Wafer Cutting Imaging Unit With Air-Blown Lens Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing cutting apparatuses suffer from contamination of the objective lens of the image capturing unit due to cutting water mist, leading to degraded image quality and potential contamination of the wafer surface during image capture.
Innovation Solution
Incorporation of a cover lens with a water-repellent surface, a fluid spray nozzle to clean the lens, a fluid removing nozzle to blow away deposited fluid, and a cutting water removing nozzle to clear wafer surface contaminants, along with an extension lens to maintain a safe imaging distance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If a slide plate mechanism is used to shield the objective lens, then the lens is protected from direct cutting water, but cutting water mist enters through gaps and contaminates the lens
Solution Approach 1:
The harmful function of the slide plate mechanism is extracted and eliminated. Instead of using a mechanical shield that requires sliding movements and creates gaps, the patent directly protects the objective lens through strategic positioning and spacing, removing the complex mechanism entirely while maintaining protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
Air is introduced as an intermediary substance to prevent cutting water mist from reaching the objective lens. The air flow acts as a barrier medium that pushes the mist away from the lens, providing protection without requiring mechanical moving parts or creating gaps.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the slide plate is positioned close to the objective lens, then protection is improved, but cutting water deposited on the plate and guide drips onto the wafer surface
Solution Approach 1:
The slide plate and guide structure are completely removed from the system. By eliminating these components, the source of water deposition and subsequent dripping onto the wafer is removed, preventing surface contamination while maintaining lens protection through alternative means.
Solution Approach 2:
Air flow is used as an intermediary to prevent cutting water from reaching both the lens and wafer surface. The air curtain acts as a protective barrier that redirects the water flow away from critical areas, ensuring both lens protection and wafer surface quality.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If regular cleaning of the slide plate and objective lens is performed, then contamination is reduced, but productivity is decreased due to maintenance interruptions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-cleaning through the air flow mechanism that continuously prevents cutting water mist and swarf from depositing on the objective lens. By making the protection active and continuous rather than reactive and periodic, the system maintains cleanliness without interrupting production for manual cleaning operations.
4Measurement precision
If the image capturing unit is positioned close to the cutting unit for accurate imaging, then measurement precision is improved, but the lens is more exposed to cutting water mist
Solution Approach 1:
Air flow is introduced as an intermediary barrier between the cutting unit and the image capturing unit. This allows the lens to be positioned close to the cutting action for high-resolution imaging while the air curtain prevents cutting water mist from contaminating the lens.
Solution Approach 2:
The vulnerability of the lens to mist exposure is extracted and eliminated by removing the need for mechanical shielding. The lens can operate in close proximity to the cutting unit without the protective slide plate mechanism, relying instead on the air flow barrier to maintain cleanliness.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Prevents lens contamination, maintains image quality, and ensures clean imaging by effectively removing cutting water and swarf from the objective lens and wafer surface.
Implementation Method 1
the cover lens has a surface having been subjected to a water repellent treatment
Implementation Method 2
a fluid spray nozzle that sprays a fluid including water to the cover lens
Implementation Method 3
a fluid removing nozzle that blows air to the cover lens to remove the fluid deposited on the cover lens
Implementation Method 4
a cutting water removing nozzle that blows air to the wafer positioned at a position directly under the cover lens, to remove cutting water stagnating on an upper surface of the wafer
Data Source
AI summary
An image capturing unit includes a camera, an assembled lens that is connected to the camera and that magnifies a region to be imaged, a cover lens that covers an objective lens of the assembled lens, a fluid spray nozzle that sprays a fluid including water to the cover lens, a fluid removing nozzle that blows air to the cover lens to remove the fluid deposited on the cover lens, and a cutting water removing nozzle that blows air to a wafer positioned at a position directly under the cover lens, to remove cutting water stagnating on an upper surface of the wafer.