NSF Award
9560477
9560477 Kuo-Ching Liu This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a submicron optical 3-D sensor, capable of performing in high-throughput, high-duty-cycle industrial applications such as semiconductor package inspection. Laser confocal microscopy presently meets the increasing demands of 3-D imaging and is capable of submicron depth resolution. Its deficiency is the mechanical serving of a minute field depth where the target might be found. The technique is very slow, requires difficult microscope calibration, and can require frequent maintenance due to the wear of moving parts. This Phase I explores an innovative illumination technique for rapid scanning of a broad depth of field electronically. This sensor's resolution is an order of magnitude better than the best optical triangulation technique, the current state of the art in 3-D sensor technology. This technique requires no moving parts, is minimally impacted by obstruction, and is readily reconfigurable using interchangeable lenses to suit a wide range of depth-of-field and resolution requirements. This technology is superior to both confocal microscopes and optical triangulation for rapid, high accuracy measurement. This sensor technology will find wide application in semiconductor and integrated circuit manufacturing, precision electromechanical assembly, precision metrology (CMM's), optoelectronics, and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). The semiconductor industry in particular will need for a submicron sensor with sufficient speed to conduct in-line inspection of semiconductor packages at various stages of manufacture.
