The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Sep. 07, 2004
Filed:
Oct. 08, 2003
Akira Ishii, Kusatsu, JP;
Jun Mitsudo, Kusatsu, JP;
NEC Machinery Corporation, Shiga-ken, JP;
Abstract
A method is provided that allows a simple and inexpensive apparatus to measure the uniformity of the height-directional positions of spheres or hemispheres such as bump electrodes of a semiconductor device. The degree of focus is calculated from an image of bump electrodes and acquired at a first focusing position F1 using an imaging system. After that, the bump electrodes and and the imaging system is relatively moved closer or farther, and then the degree of focus is calculated from an image acquired at a second focusing position F2. The degrees of focus at these two focusing positions F1 and F2 are compared with each other. As a result, detected are the contour lines of the horizontal cross sections of the bump electrodes and at the height (F1+F2)/2 of the position of equal degree of focus indicated by PQ. On the basis of the shapes and/or sizes thereof, the height-directional positions of the bump electrodes and are measured. According to this method, the uniformity of the height-directional positions of the bump electrodes and are also measured.