Apparatus and method for detecting substrates
AssigneeKawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
InventorsMasayuki Enomoto, Masao Takatori, Yohichi Nakamura
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Abstract
The substrate detection apparatus includes: a collimating reflector located on one side of substrates; an illumination unit configured to radiate light in a planar state toward the collimating reflector such that edge portions of the substrates are located in an optical path of the light; an image acquiring unit configured to acquire a passing light image including the edge portions formed on the collimating reflector with the light radiated in the planar state from the illumination unit; and an image processing unit configured to process the passing light image obtained by the image acquiring unit, thereby detecting the conditions of the substrates.
Claims14
A substrate detection apparatus adapted for detecting conditions of a plurality of substrates stored in a cassette, comprising:
- a curved collimating reflector located on one side of the plurality of substrates;
- illumination means configured to radiate light in a planar state toward the curved collimating reflector such that edge portions of the substrates are located in an optical path of the light;
- image acquiring means configured to acquire a passing light image including the edge portions of the substrates as parallel shade portions, the passing light image being formed on the curved collimating reflector with the light radiated in the planar state from the illumination means;
- and
- image processing means configured to process the passing light image obtained by the image acquiring means and to detect length in a parallel direction of the respective parallel shade portions corresponding to the edge portions of the substrates in the passing light image, thereby judging the presence of substrates stored in the cassette which project out from a preset position in the parallel direction, and quantifying an amount of the projection thereof,
- wherein at least some of the parallel shade portions have differing lengths.
A method of detecting conditions of a plurality of substrates stored in a cassette, comprising:
- an illumination step of radiating light in a planar state from an illumination means toward a curved collimating reflector located on one side of the substrates such that edge portions of the substrates are located in an optical path of the light;
- an image acquiring step of taking a passing light image including the edge portions of the substrates as edge portions of parallel shade portions by using an image acquiring means, the passing light image being formed on the curved collimating reflector with the light radiated in the planar state from the illumination means;
- and
- a detection step of processing the passing light image obtained by the image acquiring means by using an image processing means and detecting length in a parallel direction of the respective parallel shade portions corresponding to the edge portions of the substrates in the passing light image, thereby judging the presence of substrates stored in the cassette which project out from a preset position in the parallel direction, and quantifying an amount of the projection thereof,
- wherein at least some of the parallel shade portions have differing lengths.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.