# US 10,504,761 B2 · Method system for generating 3D composite images of objects and determining object properties based thereon > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,504,761 B2 - Document ID: US10504761B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/890,338 - Filed: 2018-02-06 - Published: 2018-08-09 - Granted: 2019-12-10 - Earliest claimed: 2017-02-08 - Assignees: Semiconductor Technologies & Instruments Pte Ltd - Applicants: Semiconductor Technologies and Instruments Pte. Ltd. - Inventors: Ajharali Amanullah - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10504761B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/2518: {Projection by scanning of the object} - H10P 72/0616: {Monitoring of warpages, curvatures, damages, defects or the like} - G01B 11/245: using a plurality of fixed, simultaneously operating transducers ({G01B11/2408 - G01B11/2425, } G01B11/255 take precedence) - G01N 21/95684: {Patterns showing highly reflecting parts, e.g. metallic elements} - G06T 7/0004: {Industrial image inspection} - H10P 74/203: {Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects} - G01B 2210/56: Measuring geometric parameters of semiconductor structures, e.g. profile, critical dimensions or trench depth - G06T 2200/04: involving 3D image data - G06T 2207/30148: Semiconductor; IC; Wafer - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL ## Abstract A 3D object inspection process includes: capturing an object bottom surface 3D profile (a) while an object top surface freely rests on an object seating surface, or (b) without forcibly compressing the top surface of the object against a reference structure distinct from a suction tip; capturing an object top surface 3D profile while (c) the object bottom surface freely rests on the object seating surface, or (d) without forcibly compressing the bottom surface of the object against the reference structure; capturing a plurality of object sidewall images; generating a 3D composite image comprising a 3D digital reconstruction or estimation of the object based upon or using a bottom surface 3D profile image dataset, a top surface 3D profile image dataset, and the sidewall image dataset; and determining a set or array of total object and/or object main body contour values and/or thickness values from the 3D composite image. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for 3D inspection of objects, each object comprising a main body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of sidewalls vertically extending between the top surface and the bottom surface of the object in a z-axis direction, the method comprising: capturing a 3D profile image of the object bottom surface and generating a corresponding bottom surface 3D profile image dataset while (a) the object top surface freely rests upon a first object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compressive forces other than the force of gravity, or (b) the object top surface is held by a first suction tip by way of suction force and forcible compression of the top surface of the object against a first reference structure distinct from a first suction tip is avoided; capturing a 3D profile image of the object top surface and generating a corresponding top surface 3D profile image dataset while (c) the object bottom surface freely rests upon the first or a second object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compressive forces other than the force of gravity, or (d) the object bottom surface is held by the first or a second suction tip by way of suction force and forcible compression of the bottom surface of the object against each of the first reference structure and a second reference structure distinct from the second suction tip is avoided; capturing a plurality of sidewall images of the object and generating a corresponding sidewall image dataset; and generating a 3D composite image dataset corresponding to a 3D digital reconstruction or estimation of the object based upon or using the bottom surface 3D profile image dataset, the top surface 3D profile image dataset, and the sidewall image dataset. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the bottom surface 3D profile image dataset is generated by way of a bottom surface 3D scan line imaging procedure performed across the area of the bottom surface of the object, and the top surface 3D profile image dataset is generated by way of a top surface 3D scan line imaging procedure performed across the area of the top surface of the object. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first object seating surface is planar with respect to the surface area of at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the object, and/or the second object seating surface is planar with respect to the surface area of at least one of the top surface and the bottom surface of the object. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein (a) the object top surface freely rests upon the first object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compression forces other than the force of gravity during the capture of the 3D profile image of the object bottom surface, and (c) the object bottom surface freely rests upon the first or a second object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compressive forces other than the force of gravity during the capture of the 3D profile image of the object top surface. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: while capturing the 3D bottom surface profile, (a) the object top surface freely rests upon the first object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compression forces other than the force of gravity during the capture of the 3D profile image of the object bottom surface, and while capturing the 3D top surface profile, (d) the object bottom surface is held by the first or the second suction tip by way of suction force and forcible compression of the bottom surface of the object against each of the first reference structure and a second reference structure is avoided; or while capturing the 3D bottom surface profile, (b) the object top surface is held by the first suction tip by way of suction force and forcible compression of the top surface of the object against the first reference structure is avoided, and while capturing the 3D top surface profile(c) the object bottom surface freely rests upon one of first seating structure and the second seating structure. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the object comprises a packaged semiconductor device, and wherein one of the 3D profile image of the object top surface and the 3D profile image of the object bottom surface is captured while the object sits in a carrier, platform, or medium having a standardized design with respect to the semiconductor industry and which is used for storing or transporting packaged semiconductor devices. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the standard carrier, platform, or medium comprises one of an industry standard tray, an industry standard boat, or an industry standard tape structure configured for carrying packaged semiconductor devices of predetermined sizes. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein generating the 3D composite image dataset comprises generating each of a bottom surface of curvature image dataset and a top surface of curvature image dataset. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein generating the bottom surface of curvature image dataset comprises: numerically determining an array of (x, y) values that defines a reference bottom surface plane corresponding to the physical bottom surface of the object; and numerically determining z-axis deviations between the bottom surface 3D profile image dataset and the reference bottom surface plane for each (x, y) value within the array of (x, y) values within the reference bottom surface plane. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, further comprising storing the z-axis deviations between the bottom surface 3D profile image dataset and the bottom surface reference plane for each (x, y) value as a bottom surface profile (BSP) dataset comprising an (x, y) array of bottom surface profile values corresponding to physical object top surface non-uniformity relative to the z-axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein generating the top surface of curvature image dataset comprises: numerically determining an array of (x, y) values that defines a reference top surface plane corresponding to the physical top surface of the object; and numerically determining z-axis deviations between the top surface 3D profile image dataset and the reference bottom surface plane for each (x, y) value within the array of (x, y) values within the reference bottom surface plane. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising storing the z-axis deviations between the top surface 3D profile image dataset and the top surface reference plane for each (x, y) value as a top surface profile (TSP) dataset comprising an (x, y) array of top surface profile values corresponding to physical object top surface non-uniformity relative to the z-axis. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein generating the 3D composite image dataset further comprises digitally aligning or registering the BSP dataset, the TSP dataset, and the sidewall image dataset relative to each other, and stitching together the digitally aligned or registered BSP dataset, TSP dataset, and sidewall dataset. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising generating a True Object Main Body Thickness (TOMBT) dataset in which any given TOMBT(x, y) value represents a z-axis distance between the TSP and the BSP within the 3D composite image at a specific (x, y) point. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a Total Object Thickness (TOT) value by way of analysing the 3D profile image of the object bottom surface and the 3D profile image of the object top surface; and determining a largest z-axis distance between a lowest physical object structure in the 3D profile image of the object bottom surface and a highest physical object structure in the 3D profile image of the object top surface. ### Claim 16 A system for 3D inspection of objects, each object comprising a main body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and a plurality of sidewalls vertically extending between the top surface and the bottom surface of the object in a z-axis direction, the apparatus comprising: a set of 3D object imaging or scanning stations configured for imaging or scanning each of the object bottom surface and the object top surface and generating a 3D object bottom surface dataset and a 3D object top surface dataset, respectively, by way of: (i) capturing a 3D profile image of the object bottom surface and generating a corresponding bottom surface 3D profile image dataset while (a) the object top surface freely rests upon a first object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compressive forces other than the force of gravity, or (b) the object top surface is held by a first suction tip by way of suction force and forcible compression of the top surface of the object against a first reference structure distinct from a first suction tip is avoided; and (ii) capturing a 3D profile image of the object top surface and generating a corresponding top surface 3D profile image dataset while (c) the object bottom surface freely rests upon the first or a second object seating surface and the object is not subjected to external compressive forces other than the force of gravity, or (d) the object bottom surface is held by the first or a second suction tip by way of suction force and forcible compression of the bottom surface of the object against each of the first reference structure and a second reference structure distinct from the second suction tip is avoided; an object sidewall scanning station configured for imaging or scanning a plurality of object sidewalls; at least one processing unit; and a memory storing a set of program instructions configured for generating a 3D composite image dataset corresponding to a 3D digital reconstruction or estimation of the object based upon or using the bottom surface 3D profile image dataset, the top surface 3D profile image dataset, and the sidewall image dataset. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the set of 3D object imaging or scanning stations comprises at least one 3D scan line profile imaging apparatus. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the object sidewall scanning station comprises an apparatus configured for simultaneously imaging or scanning multiple object sidewalls.