TWI660856B - Improved systems and methods for computerized direct writing - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, which comprises the following steps: providing a printing instruction database containing precise instructions for printing on the patterned substrate; and making the patterned substrate Imaging to provide a patterned substrate image; and using a computer to reference at least the print instruction database and the patterned substrate image for instructing an optical writer to write on the patterned substrate according to the precise instructions, There is no need to perform reference registration between the print instruction database and the patterned substrate during the time between the imaging and the indication.

Description

Improved system and method for computerized direct writing

The large system of the present invention relates to computerized direct writing.

Various methods of computerized direct writing are known in the art. The present invention seeks to provide an improved system and method for computerized direct writing. By way of example, US Patent No. 7,508,515 describing one of the state of the art technology methods is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention seeks to provide an improved system and method for computerized direct writing.

One advantage of the system and method according to the present invention is that it can produce improved printing accuracy that is superior to the method based on reference registration, because it can provide better accuracy for each element or group of elements, and the printing The method can compensate the overall and local deformation of the substrate.

Therefore, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a method for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate is provided. The method includes the following steps: A print instruction database is provided, which contains a database for Precise instructions printed on; imaging the patterned substrate to provide a patterned substrate image; and using a computer for referencing at least the print instruction database and the patterned substrate image for instructing an optical writer to The precise instructions are written on the patterned substrate without performing a reference registration between the print instruction database and the patterned substrate during the time between the imaging and the instruction.

Preferably, at least referring to the printing instruction database and the patterned substrate image for instructing an optical writer to write on the patterned substrate according to the precise instructions also includes: providing CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate ; An imaging image of one of the patterned substrates and a computerization of the CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate overlap; and the information from the overlay is used to provide the precise instructions.

Preferably, using the information from the overlay to provide the precise instructions includes using the CAM data to modify the precise instructions contained in the print instruction database. In addition, the print instruction database is used to modify the CAM data used in the utilization step.

Preferably, the imaging is performed by an automated optical detection subsystem. Preferably, the optical writer is a direct imaging subsystem.

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, a system for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate is also provided. The system includes: a print instruction database containing information for printing on the patterned substrate Precise instructions; imaging functionality operable to image the patterned substrate to provide a patterned substrate image; and a computer operable to reference at least the print instruction database and the patterned substrate image and use When instructing an optical writer to write on the patterned substrate according to the precise instructions, a reference registration between the print instruction database and the patterned substrate is performed without a time period between the imaging and the instruction.

Preferably, the computer is also operable to overlap one imaging pattern of the patterned substrate and the CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate, and to use the information from the overlay to provide the accuracy instruction.

Preferably, the computer is also operable to use the CAM data to modify the precise instructions contained in the print instruction database. In addition, the print order database is used to modify the CAM data used by the computer.

Preferably, the imaging functionality is packaged in an automated optical detection subsystem. Preferably, the optical writer is a direct imaging subsystem.

101‧‧‧ Rack

102‧‧‧Optical Table

104‧‧‧ substrate support surface

106‧‧‧ patterned substrate

112‧‧‧bridge

114‧‧‧ first axis

116‧‧‧Read / write assembly

118‧‧‧Second axis

124‧‧‧Control Assembly

126‧‧‧Computer

128‧‧‧user interface

130‧‧‧Printing instruction database

132‧‧‧Automated Optical Inspection Subsystem (AOI)

134‧‧‧patterned substrate image

136‧‧‧Direct Imaging Subsystem (DI)

138‧‧‧Printing instructions

201‧‧‧Sports rack

202‧‧‧ Lower fixed rack

203‧‧‧axis

204‧‧‧ substrate support surface

206‧‧‧patterned substrate

212‧‧‧ fixed bridge

224‧‧‧Control Assembly

226‧‧‧Computer

230‧‧‧Printing instruction database

232‧‧‧Automated Optical Inspection Subsystem (AOI)

234‧‧‧patterned substrate image

236‧‧‧Direct Imaging Subsystem (DI)

238‧‧‧Printing instructions

250‧‧‧ steps

252‧‧‧step

254‧‧‧step

256‧‧‧step

258‧‧‧step

260‧‧‧step

300‧‧‧ steps

302‧‧‧step

304‧‧‧step

306‧‧‧step

308‧‧‧step

400‧‧‧CAM Information

402‧‧‧ substrate component layer

404‧‧‧ Overlay component layer

410‧‧‧Rules

420‧‧‧ Imaging Subsystem

422‧‧‧patterned substrate image

424‧‧‧ Contouring Functionality

426‧‧‧Outlined image

430‧‧‧ plus function tag functionality

432‧‧‧Image Design

440‧‧‧Direct Imaging Subsystem

The present invention will be more fully understood and understood from the following embodiments in combination with the drawings, in which: FIG. 1A is one of a system for computerized direct writing constructed and operated according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention Simplified diagram; FIG. 1B is a simplified diagram of a system for computerized direct writing constructed and operated according to another preferred embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the system of FIGS. 1A and 1B One of the steps is a simplified flowchart; Figure 3 is a simplified flowchart illustrating one of the additional steps used in the operation of the system of Figures 1A to 2; Figure 4A is an implementation of a portion of the system of Figures 1A to 3 One example is a simplified block diagram; and FIG. 4B is a simplified block diagram of another embodiment of a portion of the system of FIGS. 1A to 3.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1A, which is a simplified diagram of a system for computerized direct writing constructed and operated in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 1A, the system preferably includes a rack 101, which is preferably mounted on a conventional optical table 102. The frame 101 defines a substrate support surface 104, and a patterned substrate 106 may be placed on the substrate support surface 104. The substrate 106 may be, for example, a circuit board to which a solder mask is to be printed.

A bridge 112 is configured to move linearly relative to the substrate support surface 104 along a first axis 114 (defined relative to the frame 101). A read / write assembly 116 is configured to move linearly relative to the bridge 112 along a second axis 118 (perpendicular to the first axis 114).

The system preferably also includes a control assembly 124 which preferably includes a computer 126 having a user interface 128. The computer 126 preferably includes software modules that are operated to operate the read / write assembly 116.

The control assembly 124 also preferably includes a print instruction database 130 containing precise instructions for printing on the patterned substrate 106.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the read / write assembly 116 preferably includes: an automated optical inspection subsystem (AOI) 132, which is operable to image the patterned substrate 106 to image the patterned substrate 106. A patterned substrate image 134 is provided to the computer 126; and a direct imaging subsystem (DI) 136, which includes an optical writer operable to write on the patterned substrate 106.

One specific feature of this embodiment of the present invention is that the computer 126 is operable to refer to the precise printing instructions and the patterned substrate image 134 stored in the printing instruction database 130 and to provide the precise printing instructions 138 to the DI 136 For writing on the patterned substrate 106 without executing the print instruction database and the patterned substrate during the time between imaging the patterned substrate 106 by AOI 132 and writing on the patterned substrate 106 by DI 136 Benchmark registration between 106.

Reference is now made to FIG. 1B, which is a simplified diagram of a system for computerized direct writing constructed and operated in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As can be seen in FIG. 1B, the system preferably includes a motion frame 201, which is preferably mounted on the lower fixed frame 202 and is configured along an axis defined relative to the lower fixed frame 202 203 linear motion. The frame 201 defines a substrate supporting surface 204, and a patterned substrate 206 may be placed on the substrate supporting surface 204. The substrate 206 may be, for example, a circuit board to which a solder mask is to be printed.

A fixed bridge 212 is preferably supported above the moving frame 201 and allows the moving frame 201 to move linearly along the axis 203 below it.

The system preferably also includes a control assembly 224, and the control assembly 224 preferably includes a The computer 226 and a print instruction database 230 containing one of precise instructions for printing on the patterned substrate 206.

According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the bridge 212 preferably supports an automated optical inspection subsystem (AOI) 232 (which is operable to image the patterned substrate 206 to image one of the patterned substrates 206 234 is provided to the computer 226) and a direct imaging subsystem (DI) 236 (which includes an optical writer operable to write on the patterned substrate 206).

A specific feature of this embodiment of the present invention is that the computer 226 is operable to refer to the precise printing instructions and the patterned substrate image 234 stored in the printing instruction database 230, and to provide the precise printing instructions 238 to the DI 236 For writing on the patterned substrate 206 without executing the print instruction database and the patterned substrate 206 during the time between imaging the patterned substrate 206 by AOI 232 and writing on the patterned substrate 206 by DI 236 Baseline registration.

Although the system of FIG. 1B provides one-dimensional movement of the moving frame 201 relative to the fixed frame 202, it should be understood that a system that provides two-dimensional movement of the moving frame 201 relative to the fixed frame 202 can also be provided.

Reference is now made to Fig. 2, which is a simplified flowchart illustrating one of the steps in the operation of the system of Figs. 1A and 1B. As shown in FIG. 2, a board (such as the patterned substrate 106 of FIG. 1A and the patterned substrate 206 of FIG. 1B) is first loaded on the system (250). Thereafter, the plate (252) is preferably scanned and the plate is imaged (254). Then, the acquired image (256) is preferably processed. This processing may include the detection and characterization of individual elements or element groups. This property can include size, position, shape, and type. Reference is made to a print order database to provide precise print orders (258) associated with elements of the acquired image. Thereafter, precise printing instructions are used to write directly to the board (260).

A specific feature of the present invention is that the method illustrated in FIG. 2 includes: providing a print instruction database containing precise instructions for printing on a patterned substrate; Image the patterned substrate to provide a patterned substrate image; refer to the print instruction database and patterned substrate image to instruct an optical writer to write on the patterned substrate according to precise instructions, without the time between imaging and instruction During the benchmark registration between the print instruction database and the patterned substrate.

Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which is a simplified flowchart illustrating one of the optional extra steps in the operation of the system of FIGS. 1A to 2. Preferably, referring to the printing instruction database as described above with reference to FIGS. 1A to 2 to provide a precise printing instruction including a computer that provides CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate and a patterned substrate image and CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate Overlap each other and automatically use information from the overlay to provide precise instructions. It should be understood that the CAM data is preferably stored in the print instruction database.

As shown in Figure 3, the step (300) of providing precise printing instructions associated with the elements of the acquired image first includes retrieving the CAM data (302) corresponding to the patterned substrate and the processed image data (304) of the receiving substrate . Thereafter, the CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate is overlaid on the patterned substrate image (306) and the information obtained from the self-stacking is used to provide accurate instructions (308). It should be understood that the information obtained from the self-stacking may include, for example, a pattern matching included in the CAM data and a pattern appearing in the received processed image data of the substrate. As described above, one particular feature of the present invention is that execution provides precise instructions without performing reference registration between the system and the patterned substrate during the time between imaging and providing precise instructions.

4A and 4B, FIG. 4A and FIG. 4B are simplified block diagrams of two alternative embodiments of portions of the system of FIGS. 1A to 3. FIG. 4A illustrates a rule-based embodiment, and FIG. 4B illustrates a CAM data and a rule-based embodiment. The elements illustrated in FIG. 4A or FIG. 4B facilitate the execution of step 258 of FIG. 2 in which a print instruction database is referenced to provide precise print instructions associated with elements of the acquired image. The elements illustrated in FIG. 4B are helpful for performing step 308 of FIG. 3, in which information obtained by superimposing CAM data corresponding to a patterned substrate on a patterned substrate image is used to extract For precise instructions.

As shown in FIG. 4A, the system preferably includes a plurality of rules 410 that control the placement of any overlapping component layer 404 over a corresponding base component layer 402. It should be understood that rules 410 may be stored in a database, such as database 130 of FIG. 1A and database 230 of FIG. 1B.

For example, rule 410 may specify that one of the placement angles between the overlay component layer 404 and the corresponding base component layer 402 is allowed to vary. Rule 410 may also control the alignment of multiple overlay components in an overlay component layer 404. Each of the multiple overlay components corresponds to one of the plurality of base components in the base component layer 402. The base component Have a different mutual alignment. For example, a rule can be established to print a frame with a predefined width around the size X x Y of any square shape. This shape may correspond to a pad in a printed circuit board. In addition, a rule can be established to print mutually aligned frames with a predefined width around each of one of the predefined shaped arrays of size X x Y having a square shape. Such an array may correspond to a pad array for mounting a given circuit component on a PCB.

As another example, a rule can be established that all oblong shapes with an aspect ratio greater than R are overprinted using a frame with a thickness T. This type of rule can be applied to, for example, elongated conductors.

In addition, the rule 410 may include a compliance rule, which controls the overlapping component layer 404 and the corresponding base component layer 402. For example, the rules 410 may include rules regarding the minimum size of an overlay component of the component layer 404 relative to a base component of the base component layer 402. Therefore, it will be understood that the rules 410 are operated to modify the precise placement of the overlay component layer 404 over a corresponding base component layer 402.

As shown in FIG. 4B, the CAM data 400 includes a plurality of design layer pairs, each of which preferably includes a base component layer 402 and an overlay component layer 404 for writing onto a corresponding base component layer 402. The base component layer 402 and the overlay component layer 404 may be of different types and may be designated to perform different functions on the resulting circuit board.

It should be understood that the data encapsulated in the CAM data 400 may provide for modifications to rule 410. For example, the data encapsulated in the CAM data 400 may specify a minimum size of an overlying component of the component layer 404 relative to a base component of the base component layer 402, and thereby may govern at least one of the rules 410. In addition, the CAM data can be used to select or confirm the proper selection of the appropriate rules in rule 410.

Preferably, an imaging subsystem 420 (such as the AOI subsystem 132 of FIG. 1A and the AOI subsystem 232 of FIG. 1B) is provided for imaging a patterned substrate (such as the patterned substrate 106 of FIG. 1A and the patterning of FIG. 1B). Substrate 206). Once a patterned substrate image 422 is obtained (such as the patterned substrate image 134 of FIG. 1A and the patterned substrate image 234 of FIG. 1B), the contouring functionality 424 is preferably used to provide a contoured image of one of the patterned substrate images. 426. This contouring procedure is described in Applicant's US Patent No. 7,181,059.

Preferably, an image overlay function 428 is provided for overlaying the contoured image 426 over the base component layer 402 so as to match existing elements in the contoured image 426 with corresponding elements in the base component layer 402. The image overlay functionality 428 may employ a well-known geometry matching procedure or method described in Applicant's US Patent No. 7,388,978.

Preferably, a tagging function 430 is provided for tagging elements of the base component layer 402. One method of functional tagging is described in Applicant's US Patent 7,388,978.

Then, the function label of the element of the base component layer 402 is combined with the corresponding overlay component layer 404 and the rule 410 to provide an image design 432. Thereafter, an image design is provided to one of the direct imaging subsystems 440 operable for writing on a patterned substrate.

Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention is not limited by what has been specifically shown and described above. In fact, the scope of the present invention includes both the combinations and sub-combinations of various features described above, and those skilled in the art will recognize their modifications after reading the above description and these modifications are not in the prior art.

Claims (12)

A method for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate includes the following steps: providing a print instruction database containing precise instructions for printing on the patterned substrate; and imaging the patterned substrate to provide A patterned substrate image; and a computer used to reference at least the print instruction database and the patterned substrate image to instruct an optical writer to write on the patterned substrate according to the precise instructions without having to The reference registration between the print instruction database and the patterned substrate is performed during the time between the imaging and the instruction. If one of the methods of claim 1 is to computerize direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein at least the print instruction database and the patterned substrate image are referred to for instructing an optical writer to perform the precise instructions according to the precise instructions. Writing on the patterned substrate includes: providing CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate; an imaging pattern of one of the patterned substrates and computerization of the CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate; and using from the overlay Stacked information to provide such precise instructions. If claim 2 is a method of computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein using the information from the overlay to provide the precise instructions includes using the CAM data to modify the print instruction database Those precise instructions contained in it. For example, claim 2 is a method for computerizing direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein the print instruction database is used to modify the CAM data used in the utilization step. For example, claim 1 is a method for computerizing direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and the imaging is performed by an automated optical detection subsystem. For example, claim 1 is a method for computerizing direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and the optical writer is a direct imaging subsystem. A system for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate includes: a print instruction database containing precise instructions for printing on the patterned substrate; and imaging functionality operable to make the Imaging the patterned substrate to provide a patterned substrate image; and a computer operable to refer to at least the print instruction database and the patterned substrate image and to instruct an optical writer to place the pattern on the pattern according to the precise instructions Writing on a patterned substrate without performing a reference registration between the print instruction database and the patterned substrate during the time between the imaging and the indication. If claim 7 is a system for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and also where the computer is also operable for an imaging pattern of the patterned substrate and CAM data corresponding to the patterned substrate Overlapping each other and used to provide the precise instructions with information from the overlay. For example, if claim 8 is a system for computerizing direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein the computer is also operable to use the CAM data to modify the precise instructions contained in the print instruction database. For example, claim 8 is a system for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein the print instruction database is used to modify the CAM data used by the computer. For example, claim 7 is a system for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein the imaging functionality is packaged in an automated optical inspection subsystem. For example, claim 7 is a system for computerized direct optical writing on a patterned substrate, and wherein the optical writer is a direct imaging subsystem.