JPH0832369B2 - Laser processing equipment - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a laser processing apparatus, for example, a laser processing apparatus for inspecting a liquid crystal display panel for defects.

[Related Art] Recently, liquid crystal display panels have been frequently used in various electronic devices. Moreover, the amount of information displayed on the liquid crystal display panel is increasing, and a liquid crystal display panel with high display density is required. In order to increase the display density, it is necessary to make the wiring pattern between the liquid crystal display and the terminal thin and to narrow the gap between the adjacent patterns.

However, when the pattern density is increased, adjacent patterns may be electrically connected to each other due to insufficient etching in the pattern etching process.
A liquid crystal repair device is used to detect such a defect and make it a good product. In a conventional liquid crystal repair device, a liquid crystal display panel to be inspected is arranged on a stage, a head movable on the stage in X, Y, Z directions is provided, and a CCD camera and a laser light source are arranged on this head. It is a thing. Then, the wiring pattern is picked up by a CCD camera, and while monitoring on a monitor TV, a part where adjacent patterns are connected is found, and that part is irradiated with laser light emitted from a laser light source. Burn off the part.

[Problems to be Solved by the Invention] However, the liquid crystal repair device described above has a drawback that the holding rigidity is weak because the head in which the CCD camera and the laser light source are arranged can be moved in the X, Y, and Z directions. is there.

Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to provide a laser processing apparatus capable of enhancing the holding rigidity of a head and inspecting a defect of a workpiece such as a liquid crystal display panel.

[Means for Solving the Problem] The present invention is a laser processing apparatus for irradiating a laser beam to remove defects in a workpiece, which is provided on a housing and supports the workpiece, and a central portion thereof. A through hole is formed in the XY axis table, which is movable in the horizontal direction, a first light source for reflecting and illuminating the workpiece from above the XY axis table, and a through hole from below the XY axis table. A second light source for transmitting and illuminating a workpiece, an electric objective converter for changing the magnification of a lens when driven electrically, and an electric objective converter for capturing an image of the workpiece, and an objective converter. Image pickup means for picking up an image captured by the lens, a laser light source for irradiating a workpiece with laser light, and a gate-shaped support fixed to the housing, and the objective converter and the image pickup means. Z axis that holds the laser and the laser light source and can move only in the vertical direction And a table.

[Operation] In the laser processing apparatus according to the present invention, the relatively heavy lens, the imaging means, and the laser light source are held by the Z-axis table, and the workpiece can be moved in the horizontal direction by the XY-axis table. Since the Z-axis table is fixed in the horizontal direction and moved only in the vertical direction, the holding rigidity can be increased.

Embodiment FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a front view of the embodiment.

With reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, an XY stage 3 that can move in the X and Y directions is arranged on a base 2 of a housing 1. A liquid crystal panel as a workpiece is placed on the XY stage 3. In order to inspect a work placed on the XY stage 3, a Z-axis table 4 is provided which is prohibited from moving in the XY direction and is movable only in the Z direction (up and down directions). This Z-axis table 4 is provided with an electric revolver 5, a light source 6 for illuminating a microscope, a CCD camera 7, a defect inspection device 8 and a laser head 9. The Z-axis table is a gate-shaped support 60.
It is firmly fixed to the housing 1 via the to increase the rigidity. The electric revolver 5 switches between lenses having different magnifications, and the microscope illumination light source 6 illuminates the workpiece.
The CCD camera 7 images the surface of the workpiece through the lens of the electric revolver 5. The defect inspection device 8 is for inspecting defects on the surface of the workpiece and is composed of a linear image sensor. The laser head 9 irradiates the surface of the workpiece with laser light to perform processing. XY
A through hole 50 is formed in the stage 3 as shown in FIG. 1, and a light source for transmitting and illuminating a workpiece through the through hole 50 is formed in a lower portion of the XY stage 3 as shown in FIG. Ten are provided.

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. Next, an electrical configuration of an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The CPU 21 controls the whole according to the program stored in the built-in memory.
That is, the CPU 21 gives a command signal for moving the XY stage 3 in the X direction to the X pulse controller 23 via the I / O 22. The X pulse controller 23 generates an X pulse according to the command signal. This X pulse is given to the X motor driver 24. The X motor driver 24 rotates the X motor 25 by the given number of pulses. X motor 25
Moves the XY table 3 in the X direction. The rotation speed of the X motor 25 is detected by the X encoder 26. The X encoder 26 generates a pulse signal according to the rotation of the X motor 25 and gives it to the X counter 27. The X counter 27 counts the pulse signal, and the count output is given to the CPU 21 via the X counter circuit 28 and I / O 22.

Similarly, the CPU 21 gives a command signal for moving the XY stage 3 in the Y direction to the Y pulse controller 30 via the I / O 29. The Y pulse controller 30 generates a Y pulse in response to the command signal and supplies the Y pulse to the Y motor driver 31. The Y motor driver 31 has Y motors 32 corresponding to the number of Y pulses.
To rotate. The Y motor 32 is provided to move the XY stage 3 in the Y direction. The rotation speed of the Y motor 32 is detected by a Y encoder 33, and a pulse signal corresponding to the rotation speed is supplied to a Y counter. The Y counter 34 counts the pulse signals, and supplies the count output to the CPU 21 via the Y counter circuit 35 and the I / O 29. The CPU 21 determines the positions of the XY stage 3 in the X and Y directions based on the count outputs of the X counter circuit 28 and the Y counter circuit 35.

The linear image sensor 8 as the defect inspection device 8 outputs as defect pixel information of the workpiece and supplies it to the image processing circuit 36. The image processing circuit 36 performs image processing on the output of the defect inspection device 8 and supplies defective pixel information to the CPU 21 via the I / O 37.
The CPU 21 calculates the defective pixel information and the count output of the Y counter circuit 35, calculates the defect position information, and stores it in the storage device 38. The defect position information is also displayed on the monitor 40.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a specific operation of one embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a method of inspecting a defect according to one embodiment of the present invention.

Next, the specific operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In step (abbreviated as SP in the figure) SP1 in FIG. 4, the CPU
Reference numeral 21 outputs a command signal for moving the XY stage 3 in the X and Y directions, and moves the workpiece to the measurement start position. At this time, the defect inspection device 8 reads an image on the surface of the workpiece. This image signal is subjected to image processing by the image processing circuit 36, and is provided to the CPU 21 via the I / O 37. In step SP2, the CPU 21 reads image data for one line in the X direction on the workpiece 11 as shown in FIG.

In step SP3, the CPU 21 determines whether or not there is a defective portion in one line based on the read image data. If there is no defect, in step SP6, the CPU 21 outputs a command signal for moving the workpiece by one line. If the CPU 21 determines that there is a defective portion in one line, in step SP4, it stores the pixel position of the defective portion on the linear image sensor. That is, as shown in FIG. 5 (b), when the defect inspection device 8 detects the defect 12 on the workpiece 11, the pixel 81 at the position corresponding to that position changes. The CPU 21 recognizes the X coordinate of the defect position from the position of the pixel 81.

Further, in step SP5, the CPU 21 determines the current position of the XY stage 3 based on the count output of the Y counter circuit 35 and stores it. Then, the CPU 21 proceeds to step SP6
Outputs a command signal to move the workpiece by one line in the Y direction. In step SP7, the CPU 21
Determines whether or not the XY stage 3 has been moved to the measurement end position.
Returning to SP2, the operation of steps SP2 to SP7 is repeated. When this operation is repeated and it is determined that the measurement position has been reached, the defect position coordinates are determined based on the pixel position of the defective portion on the sensor in the X direction and the position of the XY stage 3 in the Y direction stored in step SP8. Is stored in the storage device 38 and displayed on the monitor 40. By irradiating the work piece with laser light while observing this display, for example, an unnecessary defect pattern of the liquid crystal display can be removed.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the Z-axis table 4 provided with the CCD camera 8, the laser head 9, and the like is moved only in the Z direction, and the XY table 3 on which the workpiece is placed is moved in the X and Y directions. , The workpiece is inspected for defects, so that the rigidity of holding the Z-axis table 4 can be increased. Moreover, by moving the XY stage 3 and scanning the workpiece with a defect inspection device including a linear image sensor to detect the pixel at the defect position,
The CPU 21 can digitally detect and store the defect position on the workpiece.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the XY-axis table that holds the workpiece can be moved in the horizontal direction, and a comparatively heavy weight such as an electric objective converter, an image pickup means, and a laser light source can be obtained. The heavy member is held by the Z-axis table, and the Z-axis table is firmly fixed to the housing by the gate-shaped support. Therefore, the laser light source can be used for removing defects of a workpiece such as a liquid crystal display panel. Does not move horizontally. Therefore, when the defect is removed, the XY-axis table does not move the workpiece left and right and back and forth, and a large force is not applied around the Z-axis table, so that the holding rigidity can be increased, and thus the defect can be removed with high accuracy. Can be done. Further, depending on the work piece, it is possible to perform reflection illumination from above or transmission illumination from below.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a photograph showing the appearance of an embodiment of the present invention. Second
The figure is also a front view. FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram of one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining a specific operation of the embodiment of the present invention. Fifth
FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a defect inspection method according to one embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, 3 is an XY stage, 4 is a Z-axis table, 5 is an electric revolver, 6 is a light source for illuminating a microscope, 7 is a CCD camera, 8 is a defect inspection device, 9 is a laser head, 10 is a light source for transmitted illumination, 21 Is a CPU, 22 and 29 are I / O, 23 is an X pulse controller, 24 is an X motor driver, 25 is an X motor, and 26 is an X motor.
Encoder, 27 is X counter, 28 is X counter circuit, 30
Is a Y pulse controller, 31 is a Y motor driver, 32 is a Y motor, 33 is a Y encoder, 34 is a Y counter, 35 is Y
A counter circuit, 36 is an image processing circuit, and 38 is a storage device.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A laser processing apparatus for irradiating a laser beam to remove a defect of a workpiece, the laser processing apparatus being provided on a housing, supporting the workpiece, and having a through hole formed in a central portion thereof. A horizontally movable XY-axis table, a first light source for reflecting and illuminating the workpiece from above the XY-axis table, and a target light source from below the XY-axis table through the through hole. A second light source for transmitting and illuminating the work piece; and a motorized objective converter for taking in an image of the work piece, the magnification of the lens being variable by being driven electrically, and the objective conversion. An image pickup means for picking up an image captured by a lens of a container, a laser light source for irradiating the workpiece with a laser beam, and an objective fixed to the housing through a gate-shaped support. The converter, the imaging means, and the laser light source are protected. And a Z-axis table that is movable only in the up-and-down direction. The XY-axis table is used to move the workpiece horizontally, and the defects of the workpiece are irradiated with laser light from the laser light source. A laser processing apparatus characterized by removing.