KR100556696B1 - Apparatus for inspecting of defect - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a defect inspection apparatus that not only does not require a jig in performing electrical defect inspection but also makes it compatible with a change of an object.

In the defect inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting the defects of the signal wires formed on the substrate, comprising: first and second pads connected to both ends of the signal wires; A first ball probe in contact with the first pads to apply a high potential voltage to the first pads; A second ball probe in contact with the second pads to apply a low potential voltage to the second pads, wherein the first and second ball probes are in direct contact with the test pads and are rotatable; A ball and the conductive ball is rotatably inserted and includes a probe for inspecting an electrical signal of the signal wires.

Description

Apparatus for inspecting of defect

1 is a perspective view showing an apparatus for inspecting a defect of a conventional liquid crystal display panel.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a state in which alignment between a defect inspection apparatus and a substrate of the liquid crystal display panel illustrated in FIG. 1 is poor.

3 is a view showing a defect inspection apparatus of a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

4a and 4b show in detail the ball probe shown in FIG.

5 illustrates a method for supplying voltage to signal wires formed on a substrate under test.

6 is a view showing a failure inspection apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

<Description of Symbols for Main Parts of Drawings>

20 ₁ to 20 _n, 30 ₁ to 30 _n , 50 ₁ to 50 _n : signal wires

32 ₁ to 32 _n , 24 ₁ to 24 _n , 34 ₁ to 34 _n , 54 ₁ to 54 _n : Test pads

25, 35, 55: Tested substrate 28: Shorting bar

29: Probe 31: opening

32: test pad 37: shorting wiring
40a, 40b, 40, 60a, 60b: ball probe 41: probe

42: ball 43: pin

45, 46, 66: Scanline 51: Short circuit

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a defect inspection apparatus, and more particularly, to a defect inspection apparatus which is not only required for jig for electrical defect inspection but also has compatibility with an object to be inspected.

In today's information society, display elements are more important than ever as visual information transfer media. Cathode ray tubes or cathode ray tubes, which are currently mainstream, have problems with weight and volume. Many kinds of flat panel displays have been developed to overcome the limitations of the cathode ray tube.

The flat panel display device includes a liquid crystal display (LCD), a field emission display (FED), a plasma display panel (PDP) and an electroluminescence (EL). Most of these are commercially available and commercially available.

Liquid crystal display devices can meet the trend of light and short and short of electronic products and mass production is improving, and are rapidly replacing cathode ray tubes in many applications.

In particular, an active matrix type liquid crystal display device that drives a liquid crystal cell using a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as "TFT") has the advantages of excellent image quality and low power consumption, and secures the latest mass production technology. As a result of research and development, it is rapidly developing into larger size and higher resolution.

A manufacturing process for manufacturing an active matrix liquid crystal display device is divided into a substrate cleaning, a substrate patterning process, an alignment film forming / rubbing process, a substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, a mounting process, an inspection process, a repair process, and the like.

In the substrate cleaning process, foreign substances contaminated on the substrate surface of the liquid crystal display device are removed with a cleaning liquid.

In the substrate patterning process, the upper substrate (color filter substrate) and the lower substrate (TFT-array substrate) are divided into patterning. A color filter, a common electrode, a black matrix, and the like are formed on the upper substrate. Signal lines such as data lines and gate lines are formed on the lower substrate, TFTs are formed at intersections of the data lines and gate lines, and pixel electrodes connected to the TFTs are formed in pixel areas between the data lines and gate lines.

In the alignment film forming / rubbing process, an alignment film is applied to each of the upper substrate and the lower substrate, and the alignment film is rubbed with a rubbing cloth or the like.

In the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process, the upper substrate and the lower substrate are bonded using a sealant, the liquid crystal and the spacer are injected through the liquid crystal inlet, and then the liquid crystal inlet is sealed.

In the liquid crystal panel mounting process, a tape carrier package (hereinafter referred to as "TCP") in which integrated circuits such as a gate drive integrated circuit and a data drive integrated circuit are mounted is connected to a pad portion on a substrate. The drive integrated circuit may be directly mounted on a substrate by a chip on glass (COG) method in addition to the tape automated bonding method using the above-described TCP.

The inspection process includes an electrical inspection performed after various signal wirings and pixel electrodes are formed on the lower substrate, and an electrical inspection and a visual inspection performed after the substrate bonding / liquid crystal injection process. In particular, the electrical inspection process of the signal wiring and the pixel electrode of the lower substrate prior to the bonding of the substrate is very important in that the defect rate and disposal can be reduced, and the defective substrate in a relatively repairable state can be detected early.

The repair process restores the substrate that is determined to be repairable by the inspection process. On the other hand, defective substrates that cannot be repaired in the inspection process are discarded.

In the electrical inspection performed before the substrate bonding, the method using the jig as shown in FIG. 1 is most used.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional inspection jig includes a shorting bar 28 on which a plurality of probes 29 are formed.

The shorting bar 28 comes into contact with the pads 24 ₁ to 24 _n connected to the signal wires 20 ₁ to 20 _n formed on the substrate under test while moving up and down on the substrate under test. As described above, it is determined whether the inspected substrate is defective by the up / down movement of the shorting bar 28.

The substrate 25 to be inspected is a lower substrate or a TFT array substrate of a liquid crystal panel on which electrical inspection is performed, and signal wirings 20 ₁ to 20 _n such as gate wiring and date wiring, TFT, pixel electrode, and the like are formed.

Electrical inspection method using a conventional jig for inspection is set, the signal wires (20 ₁ to 20 _n) is the high-potential voltage by a bar (not shown) shorting to one side of being supplied, the signal lines (20 ₁ to 20 _n) A low potential voltage, for example a common voltage or a _ground voltage, is supplied by the shorting bar 28 in contact with the pads 24 ₁ to 24 _n to determine whether there is a failure. Accordingly, a current path is formed to a shorting bar (not shown), signal wires 20 ₁ to 20 _n , and a shorting bar 28 on which a probe is formed. Accordingly, a current ion flows through the signal wires 20 ₁ to 20 _n . At this time, the current flowing through the signal wires 20 ₁ to 20 _n is inspected by the shorting bar 28 in contact with the pads 24 ₁ to 24 _n to supply the low potential voltage. At this time, the signal wiring in which the current is not checked by the shorting bar 28 among the signal wirings 20 ₁ to 20 _n is defective. Accordingly, the inspection operator monitors the image or current data displayed on the display device (not shown) to recognize that the signal wiring is open on the substrate on which the inspection is currently performed. In this way, the substrate in which the defect exists in the signal lines 20 ₁ to 20 _n is subjected to a repair process.

However, the conventional inspection jig is not only expensive but also inspected if the probes 29 formed on the pads 24 ₁ to 24 _n and the shorting bar 28 are not exactly aligned as shown in FIG. 2. There is an impossible problem. In addition, the conventional inspection jig has a disadvantage that the jig should be applied differently for each model of the inspection target substrate to be electrically inspected.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a defect inspection apparatus which is not only required for jigs in performing electrical defect inspection but also makes it compatible with the inspection object change.

In order to achieve the above object, a defect inspection apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is a defect inspection apparatus for inspecting a defect of the signal wirings formed on the substrate, the first pad and the second connected to both ends of the signal wirings Pads; A first ball probe in contact with the first pads to apply a high potential voltage to the first pads; A second ball probe in contact with the second pads to apply a low potential voltage to the second pads, wherein the first and second ball probes are in direct contact with the test pads and are rotatable; A ball and the conductive ball is rotatably inserted and includes a probe for inspecting an electrical signal of the signal wires.
The probe moves along a scan line running in a direction crossing the signal wires.
The conductive ball is formed of a conductive resin.
And a pin penetrating the center of the conductive ball and connecting the probe and the conductive ball.
Lubricant is added between the probe and the ball.

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Other objects and features of the present invention in addition to the above object will become apparent from the description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6.

3 is a view illustrating a defect inspection apparatus of a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a failure inspection apparatus of a liquid crystal display panel according to a first embodiment of the present invention may include a first inspection pad connected to one side of signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n formed on a substrate 35 to be inspected. A first ball probe 40a for supplying a high potential voltage Vh while moving in contact with each of the fields 32 ₁ to 32 _n , and a second test connected to the other side of the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n . A second ball probe 40b is provided to supply the low potential voltage Vl while being in contact with each of the pads 34 ₁ to 34 _n .

Referring to FIG. 4A, the first ball probe 40a not only reduces friction but also places the ball 42 at the end of the probe 41 to minimize damage to the first test pads 32 ₁ to 32 _n . To form. At this time, lubricating oil is added between the probe 41 and the ball 42 so that the first ball probe 40a can rotate in all directions. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4B, the probe 41 and the ball 42 may be connected to each other by a pin 43 inserted through the center of the ball 42. At this time, the first ball probe 40a is rotated in one direction. On the other hand, a conductive resin is used for the material of the ball 42. The first ball probe 40a travels along the scan line 45 traveling in the direction crossing the first test pads 32 ₁ to 32 _n , and receives the high potential test voltage Vh from the signal wires ( 30 ₁ to 30 _n ).

The second ball probe 40b is formed of the same components as the first ball probe 40a described above. The second ball probe 40b travels along the scan line 46 traveling in the direction crossing the second test pads 34 ₁ to 34 _{n and} receives the low potential test voltage Vl from the signal wires ( 30 ₁ to 30 _n ) and the current / voltage on the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n are also examined.

The substrate 35 to be inspected is a lower substrate or a TFT array substrate of a liquid crystal panel subjected to electrical inspection, and signal wirings 30 ₁ to 30 _n such as gate wiring and data wiring, TFT, pixel electrode, and the like are formed.

When only the gate metal layer is patterned on the substrate and the substrate is subjected to electrical inspection, only the gate wiring, the gate electrode of the TFT, and the gate pad may be formed on the liquid crystal panel.

In order to conduct an electrical inspection of the substrate under test 35, the first ball probe 40a is first brought into contact with the first inspection pad 32 ₁ to supply a high potential voltage Vh. At the same time, the second ball probe 40b is brought into contact with the second test pad 34 ₁ to supply the low potential voltage Vl. At this time, the high potential voltage Vh is a voltage of about several tens of volts, and the low potential voltage Vl is a common voltage Vcom or a ground voltage GND of about several volts. Then, a current path leading to the first ball probe 40a, the first test pad 32 ₁ , the first signal wiring 30 ₁ , the second test pad 34 ₁ , and the second ball probe 40b. Is formed.

When the current path is formed in this way, the first ball probe 40a contacts the first test pad 32 ₁ to supply the high potential voltage Vh and the second ball probe to the second test pad 34 ₁ at the same time. 40b is brought into contact with each other to supply a low potential voltage Vl so that a current ion flows. At this time, the electrical signal of the first signal wiring 30 ₁ is inspected by the second ball probe 40b. In this way, the first and second ball probes 40a and 40b are simultaneously moved along the scan lines 45 and 46 to examine the electrical signals of each of the second to nth signal wires 30 ₂ to 30 _n . do. Here, if any of the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n is opened due to a pattern defect or loss, the current does not flow. For example, if a part of the third signal line 30 ₃ is open 31, no current flows in the third signal line 30 ₃ . Since the third signal wiring 30 ₃ is not inspected by the second ball probe 40b, the inspection operator monitors an image or current data displayed on a display device (not shown), and the current inspection is performed. It is recognized that the third signal wiring 30 ₃ is open on the substrate. Thus, the substrate in which the open defect exists in the signal lines 30 ₁ to 30 _n is supplied to the repair process.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, the high voltage line Vh is connected to the shorting line 37 and the shorting line 37 for shorting one side of the signal lines 30 ₁ to 30 _n on the substrate. The first test pad 32 and the second test pads 34 ₁ to 34 _n connected to the other sides of the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n may be formed to perform an electrical test. That is, the scan line 46 in which the high potential voltage Vh is supplied by the shorting wiring 37 and the ball probe 40 travels in the direction crossing the second test pads 34 ₁ to 34 _n . the test may be a current / voltage on the low potential while the test voltage (Vl) and a tray as well as the signal line to the signal line (30 ₁ to 30 _n) (30 ₁ to 30 _n) in accordance with progress.

In other words, the defective inspection apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel according to the first exemplary embodiment of the present invention may reduce the friction with the substrate 35 to be inspected and minimize damage of the substrate 35 to be inspected. Ball 42 is formed at the end. The second ball probe 40b is moved in contact with each of the second test pads 34 ₁ to 34 _n connected to the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n through which current flows, thereby directly sensing current. . As such, the second ball probe 40b moves to examine the electrical signal to determine whether the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n are defective. That is, when the electrical signal is inspected by the second ball probe 40b among the signal wires 30 ₁ to 30 _n , the signal wiring is free of defects, and the electrical signal is not inspected by the second ball probe 40b. If not, the defective signal wiring, that is, the open signal wiring, is checked.

The defect inspection apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel according to the first embodiment of the present invention can not only eliminate a separate jig manufacturing cost, but also apply to any model irrespective of the model of the inspected substrate 35. .

6 is a diagram illustrating a defect inspection apparatus for performing a short circuit inspection of a liquid crystal display panel according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 6, a failure inspection apparatus of a liquid crystal display panel according to a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention may include test pads 54 ₁ to 54 _n connected to signal lines 50 ₁ to 50 _n formed on a substrate to be inspected. And first and second ball probes 60a and 60b for inspecting a current flowing on the signal wires 50 ₁ to 50 _n while being moved in contact with each other.

The first and second ball probes 60a and 60b have the same components as the first and second ball probes described in the first embodiment of the present invention. The first and second ball probes 60a and 60b travel along the scan line 66 running in a direction crossing the test pads 54 ₁ to 54 _n , and the signal wires 50 ₁ to 50 _n. ) To check the current / voltage.

In order to conduct an electrical inspection of the inspection target substrate 55, the odd inspection pads 54 ₁ to 54 _n-1 while supplying the high potential voltage Vh to the even inspection pads 54 ₂ to 52 _n . Supply a low potential voltage (Vl) to the. The high potential voltage Vh is a voltage of approximately several tens of volts and the low potential voltage Vl is a voltage of approximately several volts. At this time, since each signal wiring 50 ₁ to 50 _n is open, a current path is not formed. Here, if any of the signal wires 50 ₁ to 50 _n is shorted with any of the adjacent wires due to a pattern defect or a foreign substance, a current path is formed and current flows. This current is examined by the first and second ball probes 60a and 60b running along the scanline 66 running in the direction crossing the test pads 54 ₁ to 54 _n . For example, if the second and third signal wires 50 ₂ and 50 ₃ are shorted (51) by foreign matter, etc., the second signal wire 50 ₂ is connected to the high potential via the first even test pad 52 ₂ . the voltage (Vh) is applied, a third signal line (50 ₃₎ and the second via the odd-numbered test pads (52 ₃₎ is applied to the low-potential voltage (Vl) to flow a current (ion). This second row, the first Wolf bracket (60a) on the signal line (50 ₂₎ is positioned, the second is a low-Wolf bracket (60b) located in the third signal line (50 _3). Accordingly, since the current (ion) flowing from the second signal wiring 50 ₂ to the third signal wiring 50 ₃ is inspected by the first and second ball probes 60a and 60b, the test operator may display the display device ( (Not shown) monitors the image or current data to recognize that the second and third signal wirings 50 ₂ and 50 ₃ are short-circuited on the substrate on which the current inspection is performed. As described above, the substrate in which the short circuit defect exists in the signal wirings 50 ₁ to 50 _n is supplied to the repair process.

In other words, the defect inspection apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention moves the first and second ball probes 60a and 60b in contact with each of the test pads 54 ₁ to 54 _n . Direct current is sensed. As such, the first and second ball probes 60a and 60b move to inspect the electrical signal to determine whether the signal wires 50 ₁ to 50 _n are defective. That is, if the electrical signals are not inspected by the first and second ball probes 60a and 60b among the signal wires 50 ₁ to 50 _n , the signal wires are free of defects, and the first and second ball probes ( When the electrical signal is inspected by 60a and 60b, the defective signal wiring, that is, the shorted signal wiring, is inspected.

The defect inspection apparatus of the liquid crystal display panel according to the second embodiment of the present invention can not only eliminate a separate jig manufacturing cost, but also can be applied to any model regardless of the model of the substrate to be inspected.

As described above, the defect inspection apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention inspects the current flowing in the signal wires while the ball probe having the ball formed at the end thereof travels along the scan line in the direction crossing the inspection pads. Thus, it is determined whether the signal wires formed on the substrate to be inspected are defective based on the current inspected by the ball probe.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. For example, although the technical idea of the present invention has been described with reference to the electrical inspection in the embodiment, the same may be applied to the electrical inspection of signal wires formed on the other flat panel display device. Therefore, the technical scope of the present invention should not be limited to the contents described in the detailed description of the specification but should be defined by the claims.

Claims (6)

In the defect inspection apparatus for inspecting the defect of the signal wirings formed on the substrate, First and second pads connected to both ends of the signal wires; A first ball probe in contact with the first pads to apply a high potential voltage to the first pads; A second ball probe contacting the second pads to apply a low potential voltage to the second pads, The first and second ball probes are in direct contact with the test pads, the rotatable conductive ball and the conductive ball are rotatably inserted, and a probe for inspecting an electrical signal of the signal wires. Defective inspection device. The method of claim 1, And the probe moves along a scan line traveling in a direction crossing the signal lines. delete The method of claim 1, The conductive ball is a defect inspection device, characterized in that formed of a conductive resin. The method of claim 1, The defect inspection apparatus further comprises a pin penetrating the center of the conductive ball and connecting the probe and the conductive ball. The method of claim 1, The defect inspection apparatus, characterized in that the lubricant is added between the probe and the ball.

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