Compensating misalignment of component carrier feature by modifying target design concerning correlated component carrier feature

An apparatus for compensating misalignment during manufacturing of a laminate-type component carrier based on a pre-defined target design, the apparatus comprising:

• an image detection unit configured for detecting an image of a region of interest of a component carrier structure during manufacturing of the component carrier based on the component carrier structure;
• an identification unit configured for;
• identifying a structural feature in the image of the region of interest showing misalignment of the structural feature with respect to the predefined target design;
• and
• identifying the misaligned structural feature in a presently processed layer structure of the laminate-type component carrier structure;
• and
• a compensation unit configured for:
• at least partially compensating the identified misalignment of the structural feature by modifying the target design of at least one correlated structural feature to be manufactured subsequently during manufacturing of the component carrier, wherein the at least one correlated structural feature is correlated to said structural feature showing misalignment, and
• at least partially compensating the misalignment by effecting formation of the correlated structural feature in a subsequently processed layer structure in relation to the presently processed layer structure, of the component carrier structure;
• wherein the apparatus is configured for iteratively repeating the identifying and the at least partially compensating for at least one further layer structure processed after processing the subsequently processed layer structure.

A non-transitory program element stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, which non-transitory program element, when being executed by one or a plurality of processors, is adapted to carry out or control a method for compensating misalignment during the manufacture of a laminate-type component carrier, the method comprising:

• detecting an image of a region of interest of a component carrier structure during manufacturing of the component carrier based on the component carrier structure;
• identifying a structural feature in the image of the region of interest showing misalignment with respect to a target design;
• and
• at least partially compensating the identified misalignment of the structural feature by modifying the target design of at least one correlated structural feature to be manufactured subsequently during the manufacture of the component carrier, wherein the at least one correlated structural feature is correlated to said structural feature showing misalignment,
• identifying the misaligned structural feature in a presently processed layer structure of the laminate-type component carrier structure;
• and
• at least partially compensating the misalignment by effecting formation of the correlated structural feature in a subsequently processed layer structure in relation to the presently processed layer structure, of the component carrier structure,
• wherein the method comprises iteratively repeating the identifying and the at least partially compensating for at least one further layer structure processed after processing the subsequently processed layer structure.

A method of compensating misalignment during manufacturing process of a laminate-type component carrier, wherein the method comprises:

• detecting an image of a region of interest of the component carrier structure during manufacturing of the component carrier based on the component carrier structure;
• identifying a structural feature in the image of the region of interest showing misalignment of the structural feature with respect to a target design;
• and
• at least partially compensating the identified misalignment of the structural feature by modifying the target design of at least one correlated structural feature to be manufactured subsequently during the manufacturing process,
• wherein the at least one correlated structural feature is correlated to said structural feature showing misalignment,
• wherein the misaligned structural feature is a plated through-hole, and the correlated structural feature is an electrically conductive trace and/or a pad.