JP7164365B2 - Electronic component conveying device and electronic component conveying method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an electronic component conveying apparatus and an electronic component conveying method, and more particularly to a conveying apparatus and conveying method for conveying an electronic component such as a semiconductor chip by sucking it onto a nozzle.

In the conventional manufacture of electronic components and the like, electronic components such as semiconductor chips are conveyed by being sucked by nozzles.

FIG. 5 shows the transfer of electronic components, for example, in an embossed taping machine, and the pick-up nozzle 1 and transfer nozzle 2 in FIG. 5 are connected to a vacuum pump (suction device). As shown in FIG. 5(A), the pick-up nozzle 1 sucks and picks up an electronic component (for example, a semiconductor chip) 4 separated from a diced wafer 3 at its tip, and picks up as shown in FIG. 5(B). , the electronic component 4 is transferred from above to the conveying nozzle 2 which is lowered from above.
Then, as shown in FIG. 5C, the electronic component 4 sucked and held by the conveying nozzle 2 is conveyed to the pocket 5 of the embossed carrier tape and inserted therein.

Japanese Patent No. 6261163 JP-A-11-102936 JP 2017-157766 A

By the way, in conventional electronic component transportation, as shown in FIG. ) must be set appropriately.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6A, if the amount of downward movement of the conveying nozzle 2 is greater than an appropriate amount, the electronic component 4 may break or be damaged. As shown in B), when the amount of downward movement of the conveying nozzle 2 is small, there is a problem that the electronic component 4 may drop and a delivery error may occur.

On the other hand, the lowering height of the conveying nozzle 2 in conventional electronic component conveying is determined by measurement in advance. It is set at a position where the suction force (force required for suction) is detected.

FIG. 7 shows how the nozzle descending height is automatically adjusted. In this automatic adjustment method, the conveying nozzle 2 is lowered one pulse at a time, and the vacuum sensor detects a predetermined suction force (ON ), the height of the descent is automatically determined.

In addition, the height of nozzle descent is determined by visual confirmation using a magnifying glass or the like, or the load applied to the electronic component during delivery is detected by the nozzle and determined.

However, the above-described method for determining the height of descent cannot follow variations in the thickness of the electronic component 4 to be conveyed and wear of the nozzles 1 and 2, and it is necessary to frequently adjust the height of the descent. . Moreover, there is a problem that this adjustment takes time.

It is also possible to perform automatic adjustment for each electronic component 2 that is conveyed by lowering the nozzle 2 one pulse at a time, as described with reference to FIG. Since it takes several tens of seconds, the capacity of the apparatus and the production capacity are lowered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to enable the electronic component to be picked up by moving the nozzle by an appropriate amount of movement that follows variations in the thickness of the electronic component and wear of the nozzle. Another object of the present invention is to provide an electronic component conveying apparatus and an electronic component conveying method capable of measuring an appropriate nozzle-to-component distance of a nozzle with respect to an electronic component in a short period of time to realize high production capacity.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention of claim 1 provides an electronic component conveying apparatus for conveying electronic components by sucking them onto a nozzle, a camera for photographing the nozzle and the electronic component from a side direction, and a measurement unit that measures the area of the electronic component in the captured image and measures the nozzle-to-component distance from the tip of the nozzle to the suction unit of the electronic component based on the photographed image ; and a control unit for adjusting and controlling the amount of movement of the nozzle, wherein the measurement unit and the control unit adjust the position of the electronic component or the camera so that the measured area of the electronic component is minimized. Further, the distance between the nozzle and the part is measured based on the photographed image after the adjustment, and the amount of movement of the nozzle is controlled based on the distance between the nozzle and the part .
In the electronic component conveying apparatus according to the invention of claim 2, the measurement unit measures the nozzle-component distance each time the electronic component is conveyed once or for a plurality of times, and the control unit measures the distance between the nozzle and the component each time the electronic component is conveyed once or for a plurality of times. The moving amount of the nozzle is adjusted based on the nozzle-to-component distance obtained each time .
The electronic parts conveying apparatus according to the invention of claim 3 is provided with an illumination device for illuminating the nozzles and the electronic parts when photographing is performed by the camera . The contrast between the nozzle or the electronic component and the background is measured, and the illuminance of the illumination device is adjusted so that the contrast or the edge intensity is in a predetermined state .
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided an electronic component conveying apparatus, wherein the measuring unit measures the distance between the nozzle and the component based on the binarized image captured by the camera.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for transporting an electronic component by sucking the electronic component to a nozzle, wherein the nozzle and the electronic component are photographed from the side by a camera, and the area of the electronic component in the photographed image is measured. , after adjusting the position of the electronic component or the camera so that this area is minimized, the distance between the nozzle and the component from the tip of the nozzle to the suction part of the electronic component based on the photographed image is one conveying of the electronic component. The moving amount of the nozzle is controlled based on the measured nozzle-component distance .

According to the above configuration, the distance between the nozzle and the component from the tip of the nozzle to the suction portion of the electronic component is measured based on the camera image, and the amount of movement of the nozzle is controlled based on the distance between the nozzle and the component. The electronic component can be sucked and held easily by the nozzle in a short time.
Moreover, by measuring the distance between the nozzle and the component not only at the time of start-up but also for each electronic component transport or multiple transports, a more accurate nozzle operation becomes possible.

Also, when starting up or making adjustments, the area of the electronic component in the camera image is measured, and the position of the electronic component or the camera is adjusted so that this area is minimized. Accurate imaging is possible, and there is no deterioration in measurement accuracy of the distance between the nozzle and the part.
In addition, by illuminating the nozzles and electronic components with a lighting device, it is possible to take images with light and dark, and by binarizing the captured images, the shadows and edges of the nozzles and electronic components become clear. . In this illumination, the accuracy of measuring the distance between the nozzle and the part can be improved by adjusting the illuminance according to the edge strength of the nozzle or the electronic part and the contrast (difference in brightness) between the nozzle or the electronic part and the background. .

According to the present invention, the electronic component can be reliably sucked by moving the nozzle by an appropriate moving amount that follows variations in the thickness of the electronic component and wear of the nozzle, so that the electronic component is not damaged. In addition, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of delivery errors of electronic components.
In addition, it is possible to measure the appropriate nozzle-to-component distance of the nozzle for the electronic component in a short period of time, thereby increasing the capacity of the apparatus and realizing high production capacity.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the electronic component conveying apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is a figure which shows the arrangement|positioning [figure (A)] of the electronic component of an Example, a nozzle, and a camera, and the state at the time of delivery of an electronic component [figure (B)]. It is a figure which shows the binarized image obtained with the electronic component conveying apparatus of an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows operation|movement of the electronic component conveying apparatus of an Example. It is explanatory drawing which shows the mode of conveyance of the electronic component in the conventional conveying apparatus. and FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing how electronic components are delivered in a conventional conveying device. FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing an operation when determining the height of descent of a conveying nozzle in a conventional conveying device;

FIG. 1 shows the configuration of an electronic component conveying apparatus according to an embodiment. Reference numeral 1 in the figure denotes a first nozzle (pickup nozzle), 2 denotes a second nozzle (conveying nozzle), and 4 denotes an electronic component. FIG. 1 shows a state in which the electronic component 4 picked up by the first nozzle 1 is reversed and the electronic component 4 is delivered by the second nozzle 2, as described in FIG.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 6 denotes a camera for photographing the first and second nozzles 1 and 2 and the electronic component 4 from the side (direction perpendicular to the trajectory along which the second nozzle 2 descends); The camera 6 is configured using an imaging element (image sensor) or the like for obtaining electronic image data. Based on the image captured by the camera 6, the measurement unit 7 measures the distance between the nozzle and the component, the area of the electronic component 4, the edge strength of the first and second nozzles 1 and 2, and the electronic component 4, although the details will be described later. , the contrast between the nozzles 1 and 2, the electronic component 4, and the background are measured by image processing.

Reference numerals 8 and 9 denote drive units for driving the first nozzle 1 and the second nozzle 2. The drive unit 8 causes the first nozzle 1 to suck, for example, an electronic component 4 at its tip and turn it over 180 degrees, thereby turning the camera. Move to the position where 6 is installed. On the other hand, the drive unit 9 drives the second nozzle 2 to receive the electronic component 4 from the first nozzle 1 and move it to the embossed tape. Further, these drive units 8 and 9 include suction devices such as vacuum pumps, etc., so that the tip portions of the first nozzle 1 and the second nozzle 2 can suck and hold the electronic component 4 . .

Reference numeral 10 in FIG. 1 denotes a lighting device for illuminating the first nozzle 1, the second nozzle 2, and the electronic component 4 from the side. lighting etc. is used. Then, the control unit 12 executes drive control of the first nozzle 1 and the second nozzle 2 , control of the lighting device 10 , and various controls based on measurement data obtained by the measurement unit 7 . Alternatively or additionally, it may be configured to control the position of the camera 6 .

The embodiment has the above configuration, and its operation will be described below.
FIG. 2A shows the state when the electronic component 4 is turned over by the first nozzle 1, and the state at this time is photographed by the camera 6 from the side.
At this time, the first nozzle 1, the second nozzle 2, and the electronic component 4 are illuminated by a lighting device 10 arranged on the opposite side of the camera 6, so that the outline (edge) of each member can be clearly projected. It has become.

FIG. 3 shows a black-and-white binarized image obtained by the camera 6, and after clarifying the shadows and edges of the first and second nozzles 1 and 2 and the electronic component 4, various measurements are performed. be able to.
As described above, the measurement unit 7, which receives an image (data) captured by the camera 6, measures the distance (nozzle-component distance) L is measured, and the data of this distance L is supplied to the control unit 12, so that the control unit 12 moves the second nozzle by the amount of movement (distance, height of descent) to be lowered as shown in FIG. 2(B). 2 is lowered and the electronic component 4 is sucked.

In the embodiment, the nozzle-to-component distance L is measured each time one electronic component is conveyed. (height)), it is possible to eliminate delivery errors of the electronic component 4 and the like.
When an image sensor is used for the camera 6, it takes several tens of milliseconds to measure one electronic component, and the measurement for each transport does not reduce the performance of the apparatus. Note that the measurement of the nozzle-part distance L may be performed every time a predetermined number of electronic parts 4 are conveyed.

Next, the operation performed at the time of starting up or adjusting the apparatus in order to improve and maintain the accuracy of measurement will be described with reference to FIG.
In FIG. 4A, the area of the electronic component 4 is measured from the image obtained by the camera 6, the first nozzle 1 is moved up and down so that the area of the electronic component 4 is minimized, and the position of the electronic component 4 is measured. is adjusted. When the electronic component 4 is tilted and displayed as shown in the left side of FIG. Therefore, the first nozzle 1 is moved upward and adjusted so that it is displayed as shown on the right side of FIG. 4(A). Instead of moving the first nozzle 1, the camera 6 may be configured to be vertically movable and the camera 6 side may be moved.

In FIG. 4B, the edge strength of the first nozzle 1, the electronic component 4, etc. of the image obtained by the camera 6 is measured, and the illuminance of the illumination device 10 is adjusted so that the edge strength is in a predetermined state. It is a thing. When the edges of the first nozzle 1 and the electronic component 4 are unclear as shown on the left side of FIG. 4(B), the edges become clear as shown on the right side of FIG. 4(B).
In FIG. 4(C), the contrast between the first nozzle 1, the electronic component 4, etc., and the background of the image obtained by the camera 6 is measured, and the It adjusts the illuminance of the illumination device 10 . Even when the contrast of the first nozzle 1 and the electronic component 4 is low as shown on the left side of FIG. 4B, the contrast becomes high as shown on the right side of FIG. 4B.

FIG. 4(D) shows a state in which a jig is used to verify the certainty of image dimensions. As shown in FIG. 4(D), a jig 14 having calibrated dimensions is attached to the second nozzle 2 or the like, the dimension R of the jig 14 in the obtained image is measured, and the correlation with the actual jig dimension is determined. can be confirmed. This makes it possible to verify the accuracy of the measured nozzle-component distance L, and calibrate and adjust it.

FIG. 4(E) shows a state in which the second nozzles 2 and the like are moved to verify the certainty of image dimensions. It is moved by the distance and the correlation between the distance L ₀ measured from the obtained image and the actual distance is confirmed. This also makes it possible to verify the accuracy of the measured nozzle-component distance L, and to calibrate and adjust it.

In FIG. 3, it is explained that the image is a binarized image, but the measurement of the distance between the nozzle and the part may be performed using a normal image.

1... first nozzle (or pickup nozzle),
2 ... second nozzle (or carrier nozzle),
4... electronic component, 6... camera,
7... Measuring unit, 8, 9... Driving unit,
10... Lighting device, 12... Control part,
14... Jig.

Claims (5)

In an electronic component conveying device that conveys an electronic component by sucking it onto a nozzle,
a camera for photographing the nozzle and the electronic component from the side;
a measurement unit that measures the area of the electronic component in the image captured by the camera and measures the nozzle-to-component distance from the tip of the nozzle to the suction unit of the electronic component based on the captured image;
a control unit that adjusts the position of the electronic component or the camera and controls the amount of movement of the nozzle,
The measuring unit and the control unit adjust the position of the electronic component or the camera so that the measured area of the electronic component is minimized, and measure the distance between the nozzle and the component based on the photographed image after this adjustment. and controlling the amount of movement of the nozzle based on the distance between the nozzle and the component. The measuring unit measures the nozzle-component distance for each transport or multiple transports of the electronic component, and the control unit measures the nozzle-component distance obtained for each transport or multiple transports. 2. The electronic parts conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the amount of movement of the nozzle is adjusted. A lighting device is provided to illuminate the nozzle and the electronic component when photographing with the camera,
The measurement unit measures the edge intensity of the nozzle or electronic component or the contrast between the nozzle or electronic component and the background in the photographed image, and measures the illuminance of the illumination device so that the contrast or edge intensity is in a predetermined state. 2. The electronic parts conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment is performed for the . 4. The electronic parts conveying apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the nozzle and the part is measured by the measurement unit using a binarized image taken by the camera . In an electronic component transport method for transporting an electronic component by adsorbing it to a nozzle,
Take a picture of the above nozzle and electronic parts from the side with a camera,
After measuring the area of the electronic component in the photographed image and adjusting the position of the electronic component or the camera so that the area is minimized, from the tip of the nozzle to the suction portion of the electronic component based on the photographed image. Measure the distance between the nozzle and the part every time the electronic component is conveyed or every time it is conveyed,
A method for conveying an electronic component, comprising: controlling the amount of movement of the nozzle based on the measured distance between the nozzle and the component.

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