JPH10293088A - Substrate-surface inspecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To inspect the front surface and the rear surface of a glass substrate on a single inspection stage. SOLUTION: For standing a substrate fixing frame 2 for inspecting the front surface of a substrate, a rotation motor and movement motor 13 are run. By running of the rotation motor, the substrate fixing frame 2 is raised through a spur gear 8a, and a ball screw 11 is rotated by running of the movement motor 13, so that a ball nut 12 and the substrate fixing frame 2 engaged with the ball nut 12 are moved. By rotating the substrate fixing frame 2 toward opposite side, a glass substrate 1 is inverted into a rear surface.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a substrate surface inspection apparatus, and more particularly to a technique for easily inspecting the front and back surfaces of a substrate.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, for example, LCD (liquid crysta)
l display: a liquid crystal display), a glass substrate is used. During the manufacturing process, the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate are inspected for dust, scratches, unevenness, and the like. Such an inspection
The inspection is performed by visual inspection using reflected light and transmitted light. In the conventional substrate surface inspection apparatus, the inspection of the front surface and the back surface is performed for each stage.

[0003]

However, in the conventional substrate surface inspection apparatus, setting and reversal of the glass substrate are performed by an operator, and the operation is complicated. Also,
In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for performing such an inspection on one stage. The present invention has been made in view of such conventional problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate surface inspection apparatus that can easily inspect the front and back surfaces of a substrate on one stage.

[0004]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for inspecting a front surface and a back surface of a substrate. A substrate fixing frame to be fixed, means for rotating the substrate fixing frame so that the front and back surfaces of the substrate are inverted on the mounted inspection stage, and a stage surface of the inspection stage for fixing the substrate fixing frame to the stage. And moving means for moving substantially in parallel.

According to such a configuration, when inspecting the front surface of the substrate, the substrate is made substantially parallel to the inspection stage surface.
When the inspection is performed by transmitting light to the substrate, a substrate fixing frame is set up by the rotating means. Then, when inspecting the back surface of the substrate, the substrate is moved by the moving means and rotated by the rotating means to the opposite side to when the substrate is set up. This allows
The front side and the back side of the substrate are inverted. The inspection of the back surface can be performed.

In the apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention, the rotating means includes a motor and a gear for transmitting rotation of the motor to the substrate fixing frame. According to this configuration, the rotation of the motor is transmitted to the substrate fixing frame via the gear, and the substrate fixing frame is rotated. In the apparatus according to the third aspect of the present invention, the moving means includes a ball screw and a ball nut which engages with the substrate fixing frame and the rotating means and meshes with the ball screw.

According to such a configuration, the ball nut is moved by rotating the ball screw, and the substrate fixing frame and the rotating means are engaged with the ball nut, so that the ball nut is moved integrally.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of the present invention.
This will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 shows a substrate surface inspection apparatus for inspecting the surface of a glass substrate for LCD, for example.
FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA ′ of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. .

The substrate fixing frame 2 is a frame for fixing the glass substrate 1, and includes a stopper (not shown) for fixing the glass substrate 1 and a suction for sucking the glass substrate 1 so that the glass substrate 1 does not drop. And a board (not shown).
This glass substrate 1 is generally 550 × 650 mm,
The stopper has a thickness of about 0.7 mm, and supports a portion within 5 to 10 mm from the end of the glass substrate 1.

On the inspection stage 5, a back board 6 is provided. The backboard 6 is a glass substrate 1
It is provided to make it easier to see the surface, and is painted black and matte. The substrate fixing frame 2 is fixed to a shaft 7, and an end of the shaft 7 is connected to a spur gear 8a.

As shown in FIG. 3, a spur gear 8b meshes with the spur gear 8a, and the spur gear 8b is connected to a speed reducer 10 for a motor 9. A ball screw 11 and a ball nut 12 that meshes with the ball screw 11 are provided on the upper surface of the inspection stage 5. As shown in FIG. 1, a motor 13 is disposed on the lower surface of the inspection stage 5, and the ball screw 11 is connected to the motor 13 via a timing belt 14. The rotation of the motor 13 causes the ball screw 11 to rotate. , Ball nut 12
It moves parallel to the stage surface of the inspection stage 5. The board fixing frame 2 is fixed to the ball nut 12.

The inspection stage 5 is supported by a gantry 15, and a speed reducer 17 for reducing the rotation speed of a motor 16 is attached to the gantry 15. As shown in FIG.
The speed reducer 17 is rotatably mounted on the gantry 15. The speed reducer 17 is further connected to a speed reducer 18, which is connected to a motor 20 via a timing belt 19.
It is connected to.

As the motors 9, 13, 16, and 20, for example, an AC servo motor without backlash is used. As shown in FIGS. 4 to 7, an illumination device 21 for the reflected light inspection and an illumination device 22 for the transmitted light inspection are arranged directly above and beside the inspection stage 5. Note that the motor 9, the spur gears 8a and 8b, and the shaft 7 correspond to a rotating unit, and the motor 13, the timing belt 14, the ball screw 11, and the ball nut 12 correspond to a moving unit.

Next, the operation will be described. First, the glass substrate 1
Is placed on the substrate fixing frame 2. Then, by fixing the glass substrate 1 to the substrate fixing frame 2 with the stopper, the glass substrate 1 is sucked by the suction disk, and is prevented from dropping.
The surface inspection of the glass substrate 1 is performed by first reflecting the light on the front surface of the glass substrate 1 and inspecting the front surface, and then setting the glass substrate 1 up to allow the light to pass therethrough. This is performed by inverting 1 to the back and reflecting light.

When inspecting the front surface of the glass substrate 1,
As shown in FIG. 4, the surface of the glass substrate 1 is
The substrate fixing frame 2 is disposed so as to be parallel to the stage surface. Then, the illumination device 21 illuminates the surface of the glass substrate 1 from directly above. If there is dust, scratches, unevenness, or the like on the surface of the glass substrate 1, the light from the lighting device 22 is scattered on the glass substrate 1, so that the presence or absence of dust or the like on the surface of the glass substrate 1 can be clearly seen.

When adjusting the angle at which light is reflected,
Inspection stage 5 by rotating motor 16 or motor 20
Tilt. That is, when the motor 16 is rotated, the rotation speed of the motor 16 is reduced by the speed reducer 17, the gantry 15 fixed to the speed reducer 17 rotates, and the inspection stage 5 moves in the X direction as shown in FIG. Incline.

When the motor 20 is rotated, the rotation of the motor 20 is
8, the reduction gear 18 rotates, and the inspection stage 5
Are inclined in the Y direction as shown in FIG. Next, when the inspection is performed by transmitting light through the glass substrate 1, the motor 9 and the motor 13 are rotated. The rotation of the motor 9 is transmitted to the shaft 7 via the spur gears 8b and 8a.
Rotates, and the substrate fixing frame 2 rises as shown in FIG. When the motor 13 is rotated, the motor 13
Is reduced by the speed reducer 10, the ball screw 11 rotates via the timing belt 14, the ball nut 12 moves, and the substrate fixing frame 2 moves as shown in FIG. Since the substrate fixing frame 2 is fixed to the ball nut 12, the substrate fixing frame 2 moves parallel to the stage surface of the inspection stage 5. When the board fixing frame 2 rises, the rotation of the motor 9 is stopped, and when the ball nut 12 moves to a predetermined position, the rotation of the motor 13 is stopped. The drive timing of the motor 9 and the motor 13 is as follows.
For example, they may be separated so that the substrate fixing frame 2 is moved from startup.

Then, the glass substrate 1 is illuminated by the illumination device 22, and the glass substrate 1 is observed from the opposite side. Next, when inspecting the back surface of the glass substrate 1, the motor 9 and the motor 13 are rotated in opposite directions. The rotation of the motor 9 is transmitted to the shaft 7 via the reduction gear 10 and the spur gears 8a and 8b, the shaft 7 rotates, and the substrate fixing frame 2 falls down as shown in FIG. Is stopped in parallel with the stage surface of the inspection stage 5, the rotation of the motor 9 is stopped. Then, the back surface of the glass substrate 1 is illuminated by the lighting device 21 in the same manner as when the front surface of the glass substrate 1 is inspected, and the back surface of the glass substrate 1 is observed by the reflected light from the lighting device 21 to remove dust and the like. An inspection for presence is performed.

According to this configuration, the substrate fixing frame 2 rotates, and the substrate fixing frame 2 is rotated in parallel with the stage surface of the inspection stage 5.
Is moved, so that the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate 1 can be inspected on one stage. In addition, the operation of the glass substrate 1 can be performed without human intervention, and the front and back surfaces of the glass substrate 1 can be easily inspected.

[0020]

As described above, according to the apparatus of the first aspect of the present invention, the front and back surfaces of the substrate can be easily inspected on one inspection stage. According to the apparatus of the second aspect, the substrate fixing frame can be rotated.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the substrate fixing frame and the rotating means can be moved integrally.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line A-A 'of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a partially enlarged view of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the operation of FIGS. 1 to 3;

FIG. 5 is an operation explanatory view of the above operation.

FIG. 6 is an operation explanatory view of the above operation.

FIG. 7 is an operation explanatory view of the above operation.

[Explanation of symbols]

 Reference Signs List 1 glass substrate 2 substrate fixing frame 8a, 8b spur gear 11 ball screw 12 ball nut

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A substrate surface inspection apparatus for inspecting a front surface and a back surface of a substrate, a substrate fixing frame for holding an end of the substrate and fixing the substrate, and an inspection on which the substrate fixing frame is mounted. Means for rotating the substrate so that the front and back surfaces of the substrate are inverted on the stage; and moving means for moving the substrate fixing frame substantially parallel to the stage surface of the inspection stage. Board surface inspection equipment. 2. The substrate surface inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said rotating means comprises a motor and a gear for transmitting rotation of said motor to a substrate fixing frame. 3. The moving means according to claim 1, wherein the moving means comprises a ball screw, and a ball nut which engages with the ball screw by engaging with the substrate fixing frame and the rotating means. Substrate surface inspection equipment.