Flexible Electronics Inspection System

Copper and Aluminum Foil  – Quality Challenges

• Copper and aluminum foils must be defect-free. Bumps, dents and pinholes should not be processed into batteries.
• Manual inspection is time consuming, expensive, subjective and inexact; critical defects cannot be reliably detected, manually.
• Conventional camera technologies do not deliver consistent bump/dent/scratch detection. The reflective nature of the foils cause these systems to miss defects and generate false hits. These systems require constant tuning and checking.

Dark Field Solution

• Solid State Laser Reflection (SSLR) scanners deliver the highest resolution in the industry (1μm); darkfield and brightfield scanner designs.
• Special technology for reflective foils delivers extraordinary defect detection of all critical defects.
• SSLR scanners solve all the problems associated with conventional camera and laser systems. Systems are self-aligning. No more false hits or missed defects due to misalignment of the camera and light source.

In-situ inspection with no active modules within the chamber

In coating applications, Dark Field’s SSLR technology allows inspection to be performed from outside the vacuum chamber during processing.

The laser reflector is installed in the chamber to capture and return light to the scanner. No electronics are required in the deposition chamber. Dark Field has built in-situ inspection systems with coating defect detection down to 1 micron.

Haze Measurement Challenges

• Conventional haze measurement is on off-line operation; small samples, statistical, long time for feedback.
• Film and glass production need 100% on-line immediate haze mapping and measurement.  Identify areas of the web or sheet which are outside control limits.

Dark Field Solution

• Special SSLR technology provides 100% on-line, real-time haze measurement.
• Haze results correlate to Gardner Haze Gard Plus instrument and ASTM Haze Measurement standard #D1003.
• Warning and reject levels.  Real time alerts, alarms, marking.
• Data saved in XML and SQL database files.
• Integrated with defect detection results; single window operation.

Transient Defects – Detection Challenges

• Transient defects must be detected in a vast array of high-end products: Electronic readers, Smart Phones/Pads, Smart Windows, etc.
• Transient defects are only visible during a color or state change; they can disappear quickly.
• Transient defects will cause the final assembly to be rejected; they must be captured prior to assembly.
• On-line technologies did not exist to detect transient defects on a production line.

Dark Field Solution

• Special optics and hardware processing modules make detection of transient defects simple and robust at line speeds over 30m/min.

Scratch Detection Challenges

• On-line Scratch and Sleek detection can be extremely difficult.
• Many systems cannot detect subtle scratches and sleeks.
• Scratches/Sleeks in the machine-direction (or conveyor direction) are the most common and the most difficult to detect.

Special Scratch/Sleek Detection

• Special optics detect subtle scratches and sleeks.
• Special  processing/software module improves scratch measurement.

Turnkey Inspection Systems – Customer Needs

• Existing production line: Integration of the inspection system with the existing customer production line.
• Complete turnkey system – Stand alone: Stand-alone system – off-line and development, including roll unwind, rewind, sheet handling.

Dark Field Capabilities

• Existing production line: Dark Field provides complete interface and integration services.  This means mounting the system to the machine frame or the floor.  Customers only need to provide mounting holes or anchor bolts and power.  Dark Field does the rest, including I/O and data interfaces.
• Complete turnkey system – Stand alone: Custom solutions.  Systems are full production systems and can be easily modified/upgraded for relocation to the production line.