IC Unit Sorting via Multi-Stage Inspection and Flipping
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Solution Overview
Problem
The processing of integrated circuit units is hindered by inefficiencies in quality control and unit displacement during processing, necessitating batch inspection before packaging to ensure compliance with specific criteria.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for inspecting and sorting integrated circuit units involving multiple inspection stations and a conveyor system that delivers units through a picking, flipping, and sorting process, allowing for categorization based on inspection results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If batch inspection is conducted before packaging to ensure quality criteria, then quality control is improved, but processing time and productivity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary inspection actions at multiple stages (first inspection station before picking, second inspection station during moving, third inspection station after flipping) rather than conducting a single batch inspection at the end. This distributes the quality control function across the processing flow, enabling early detection and sorting of defective units, thereby maintaining quality standards while reducing overall processing time by avoiding rework of non-defective units.
Solution Approach 2:
The inspection process is segmented into three separate inspection stations positioned at different locations in the processing flow. Each station performs specific inspection functions (first inspection of units in frame, second inspection during transfer, third inspection of flipped units), allowing parallel processing and continuous quality monitoring without halting the entire production line, thus resolving the contradiction between thorough quality control and maintaining productivity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple inspection stations are introduced for thorough quality checking, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The inspection system uses universal inspection stations that can inspect units at multiple stages of processing. The same type of inspection station (with imaging and analysis capabilities) is deployed at three different locations, each performing similar inspection functions but at different points in the process. This multi-functional approach improves measurement precision through repeated verification while avoiding the complexity of designing three completely different specialized inspection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The conveyor system and unit picker assembly act as intermediaries that transport units between inspection stations, coordinating the flow of units through the multiple inspection points. This intermediary transport mechanism enables seamless integration of multiple inspection stations without requiring complex synchronization or handling systems, as the conveyor and picker automatically manage unit flow between inspection points.
3Loss of time
If units are inspected and sorted during the processing cycle, then loss of time is reduced, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system maintains continuous useful action by performing inspections and sorting operations during the normal processing cycle without interrupting the flow. Units are inspected at three different stages while being transported, and sorting occurs continuously as units are deposited into appropriate bins. This eliminates idle time between inspection and sorting operations, reducing total processing cycle time while the automated conveyor and picker systems manage the complexity of coordinating these continuous operations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for inspecting and sorting a plurality of IC units comprising the steps of: delivering a frame containing said IC units to a unit picking station; conducting a first inspection of said units during the delivering step and recording the subsequent result; removing said units from the frame, and moving said units from the unit picking station to a flipping station; conducting a second inspection of said units during the moving step and recording the subsequent result; flipping said units to expose an opposed face said units; conducting a third inspection of said opposed face and recording the subsequent result, then; sorting said units into categories based on the recorded results from the first, second and third inspecting steps.