the alignment microscope; a detection unit that detects the measurement reference position based on image data of the image captured by the capturing unit; a reference coordinate creating unit that creates a reference coordinate system based on the measurement reference position detected by the detection unit; a specifying unit that specifies a predetermined measurement position of the measurement object in the reference coordinate system created by the reference coordinate creating unit; and a measuring unit that measures at least one of surface roughness and surface shape of the predetermined measurement position of the measurement object specified by the specifying unit.