Inspection apparatus and inspection method using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018190170-A1
Application number	US-201715654480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 19, 2017
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Jul 5, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

An inspection method includes: irradiating light through a prism to an inspection object; scanning an inspection region of the inspection object using a photographing unit; receiving, by the photographing unit, reflected light that is reflected from the inspection object; converting the reflected light received by the photographing unit into an intensity of light; and detecting a defect of the inspection object by comparing a thickness of the inspection object corresponding to the intensity of the light with a predetermined thickness of the inspection object. Therefore, the encapsulation layer is inspected before post-processes of cells or the module process, such that the yield and productivity of the OLED device can be improved.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . An inspection method, comprising:
irradiating light through a prism to an inspection object; scanning an inspection region of the inspection object using a photographing unit; receiving, by the photographing unit, reflected light that is reflected from the inspection object; converting the reflected light received by the photographing unit into an intensity of light; and detecting a defect of the inspection object by comparing a thickness of the inspection object corresponding to the intensity of the light with a predetermined thickness of the inspection object.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
separating the light from a light source into spectra by the prism; reflecting the separated light toward the inspection object by a mirror; and passing the reflected light from the inspection object through the mirror.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein a wavelength of the light from the light source is within a range from 400 nm to 900 nm.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the mirror includes a half-mirror.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the photographing unit comprises a line scan camera.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the detecting a defect of the inspection object is performed while a different inspection region of the inspection object is scanned.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inspection object includes an encapsulation layer of an organic light-emitting panel.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the inspection object includes a transparent film of an organic light-emitting panel.

9 . The method of claim 7 or claim 8 , wherein the inspection method is implemented prior to post-processes of the organic light-emitting panel.

10 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the irradiating light to the inspection object further includes irradiating the light through a lens irradiating the light through above or below the mirror.

11 . An inspection apparatus, comprising:
an optical inspection unit including:
a prism configured to separate light emitted from a light source into spectra;
a mirror configured to reflect the separated light toward an inspection object;
a photographing unit configured to receive a reflected light that is reflected from the inspection object, and to convert the reflected light into an intensity of light; and
a detection unit configured to detect a defect of the inspection object by comparing a thickness of the inspection object corresponding to the intensity of the light with a predetermined thickness of the inspection object.

12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein a wavelength of the light emitted from the light source is within a range from 400 nm to 900 nm.

13 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mirror includes a half-mirror.

14 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the mirror includes an angle adjusting unit.

15 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the inspection object includes an encapsulation layer of an organic light-emitting panel.

16 . The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the encapsulation layer includes a particle cover layer.

17 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the inspection object includes a transparent film of an organic light-emitting panel.

18 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the photographing unit includes a line scan camera and displays a color image.

19 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: an alignment camera configured to align the inspection object with the optical inspection unit.

20 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: an auto focusing unit configured to adjust focus of the optical inspection unit with respect to the inspection object when the optical inspection unit moves along an inspection region of the inspection object.

21 . The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising: a lens having a pixel number corresponding to a number of pixels of the photographing unit.

22 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the detection unit converts the intensity of the light into the thickness of the inspection object corresponding to the intensity of the light.

23 . The apparatus of any one of claim 15 to claim 17 , wherein the inspection apparatus is disposed prior to a device for post-processes of the organic light-emitting panel.

Assignees

• Lg Display Co Ltd

Inventors

• Yang Jeong-Bok

Classifications

• H10P74/203 Primary

  Structural properties, e.g. testing or measuring thicknesses, line widths, warpage, bond strengths or physical defects · CPC title

• G01R31/31728

  Optical aspects, e.g. opto-electronics used for testing, optical signal transmission for testing electronic circuits, electro-optic components to be tested in combination with electronic circuits, measuring light emission of digital circuits (probes having electro-optic elements G01R1/071; electro-optic sampling for oscilloscopes G01R13/347; contactless testing of individual semiconductor devices by optical means G01R31/2656) · CPC title

• G09G3/006 Primary

  Electronic inspection or testing of displays and display drivers, e.g. of LED or LCD displays (testing individual LED's G01R31/2635; testing lamps G01R31/44; testing of optical features of LCD displays G02F1/1309) · CPC title

• G09G3/3208

  organic, e.g. using organic light-emitting diodes [OLED] · CPC title

• G01R31/11

  using pulse reflection methods · CPC title