CN114636709A - Appearance inspection device - Google Patents

Abstract

An appearance inspection device comprising: an imaging unit that images an examination area; a robot disposed at one side of the inspection area and moving the target substrate along the y-axis direction so that the target substrate passes through the inspection area; a support structure overlapping the examination region; and a sliding part which is arranged on the supporting structure, and is fixed on the robot to damp the vibration of the target substrate when the target substrate passes through the inspection area.

Description

Appearance Inspection Device

technical field

The present invention relates to a visual inspection apparatus. More specifically, the present invention relates to a visual inspection apparatus using a robot.

Background technique

Flat panel display devices are used as display devices in place of cathode ray tube display devices due to characteristics such as light weight and thinness. As representative examples of such flat panel display devices, there are liquid crystal display devices and organic light emitting display devices.

In the manufacturing process of the display device, in order to determine whether the display module is defective, it is required to perform an appearance inspection on the display module.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide a visual inspection apparatus that saves equipment costs.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object of the present invention, the appearance inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include: a photographing unit, which photographs the inspection area; moving a target substrate in a direction so that the target substrate passes through the inspection area; a support structure overlapping the inspection area; and a sliding portion disposed on the support structure to pass the inspection area on the target substrate During the period, the sliding portion is fixed to the robot to damp vibration of the target substrate.

In one embodiment, the sliding portion may attenuate vibrations in the x-axis direction of the target substrate and vibrations in the Z-axis direction of the target substrate.

In one embodiment, the visual inspection apparatus may further include: a first guide rail disposed on the upper surface of the support structure and extending in the y-axis direction; and a second guide rail disposed on the support structure. on the side surface of the support structure and extend in the y-axis direction. The sliding part may include: a first fastening part, which can be slid in the y-axis direction and fastened to the first guide rail without being movable in the x-axis direction; and a second fastening part, which can be fastened to any The y-axis direction is slid and fastened to the second guide rail so as not to move in the z-axis direction.

In one embodiment, the sliding portion may be arranged on the support structure so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction, and may be moved to the y-axis by the robot in a state of being fixed to the robot. Swipe in the direction.

In one embodiment, the visual inspection apparatus may further include: a speed regulating part arranged on the support structure and controlling the sliding part to slide at a constant speed in the y-axis direction.

In one embodiment, the robot may include: a main body part; a robot arm connected to the main body part; and a substrate holder connected to the robot arm and holding the target substrate.

In an embodiment, the robot may further include: a fixing part connected to the mechanical arm and fixing the mechanical arm to the sliding part.

In one embodiment, the robot may further include a tilt drive unit that is disposed between the robot arm and the substrate holder, and may be adjusted by tilting the substrate holder relative to the robot arm. the flatness of the target substrate.

In one embodiment, after the robot arm is fixed to the sliding portion, the tilt driving portion may tilt the substrate holder to adjust the flatness of the target substrate.

In one embodiment, when the flatness of the target substrate is adjusted, the robot may drive the robot arm to move the target substrate in the y-axis direction.

(invention effect)

The visual inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention may include: a photographing unit that photographs an inspection area; a robot that transfers the target substrate; and a movement control unit that overlaps the inspection area. The robot may be fixed to the movement control unit to move the target substrate in one direction when performing the visual inspection on the target substrate. The movement control unit may control the operation of the robot so that the target substrate does not vibrate in directions other than the movement direction within the inspection area. In addition, the movement control unit may control the operation of the robot so as to move the target substrate at a constant speed. Therefore, it is possible to perform accurate appearance inspection while keeping the flatness and moving speed of the target substrate constant within the inspection area.

However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and various extensions can be made without departing from the spirit and field of the present invention.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a movement control part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a front view showing the movement control unit of FIG. 2 .

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the movement control unit of FIG. 2 .

5 is a perspective view illustrating a sliding portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

6a to 6c are plan views illustrating a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a front view showing the appearance inspection apparatus of Fig. 6a.

Fig. 8 is a side view showing the appearance inspection apparatus of Fig. 6a.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a movement control part according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 10 is a side view showing the movement control unit of FIG. 9 .

(Description of reference numerals)

10: Visual inspection device IA: Inspection area

100: Filming Department 200: Robot

300: Mobile Control Department

110, 120: The first and second shooting modules

210: Main body part 220: Robot arm part

230: Board holder 240: Fixing part

250: Tilt drive unit 310: Support structure

320: Slide part RA1, RA2: First and second guide rails

330: Linear encoder 350: Speed controller

Detailed ways

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. For the same constituent elements in the drawings, the same or similar reference numerals are used.

In the following description, the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis mean three-dimensional directions orthogonal to each other. Therefore, even if only two of the x-axis, the y-axis, and the z-axis are shown in the drawing, the remaining one axis can be naturally derived.

FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a visual inspection apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention may include at least one inspection part. For example, the visual inspection apparatus 10 may include a first inspection part IP1, a second inspection part IP2, and a third inspection part IP3. Each of the first to third inspection sections IP1 , IP2 , and IP3 can perform an appearance inspection of the target substrate SUB. The target substrate SUB may include semi-finished products or finished products of various electronic devices as the target of the appearance inspection.

For example, each of the first inspection unit IP1 and the second inspection unit IP2 can perform the first inspection of the target substrate SUB. The first inspection may be a surface visual inspection. Each of the first inspection unit IP1 and the second inspection unit IP2 can perform the first inspection of the target substrate SUB by photographing at least one of the upper, lower, long and short sides of the target substrate SUB by the imaging unit 100 . The long side surface may refer to the side surface adjacent to the long side of the target substrate SUB, and the short side surface may refer to the side surface adjacent to the short side of the target substrate SUB.

For example, the third inspection unit IP3 may perform the second inspection on the target substrate SUB. The second inspection may be an inspection method for inspecting the appearance of the target substrate SUB relatively more precisely than the first inspection. For example, the third inspection unit IP3 can inspect the appearance of the target substrate SUB more precisely using an optical microscope, an electron microscope, or the like. For example, the second check may be selectively performed according to the result of the first check.

In one embodiment, the first inspection unit IP1 may include a photographing unit 100 , a robot 200 and a movement control unit 300 .

The imaging unit 100 can photograph at least one surface of the upper surface, the lower surface, the long side surface, and the short side surface of the target substrate SUB. In the first inspection unit IP1, an inspection area IA, which is an area imaged by the imaging unit 100, can be defined. That is, the inspection area IA may mean the range of the field of view covered by the imaging unit 100 . The imaging unit 100 can image the target substrate SUB located in the inspection area IA.

In one embodiment, the photographing unit 100 may include a first photographing module 110 and a second photographing module 120 . The first photographing module 110 can photograph the target substrate SUB above the target substrate SUB. The second photographing module 120 can photograph the target substrate SUB at one side of the target substrate SUB. For example, the first inspection area of the first imaging module 110 may be substantially parallel to the xy plane, and the second inspection area of the second imaging module 120 may be substantially parallel to the yz plane, but these are examples, and the present invention is not limited to this. In addition, in the exemplary embodiment, the photographing module may also photograph the target substrate SUB below the target substrate SUB, or photograph the target substrate SUB on the other side of the target substrate SUB.

The robot 200 can hold and transfer the target substrate SUB. For example, the robot 200 may transfer the target substrate SUB provided from the outside so as to be adjacent to the inspection area IA. In addition, the robot 200 may transfer the inspection target substrate SUB to the outside, or may be transferred to another inspection unit (for example, the third inspection unit IP3 or the like).

In one embodiment, the robot 200 may move the target substrate SUB to pass the target substrate SUB through the inspection area IA. For example, the robot 200 may be positioned on one side (eg, in the x-axis direction) of the inspection area IA, and may move the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction. The imaging unit 100 can photograph the target substrate SUB moved by the robot 200 . That is, while the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA, the imaging unit 100 can image the target substrate SUB located in the inspection area IA.

In one embodiment, the robot 200 can adjust the flatness of the target substrate SUB. For example, the robot 200 may tilt the target substrate SUB so that the upper surface of the target substrate SUB is parallel to the first inspection area. In addition, the robot 200 may incline the target substrate SUB so that the side surface of the target substrate SUB is parallel to the second inspection area.

The movement control unit 300 may overlap the inspection area IA. The movement control unit 300 can control the operation of the robot 200 that moves the target substrate SUB so that the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA. For example, while the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA (ie, while the target substrate SUB is in the inspection area IA), the movement control unit 300 may be fixed to the robot 200 to control the operation of the robot 200 .

In one embodiment, when the robot 200 moves the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction, the movement control unit 300 may control the motion of the robot 200 so that the target substrate SUB does not vibrate in the x-axis direction or the z-axis direction. That is, the movement control unit 300 can control the operation of the robot 200 so that the target substrate SUB moves only in the movement direction of the y-axis.

In one embodiment, when the robot 200 moves the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction, the movement control unit 300 may control the motion of the robot 200 to move the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction at a constant speed.

In one embodiment, the second inspection part IP2 or the third inspection part IP3 may have substantially the same or similar structure as the first inspection part IP1. For example, the second inspection unit IP2 or the third inspection unit IP3 may include the imaging unit, the robot, and the movement control unit. In addition, in FIG. 1, although the visual inspection apparatus 10 is shown as including the 1st to 3rd inspection parts IP1, IP2, IP3, this is an example, and this invention is not limited to this. That is, the appearance inspection apparatus 10 may further include an inspection unit that performs various appearance inspection methods for inspecting the appearance of the substrate SUB to be inspected.

2 is a plan view showing the movement control part according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a front view showing the movement control part of FIG. 2 , FIG. 4 is a side view showing the movement control part of FIG. 2 , and FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a sliding portion according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2 to FIG. 5 , in one embodiment, the movement control part 300 may include a support structure 310 and a sliding part 320 .

The support structure 310 may overlap the inspection area IA and be arranged on the ground. For example, the support structure 310 may overlap with the first inspection area IA1 of the first photographing module 110 .

In one embodiment, the support structure 310 may have a gantry structure. Support structure 310 may include struts 311 and horizontal extensions 312 . The pillars 311 may extend in the z-axis direction. The horizontally extending portion 312 may be disposed above the support column 311 and extend in the y-axis direction. The pillars 311 and the horizontally extending portion 312 may have a rod shape, but these are examples, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

The sliding portion 320 may be arranged on the support structure 310 so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction. In one embodiment, the robot 200 that grips the target substrate SUB and moves the target substrate SUB may be detachably coupled to the sliding portion 320 . For example, the robot 200 may be fixed to the sliding portion 320 during the appearance inspection of the target substrate SUB. That is, while the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA, the robot 200 can be fixed to the sliding portion 320 .

The sliding part 320 can slide in the y-axis direction by the robot 200 while being fixed to the robot 200 . That is, the robot 200 holding the target substrate SUB can move the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction so that the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA while being fixed to the sliding portion 320 . For example, when the appearance inspection of the target substrate SUB is completed, the robot 200 can be separated from the sliding portion 320 .

The sliding portion 320 can be fixed to the robot 200 to control the operation of the robot 200 . That is, the slide unit 320 can control the operation of the target substrate SUB that is gripped by the robot 200 and moved in the y-axis direction. For example, the sliding portion 320 can prevent the target substrate SUB from moving in directions (x-axis direction and z-axis direction) other than the moving direction (y-axis direction). That is, while the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA, the sliding portion 320 can be fixed to the robot 200 to damp vibration of the target substrate SUB. The sliding portion 320 can attenuate vibration in the x-axis direction and vibration in the z-axis direction of the target substrate SUB.

In one embodiment, the movement control unit 300 may further include a first guide rail RA1 and a second guide rail RA2. The first guide rail RA1 may be disposed on the upper surface 312a of the horizontally extending portion 312 and extend in the y-axis direction. The second guide rail RA2 may be disposed on the side surface 312b of the horizontally extending portion 312 and extend in the y-axis direction. For example, the second guide rail RA2 may be arranged on the side surface 312b of the horizontally extending portion 312 in the x-axis direction.

The sliding portion 320 may be fastened to the first guide rail RA1 and the second guide rail RA2 so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction. In one embodiment, the sliding portion 320 may include a flat portion 321 , a first fastening portion 322 and a second fastening portion 323 .

For example, the first fastening portion 322 and the second fastening portion 323 may protrude in the downward direction of the plane portion 321 . The first fastening portion 322 may be fastened to the first guide rail RA1 so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction. The second fastening portion 323 may be fastened to the second guide rail RA2 so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction.

The first fastening portion 322 can be fastened to the first guide rail RA1 to prevent the sliding portion 320 from moving in the x-axis direction. The first fastening part 322 and the first guide rail RA1 may be fastened physically or magnetically. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the cross-sectional shape of the fastening opening of the first fastening portion 322 may be substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the first guide rail RA1 . The sliding part 320 can pass through the first fastening part 322 without vibrating in the x-axis direction.

The second fastening portion 323 may be fastened to the second guide rail RA2 to prevent the sliding portion 320 from moving in the z-axis direction. The second fastening part 323 and the second guide rail RA2 may be fastened physically or magnetically. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the cross-sectional shape of the fastening opening of the second fastening portion 323 may be substantially the same as the cross-sectional shape of the second guide rail RA2 . The sliding part 320 can pass through the second fastening part 323 without vibrating in the z-axis direction.

The plane part 321 , the first fastening part 322 and the second fastening part 323 may be fixed to each other. For example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the plane portion 321 , the first fastening portion 322 and the second fastening portion 323 may be integrally formed. As another example, the flat portion 321 , the first fastening portion 322 , and the second fastening portion 323 may be formed separately and joined together.

In one embodiment, the movement control part 300 may further include a linear encoder 330 . The linear encoder 330 can measure the movement of the sliding portion 320 (ie, the sliding in the y-axis direction). Linear encoder 330 may include scale 331 and encoder read head 332 .

The scale 331 may be disposed on the upper surface 312a of the horizontally extending portion 312 and extend in the y-axis direction. The ruler 331 may be fixed on the horizontal extension 312 . The encoder head 332 may overlap with the scale 331 in the x-axis or z-axis direction, and move in conjunction with the sliding portion 320 . That is, the encoder head 332 can be slid in the y-axis direction in conjunction with the sliding portion 320 .

The linear encoder 330 can acquire information such as the position, moving distance, and moving speed of the sliding part 320 . In an exemplary embodiment, the target substrate SUB may be moved while being held by the robot 200 , and the robot 200 may be moved while being fixed to the sliding portion 320 . That is, the target substrate SUB can be moved in the y-axis direction in conjunction with the sliding portion 320 . For example, the linear encoder 330 may generate a pulse signal every time the linear encoder 330 reaches a preset distance or a preset position, and the imaging unit 100 may image the inspection area IA (that is, the target substrate SUB located in the inspection area IA) every time the pulse signal is generated. ).

In one embodiment, the movement control part 300 may further include a linear driving part (not shown) for driving the sliding part 320 in the y-axis direction. For example, the slide part 320 may be fixed to the robot 200 and moved from the first position to the second position along the y-axis direction to perform the appearance inspection of the first target substrate. When the appearance inspection on the first target substrate is completed, the robot 200 can be separated from the sliding portion 320 . The linear driving part may move the sliding part 320 separated from the robot 200 from the second position to the first position. When the sliding part 320 moves to the first position, the sliding part 320 is fixed to the robot 200 and moves from the first position to the second position along the y-axis direction again, and the second Visual inspection of the target substrate (or, visual inspection of the other surface of the first target substrate).

As another example, when the robot 200 is fixed to the sliding part 320 , the linear driving part can assist the movement of the robot 200 in the y-axis direction.

In another embodiment, the linear driving part may also be omitted. For example, the sliding part 320 may be fixed to the robot 200 and moved from the first position to the second position along the y-axis direction to perform the visual inspection of the first target substrate. The first position and the second position may center the inspection area IA to be spaced apart from each other in the y-axis direction. Then, the sliding portion 320 may be moved from the second position to the first position along the y-axis direction to perform the visual inspection of the second target substrate (or another inspection of the first target substrate). visual inspection of one side).

6a to 6c are plan views showing a visual inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 7 is a front view showing the visual inspection apparatus of FIG. 6a, and FIG. 8 is a side view showing the visual inspection apparatus of FIG. 6a view.

Referring to FIGS. 6 a to 8 , in one embodiment, the robot 200 may include a main body part 210 , a robotic arm part 220 , a substrate holder 230 and a fixing part 240 .

The main body portion 210 may be arranged on the ground. The main body part 210 may be fixed on the ground or move on the ground.

The robotic arm part 220 may be connected with the main body part 210 . The robotic arm part 220 may include a plurality of robotic arms. For example, as shown in FIG. 7 , the robotic arm part 220 may include a first robotic arm 221 , a second robotic arm 222 and a third robotic arm 223 . One end portion of the first mechanical arm 221 may be connected to the main body portion 210 . One end of the second robotic arm 222 may be connected to the other end of the first robotic arm 221 . One end of the third robotic arm 223 may be connected to the other end of the second robotic arm 222 . A substrate holder 230 may be connected to the other end of the third robot arm 223 . However, it is an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and the robot arm part 220 may also include one, two, or more than four robot arms.

The robotic arm part 220 may move relative to the main body part 210 . For example, the other end portion of the third arm 223 of the connected substrate holder 230 can move with 6 degrees of freedom relative to the main body portion 210 . That is, the other end portion of the third robot arm 223 may move along the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis with the main body portion 210 as a reference, or rotate around the x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis, respectively.

The substrate holder 230 may be connected to the other end of the third robot arm 223 . The substrate holder 230 can hold the target substrate SUB. For example, the substrate holder 230 may be an electrostatic chuck, a vacuum chuck, or a mechanical chuck or the like. In the drawings, the substrate holder 230 has a table shape that holds the target substrate SUB on the upper surface, but this is an example, and the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the substrate holder 230 may have a jaw shape so as to be able to hold the target substrate SUB.

The fixing part 240 may be connected with the third mechanical arm 223 and detachably couple the third mechanical arm 223 to the sliding part 320 . That is, the third robot arm 223 can be fixed or separated from the sliding part 320 by the fixing part 240 . The fixing part 240 can fix the third robot arm 223 to the sliding part 320 by various methods. For example, a hole may be formed on the side surface of the sliding portion 320 , and the fixing portion 240 protruding from the third arm 223 may be inserted into the hole, thereby fixing the third arm 223 to the sliding portion 320 . As another example, the fixing part 240 can use static electricity or vacuum to fix the third robot arm 223 relative to the sliding part 320 . However, it is an example, and the present invention is not limited thereto, and the fixing part 240 may fix the third robot arm 223 to the sliding part 320 by various methods.

In one embodiment, the substrate holder 230 may be inclined relative to the third robot arm 223 . For example, the tilt drive unit 250 may be arranged between the third robot arm 223 and the substrate holder 230 . The tilt drive unit 250 can rotate the substrate holder 230 around the x-axis, the y-axis as the center, or the z-axis as the center. When the substrate gripper 230 is not tilted by the tilt driving part 250 , the substrate gripper 230 may be fixed relative to the third robot arm 223 .

The tilt drive unit 250 can tilt the substrate holder 230 to adjust the flatness of the target substrate SUB held by the substrate holder 230 . In one embodiment, after the third robot arm 223 is fixed to the sliding part 320 by the fixing part 240 , the tilt driving part 250 may tilt the substrate holder 230 to adjust the flatness of the target substrate SUB.

For example, the tilt drive unit 250 may tilt the substrate holder 230 so that the upper surface of the target substrate SUB is parallel to the first inspection area IA1. In addition, the tilt drive unit 250 may tilt the substrate holder 230 so that the side surface of the target substrate SUB is parallel to the second inspection area IA2. That is, the tilt driving unit 250 can adjust the flatness of the target substrate SUB with respect to the first photographing module 110 and the second photographing module 120 .

In one embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 6 a to 6 c , the robot 200 can drive the robot arm 220 to move the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction. For example, after the third robot arm 223 is fixed to the sliding portion 320 and the substrate holder 230 is inclined to adjust the flatness of the target substrate SUB, the robot 200 may drive the robot arm portion 220 to move the target substrate SUB in the y-axis direction. That is, the third robot arm 223 can move in the y-axis direction while being fixed to the sliding portion 320 . The third robot arm 223 can slide in the y-axis direction through the sliding part 320 without vibrating in the x-axis and z-axis directions. Accordingly, the substrate holder 230 (or the target substrate SUB) fixed to the third robot arm 223 can be slid in the y-axis direction by the sliding portion 320 without vibrating in the x-axis and z-axis directions. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6 b , when the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA, the flatness of the target substrate SUB with respect to the first photographing module 110 and the second photographing module 120 can be maintained.

In one embodiment, when the visual inspection of the target substrate SUB is completed (for example, the target substrate SUB leaves the inspection area IA), the robot 200 can be separated from the sliding portion 320 to transfer the target substrate SUB. That is, the fixed part 240 and the third arm 223 can be separated from the sliding part 320 . Thereby, the robot 200 can freely transfer the target substrate SUB without being controlled by the sliding unit 320 . For example, the robot 200 may transfer the target substrate SUB to the outside, or transfer it to another inspection unit.

In one embodiment, if the appearance inspection on the upper surface and the long side surface of the target substrate SUB is completed, the appearance inspection on the lower surface and the short side surface of the target substrate SUB may be performed. For example, as shown in FIGS. 6 a to 6 c , the appearance inspection of the upper surface and the long side surface of the target substrate SUB may be performed first. That is, the target substrate SUB may move in the positive direction of the y-axis in a state in which the upper surface of the target substrate SUB faces the first imaging module 110 and the long side surface of the target substrate SUB faces the second imaging module 120 to pass inspection area IA. If the target substrate SUB is out of the inspection area IA, the robot 200 can turn over the target substrate SUB. For example, the robot 200 may turn the target substrate SUB such that the lower surface of the target substrate SUB faces the first photographing module 110 and the short side surface of the target substrate SUB faces the second photographing module 120 . The specific inversion method of the target substrate SUB is not limited. For example, the substrate holder 230 may be tilted to invert the target substrate SUB, or the target substrate SUB may be inverted by an additional inversion device, or the target substrate SUB may be inverted by an adjacent robot. After turning over the target substrate SUB, the robot 200 may move the target substrate SUB in the negative direction of the y-axis so that the target substrate SUB passes through the inspection area IA again.

In another embodiment, the appearance inspection of the upper surface and the long side surface of the first target substrate may be performed by the first robot in the first inspection unit, and the appearance inspection may be performed by the second inspection unit adjacent to the first inspection unit by the first robot. The second robot performs an appearance inspection on the lower surface and the short side surface of the second target substrate. After each visual inspection is completed, the first target substrate and the second target substrate can be turned over and replaced between the first robot and the second robot, respectively. Then, the first inspection unit may perform an appearance inspection on the upper surface and the long side surfaces of the second target substrate, and the second inspection unit may perform an appearance inspection on the lower surface and short side surfaces of the first target substrate. Visual inspection.

However, it is an example, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited thereto, and the appearance inspection apparatus 10 may perform the appearance inspection for the target substrate SUB by various methods.

FIG. 9 is a plan view showing a movement control part according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 10 is a side view showing the movement control part of FIG. 9 .

Referring to FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 , in an embodiment, the movement control unit 300 may further include a speed control unit 350 . The speed control unit 350 can control the operation of the robot 200 so that the target substrate SUB moves at a constant speed in the y-axis direction. The speed regulating part 350 can control the sliding part 320 to slide at a constant speed in the y-axis direction. As a result, the third robot arm 223 fixed to the sliding portion 320 (or the substrate holder 230 fixed to the third robot arm 223 ) can move at a constant speed in the y-axis direction.

In one embodiment, the speed regulating part 350 may include a speed regulating unit 351 and a supporting part 352 . For example, the support portion 352 may be disposed on the horizontally extending portion 312 and extend vertically. One end of the speed control unit 351 may be connected to the sliding part 320 , and the other end may be connected to the support part 352 . The speed regulating unit 351 can control the sliding part 320 to move at a constant speed by using electromagnetic force, elastic force, etc.

According to the visual inspection apparatus based on the conventional comparative example, the target substrate may be arranged on a table on a conveyor moving in one direction, and the imaging unit may image the target substrate to perform the visual inspection. In this case, the worker needs to adjust the flatness of the target substrate by tilting the table for each type of appearance inspection. In addition, each of the visual inspections requires the imaging unit, the table, a robot for transferring the target substrate, and the like, which may increase the equipment cost and space of the visual inspection apparatus. On the other hand, when the robot moves the target substrate in a state of holding the target substrate to pass the target substrate through the inspection area and performs the visual inspection, the target substrate may be moved in a direction other than the moving direction. vibration. As a result, the flatness of the target substrate with respect to the imaging unit is changed, and the result of the visual inspection may be incorrect.

However, according to the visual inspection apparatus 10 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the robot 200 may be fixed to the movement control unit 300 to move the target substrate SUB when performing the visual inspection on the target substrate SUB. In addition, the robot 200 can tilt the substrate holder 230 to adjust the flatness of the target substrate SUB. The movement control unit 300 can control the operation of the robot 200 so that the target substrate SUB does not vibrate in directions other than the movement direction within the inspection area IA. In addition, the movement control unit 300 can control the operation of the robot 200 so as to move the target substrate SUB at a constant speed. Therefore, in the inspection area IA, the flatness and the moving speed of the target substrate SUB can be kept constant, and an accurate appearance inspection can be performed. In addition, when the appearance inspection of the target substrate SUB is completed, the robot 200 can be separated from the movement control unit 300 to freely transfer the target substrate SUB. Therefore, the appearance inspection of the target substrate SUB can be performed without using an additional transfer robot or table. Thereby, the equipment cost of the visual inspection apparatus can be saved, and various types of visual inspections can be performed in a relatively small space.

(industrial availability)

The present invention can be applied to various visual inspection apparatuses. For example, the present invention can be applied to the appearance of a display device included in a computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, a smart phone, a smart tablet, a personal multimedia player (PMP), a personal digital assistant (PDA), an MP3 player, etc. Inspection device for visual inspection.

The above description has been made with reference to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but it should be understood by those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field that various modifications of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the claims. Modifications and changes.

Claims (10)

1. A visual inspection device, characterized in that, comprising: Photographing department, photographing the inspection area; a robot, arranged on one side of the inspection area, and moves the target substrate along the y-axis direction to make the target substrate pass through the inspection area; a support structure overlapping the inspection area; and A sliding portion is disposed on the support structure, and is fixed to the robot to damp vibration of the target substrate while the target substrate passes through the inspection area. 2. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The sliding portion damps vibrations in the x-axis direction of the target substrate and vibrations in the Z-axis direction of the target substrate. 3. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The appearance inspection device also includes: a first guide rail disposed on the upper surface of the support structure and extending in the y-axis direction; and The second guide rail is arranged on the side surface of the support structure and extends in the y-axis direction, The sliding part includes: a first fastening part, which can be slid in the y-axis direction and fastened to the first guide rail without being movable in the x-axis direction; and The second fastening portion is fastened to the second guide rail so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction and not movable in the z-axis direction. 4. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The sliding portion is disposed on the support structure so as to be slidable in the y-axis direction, and is slid in the y-axis direction by the robot while being fixed to the robot. 5. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The appearance inspection device also includes: The speed regulating part is arranged on the support structure, and controls the sliding part to slide at a constant speed in the y-axis direction. 6. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The robot includes: main body; a robotic arm connected to the body portion; and A substrate gripper is connected to the robot arm and grips the target substrate. 7. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The robot also includes: The fixing part is connected to the mechanical arm and fixes the mechanical arm to the sliding part. 8. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The robot also includes: A tilt drive unit is disposed between the robot arm and the substrate gripper, and adjusts the flatness of the target substrate by tilting the substrate gripper with respect to the robot arm. 9. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein After the robot arm is fixed to the slide unit, the tilt drive unit tilts the substrate holder to adjust the flatness of the target substrate. 10. The visual inspection apparatus according to claim 8, wherein When the flatness of the target substrate is adjusted, the robot drives the robot arm to move the target substrate in the y-axis direction.

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