US 8,408,379 B2Granted

Parts manipulation, inspection, and replacement

AssigneeCharles A. Lemaire

InventorsArye Malek, Joshua J. Hackney, Franz W. Ulrich

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Abstract

Manufacturing lines include inspection systems for monitoring the quality of parts produced. Manufacturing lines for making semiconductor devices generally inspect each fabricated part. The information obtained is used to fix manufacturing problems in the semiconductor fab plant. A machine-vision system for inspecting devices includes a flipper mechanism. After being inspected at a first station, a tray-transfer device moves the tray from the first inspection station to a flipper mechanism. The flipper mechanism includes two jaws, a mover, and a rotator. The flipper mechanism turns the devices over and places the devices in a second tray so that another surface of the device can be inspected. A second tray-transfer device moves the second tray from the flipper to a second inspection station. The mover of the flipper mechanism removes the tray from the first inspection surface and places a tray at the second inspection surface.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A machine-vision system for inspecting devices in trays, each tray populated with a plurality of devices, the system comprising:

a first input station having a first input elevator configured to hold a plurality of trays, wherein the plurality of trays includes a first tray held at an inspection position of the first input elevator that is above all other ones of the plurality of trays held by the first input elevator, and wherein each one of the plurality of trays has a first plurality of that tray's devices that are yet to be inspected;
a first output station having a first output elevator for holding a plurality of trays;
and
a first machine-vision imager that performs a first machine-vision inspection of the first plurality of devices in the first tray held at the inspection position of the first input station and wherein, upon completion of the first machine-vision inspection, the system operates to then move the first tray, which has the first plurality of that tray's devices that have been inspected by the first machine-vision imager, off the inspection position of the first input elevator and eventually to the first output elevator, and to successively raise the other ones of the plurality of trays to the inspection position of the first input elevator to be inspected by the first machine-vision imager.

1 more element

A machine-vision method for inspecting devices in trays, each tray populated with a plurality of devices, the method comprising:

holding a first plurality of trays in a first input stack of trays, wherein the first plurality of trays in the first input stack of trays includes a first tray in a first inspection position above all other ones of the first plurality of trays in the first input stack of trays, wherein each tray of the first plurality of trays in the first input stack of trays has a plurality of devices that are to be inspected;
performing a first machine-vision inspection of the plurality of devices in the first tray held at the first input stack of trays;
automatically moving the first tray off the first input stack of trays and eventually to a top position of a first output stack of trays;
and
successively raising the other ones of the first plurality of trays in the first stack of trays to the first inspection position and then repeating the performing of the first machine-vision inspection.

2 more elements

A machine-vision apparatus for inspecting devices in trays, each tray populated with a plurality of devices, the apparatus comprising:

first means for holding a first plurality of trays in a first stack of trays, wherein the first plurality of trays includes a first tray in a first inspection position above all other ones of the first plurality of trays in the first stack of trays, wherein each tray of the first plurality of trays in the first stack of trays has a plurality of devices that are to be inspected;
means for performing a first machine-vision inspection of the plurality of devices in the first tray held at the first inspection position;
means for holding trays in a first output stack of trays;
means for automatically moving the first tray off the first stack of trays and eventually to a top position of the means for holding trays in the first output stack of trays;
and
means for successively raising the other ones of the first plurality of trays in the first stack of trays to the first inspection position and for repeating performing the first machine-vision inspection.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/645,500Filed 4 Oct 2012 · division
Priority: 8 Jul 1998
Published: US 2013/0028504 A131 Jan 2013
Granted: 2 Apr 2013
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification13 codes

B07C 5/3422
According to optical properties, e.g. colour: using video scanning devices, e.g. TV-cameras
B07C 5/3404
Sorting according to other particular properties: according to properties of containers or receptacles, e.g. rigidity, leaks, fill-level
G01N 21/8901
In moving material, e.g. running paper or textiles: optical details; Scanning details
G01N 21/95684
Inspecting patterns on the surface of objects: patterns showing highly reflecting parts, e.g. metallic elements

Family

Application60/092,089Us provisional application · filed 8 Jul 1998
Application09/350,251Parent of this division · filed 8 Jul 1999
Application12/099,774Parent of this division · filed 8 Apr 2008
US 7,353,954 B1Parent of this division · filed 8 Apr 2008
Application13/297,227Parent of this division · filed 15 Nov 2011
US 8,056,700 B2Parent of this division · filed 15 Nov 2011
US 2013/0028504 A1Pre-grant publication · published 31 Jan 2013
US 8,286,780 B2Parent of this division
US 2009/0078620 A1Published application
US 2012/0205296 A1Published application
US 8,408,379 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.