# US 10,373,330 B2 · Method for predicting location of mark > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,373,330 B2 - Document ID: US10373330B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/405,905 - Filed: 2017-01-13 - Published: 2017-08-17 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-02-12 - Assignees: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Applicants: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. - Inventors: Tea-Geon Kim - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10373330B2 ## CPC - G06T 7/73: using feature-based methods - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - G06T 7/0006: {using a design-rule based approach} - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - G06T 2207/10016: Video; Image sequence - G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer - G06V 10/245: {by locating a pattern; Special marks for positioning} - G06V 2201/06: Recognition of objects for industrial automation - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING ## Abstract A method for predicting the location of mark is performed for a substrate which includes a plurality of electronic device regions each electronic region includes a mark and a reference indication on a first surface and a sawing indication on a second surface opposite to the first surface. The method includes obtaining first and second image information for the first and second surfaces, extracting a sawing line based on the sawing indication in the second image information, calculating a first spaced distance between the sawing line and the reference indication in the first information, calculating a second spaced distance between the sawing line and the reference indication, and predicting the location of the mark based on whether the first and second spaced distances correspond to a predetermined reference distance. The mark is on each of the electronic device regions separated from each other along the sawing line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for predicting a mark location, the method comprising: loading an substrate on a stage, the substrate including a plurality of electronic device regions, each electronic device region having a mark and a reference indication on a first surface of the substrate and a sawing indication on a second surface of the substrate, the second surface opposite to the first surface; obtaining first and second image information based on images of the first and second surfaces; extracting a sawing line based on the sawing indication in the second image information; calculating a first spaced distance between the sawing line and the reference indication in the first information in a first direction; calculating a second spaced distance between the sawing line and the reference indication in a second direction different from the first direction; and predicting a location of the mark according to whether the first and second spaced distances correspond to a predetermined reference distance, the mark included on each of the electronic device regions which are separated from each other along the sawing line. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the substrate includes at least one reference hall penetrating the substrate, extracting the sawing line includes: overlapping the first and second image information based on a position of the reference hall in the first image information and a position of the reference hall in the second image information; and thereafter extracting the sawing line based on the sawing indication. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the substrate includes at least one reference hall penetrating the substrate, calculating the first and second spaced distances includes: after extracting the sawing line from the second image information, overlapping the first and second image information based on a position of the reference hall in the first image information and a position of the reference hall in the second image information. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein calculating the first and second spaced distances includes compensating a thickness of a cutting tool to be used to cut the electronic device regions along the sawing line. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the stage includes: a first transparent plate: a second transparent plate on one side of the first transparent plate; and a driver to move at least one of the first and second transparent plates so that the first and second transparent plates are adjacent to each other, wherein loading the substrate on the stage includes: positioning the substrate on one of the first or second transparent plates; and moving at least one of the first or second transparent plates to bring the substrate into contact with the other of the first or second transparent plates. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the first and second transparent plates includes transparent glass. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein: the first image information is obtained by an imager that is to photograph the first surface of the substrate loaded on the stage while moving in one direction, and the second image information is obtained by the imager that is to photograph the second surface of the substrate loaded on the stage while moving in other direction opposite to the one direction. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein obtaining the first and second image information includes: rotating the substrate by a predetermined angle to change positions of the first and second surfaces after obtaining one of the first or second image information, wherein the electronic device regions are on the surface of the substrate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: after obtaining the first and second image information, unloading the substrate from the stage. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second direction crosses the first direction. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reference indication includes a dot. ### Claim 12 A method for predicting location of mark, the method comprising: loading an substrate on a stage, the substrate including a plurality of electronic device regions, each having a mark and a reference indication on a first surface and a sawing indication on a second surface opposite to the first surface; obtaining first and second image information based on images of the first and second surfaces; calculating first and second coordinates of the reference indication and first and second coordinates of the sawing indication using the first and second image information; calculating first and second distances, each between the reference indication and the sawing indication using their respective first and second coordinates; and predicting a location of the mark according to whether the first and second distances correspond to a predetermined reference distance, the mark included on each of the electronic device regions which are separated from each other. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein: the substrate includes at least one reference hall penetrating the substrate, and the respective first and second coordinates of the reference and sawing indications are calculated from positions of the reference and sawing indications with respect to the reference hall. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein calculating the first and second distances includes overlapping the first and second image information based on a position of the reference hall in the first image information and a position of the reference hall in the second image information. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein: the sawing indication includes a plurality of sawing marks, and calculating the first and second distances includes determining first and second distances between the reference indication and one of the sawing marks adjacent to the reference indication. ### Claim 16 A method for inspecting a semiconductor product, comprising: receiving image information for electronic device regions on a substrate; identifying a sawing line based on the image information; determining a position of a reference indication based on the sawing line; and predicting a location of a mark for at least one of the electronic device regions based on the position of the reference indication and predetermined reference information. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the image information includes: first image information corresponding to a first surface of the substrate, and second image information corresponding to a second surface of the substrate opposing the first surface. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein determining the position of the reference indication includes: overlapping the first and second image information based on a position of a reference hall in the first image information and a position of a reference hall in the second image information, and wherein the saw line is extracted from the overlapped first and second image information. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein: the position of the reference indication includes a first distance spaced from the sawing line in a first direction and a second distance spaced from the sawing line in a second direction, and the predetermined reference information includes a first reference distance spaced from the sawing line in the first direction and a second reference distance spaced from the sawing line in the second direction. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method as claimed in claim 18, wherein the reference hall in the first image information and the reference hall in the second image information correspond to a same reference hall passing through the substrate.