OPTICAL INSPECTION SYSTEM OF OBJECTS DESTINED TO BE USED IN A QUALITY CONTROL SYSTEM IN A SERIES MANUFACTURING PROCESS AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

Abstract

An optical inspection system of objects destined to be used in a control quality system in a series manufacturing process, which includes an optical coherence tomography device provided with a low coherence source, an objective lens so that a focal plane is defined where the part of the object to be inspected has to be placed, and an imaging device for acquiring images of the object. The imaging device is provided with a camera and includes a beam splitter (22), the beam splitter being arranged between the objective lens and the focal plane and arranged to reflect part of the light coming from the object and direct it toward the camera. The device optical coherence tomography includes a lens system provided with one or more mobile reflectors and intended to allow sweeps with the laser beam on the object.

Claims

1. An optical inspection system of objects configured to be used in a control quality system in a series manufacturing process, the system comprises an optical coherence tomography device provided in turn with: a low coherence source; an objective lens configured such that a focal plane is defined where the part of the object to be inspected has to be placed; an imaging device for acquiring images of the object, the imaging device being provided with a camera; the imaging device comprising a beam splitter; the beam splitter being arranged between the objective lens and the focal plane; the beam splitter being arranged to reflect part of the light coming from the object and direct it toward the camera; wherein the device optical coherence tomography comprises a lens system provided with one or more mobile reflectors and configured to allow sweeps with the laser beam on the object; wherein the system comprises a platform for supporting the object and means for moving the platform with respect to the optical coherence tomography device, so that it is possible to perform an inspection of areas identified with the camera on the object by alternating displacement of the beam by the reflector and by moving the platform.

2. The optical inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the lens system comprises two motors for allowing sweeps in two dimensions.

3. The optical inspection system according to claim 2, wherein the focal distance of the lens system is higher than 25 mm.

4. The optical inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the source is a laser.

5. The optical inspection system according to claim 1, wherein the platform is movable in three directions.

6. The optical inspection system according to claim 1, further comprising a window provided in an edge with an illumination system destined to light the sample for the camera and a transparent cover.

7. A method for optical inspection system in a control quality system in a series manufacturing process, wherein the optical inspection system according to claim 1 is used, including the steps of: a) Placing an object to be inspected in the focal plane; b) Acquiring an image of the object; c) Identifying the area to be scanned of the object; d) Partitioning the areas to be scanned in subareas, such that the subareas can be swept by the laser by the only use of the reflector; e) Placing a subarea in the field of view of the optical coherence tomography device using the platform; f) Scanning the subarea by sweeping with the reflector to measure depth profiles in selected regions g) Using the camera to perform the lateral measurements of the object; h) Displacing the object with respect to the optical coherence tomography device by moving the platform to place another subarea of the object in the field of view of the optical coherence tomography device; i) Iterating steps f) to h) until all the subareas making the identified area have been scanned.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] To complete the description and in order to provide for a better understanding of the disclosure, a set of drawings is provided. Said drawings form an integral part of the description and illustrate an embodiment of the disclosure, which should not be interpreted as restricting the scope of the disclosure, but just as an example of how the disclosure can be carried out. The drawings comprise the following figures:

[0049] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the device main components of the optical coherence tomography device according to the disclosure; and

[0050] FIG. 2 is a schematic representation of an OCT beam inspecting a microfluidic channel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0051] As shown in FIG. 1, the present disclosure relates to an optical inspection system of objects O destined to be used in a control quality system in a series manufacturing process, for example a microfluidic device provided with micro-channels O1 as shown in FIG. 2.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the object or objects O to be scanned must be placed under the window A.

[0053] The optical coherence tomography device 1 of the system is provided with: [0054] a low coherence source LCS, which can be located in the same housing itself, for example directly coupled to the port 11, or, as shown, being remotely located, and driven by means of optical fibers to a port 11; [0055] an objective lens 12 so that a focal plane 13 is defined. The focal distance is f as shown in FIG. 1. [0056] the device also includes a circulator C and a spectrometer S.

[0057] The part of the object O to be inspected has to be placed such that it coincides with the focal plane 13.

[0058] The system 1 is provided with an imaging device 2 for acquiring images of the object O, the imaging device 2 being provided with a camera 21. This camera is part of a machine vision system able to identify the features O1 of the object O to be scanned.

[0059] The imaging device comprises a beam splitter 22 arranged between the objective lens 12 and the focal plane 13 and is arranged to reflect part of the light coming from the object O and direct it toward the camera 21.

[0060] Therefore, there is no camera present which can see the full object, but instead the camera for machine vision shares the same field of view as the OCT.

[0061] A focusing beam going through a piece of glass induces spherical aberration, which net result is a loss of lateral resolution, a larger spot if talking in terms of a laser. In many systems used for ophthalmologic systems the OCT beam is used in reflection since this sets the lateral resolution of the system and the reflection does not introduce aberrations.

[0062] The camera is typically used in transmission since it is merely used to give a rough image of the sample O. In the present case the camera 21 is doing the lateral dimensioning. An aim of the present disclosure is to reduce any aberration on that path, such that the camera 21 is used in reflection.

[0063] The spot of the OCT beam used in transmission according to the present disclosure and as shown in FIG. 2 is already big since the longer focal length is used, so that the small amount of spherical aberration affects only slightly.

[0064] The optical coherence tomography 1 comprises a scanning system provided with one or more mobile reflectors, which may or may not be actuated by galvonometric motors M1, M2, and a set of lenses 12. The scanning system allows the low coherence beam 11 to be scanned on the object O. 12 is an objective lens, identical to the objective lens 12, destined to ensure that both arms have the same length and amount of material for dispersion matching. 15 is the beam splitter of the interferometer and 16 is a mirror just provided for compactness purposes.

[0065] As shown schematically in the lower part of FIG. 1, the system comprises a platform 3 for supporting the object O and means for moving the platform 3 with respect to the optical coherence tomography 1 device.

[0066] Therefore, it is possible to perform an inspection of areas identified by the camera 21 on the object O by alternating displacement of the beam by the reflector 14 and by moving the platform 3, which can be moved following up to three dimensions.

[0067] The housing comprises in a wall a window A provided in its edge with an illumination means, for example a LED ring, destined to light the sample for the camera 21 and a transparent cover to prevent dust entering the measurement head.

[0068] This system allows carrying out a method for optical inspection system in a control quality system in a series manufacturing process, comprising the steps of: [0069] a) Place an object O to be inspected in the focal plane 13; [0070] b) Acquire an image of the object O with the camera 21; [0071] c) Identify the area to be scanned of the object O; [0072] d) Partition the areas to be scanned in subareas, such that the subareas can be swept by the laser by the only use of the reflector 14; [0073] e) Place a subarea in the field of view of the optical coherence tomography device 1 using the platform 3; [0074] f) Scan the subarea by sweeping with the reflector 14 to measure depth profiles in selected regions [0075] g) Use the camera 21 to perform the lateral measurements of the object O; [0076] h) Displace the object O with respect to the optical coherence tomography device 1 by moving the platform 3 to place another subarea of the object O in the field of view of the optical coherence tomography device 1; [0077] i) Iterate steps f to h until all the subareas making the identified area have been scanned.

[0078] For example, M1 and M2 allow a fast sweep over features within the field of view of the instrument whereas the platform allows a sweep of the object from one subarea of the size of the field of view to the next.

[0079] Therefore, the present disclosure is directed to the combination of two metrology techniques, SD-OCT and machine vision for improved inspection rates.

[0080] SD-OCT is an interferometric technique whereby a beam of light is split in two using a beam-splitter 15. One half of the light is directed towards a telecentric scanning system which may scan the focussed beam onto the 3D object O under inspection hereafter referred to as the sample O. The other half of the beam is sent to a reference mirror RM along a path equivalent to that going to the sample O. The light reflected from the reference mirror RM and that scattered from the sample O are recombined by the same beam-splitter 15.

[0081] The combined beam is directed to a spectrometer S where the interference between the two beams is recorded using a linear pixelated detector. This recorded interference pattern is Fourier transformed in the CPU to yield the depth profile of the sample O. The retrieved dimensions may be compared to dimensional specifications for pass/fail testing of the sample O.

[0082] The machine vision is an imaging technique whereby the sample is imaged preferably onto a 2D pixel array detector 21. The image is used by software to recognise features. Once recognised, the dimensions of features on the sample O may be measured by the computer CPU through the machine vision. The retrieved dimensions may be compared to dimensional specifications for pass/fail testing of the sample O.

[0083] The galvonometric scanning system M1, M2, 14 is much faster but with a much reduced field of view than the XY stage allowed by the platform 3, it therefore allows fast scanning of the features on the sub-area being inspected.

[0084] To achieve the above object, the main aspect of this disclosure is the separation of the measurement of the 3 dimensions between two different metrology technologies: machine vision to do the lateral dimensioning and OCT to measure the depth profiles.

[0085] To achieve the above object, the OCT and the MV share the same field of view. The combination of the fields of view may be done using a dichroic beam splitter 22 and using different wavelength bands for the OCT and for the MV.

[0086] The combination of the fields of view may also be done using a standard beam splitter. The OCT beam may be scanned across the field of view using, but not limited to, a telecentric system with two galvonometric motors M1, M2 to drive the motion of the light beam.

[0087] To achieve the above object, the machine vision plays a dual role. Its first role is to perform the lateral dimensioning of all features within the field of view from a single snapshot (two dimensions are covered by the machine vision).

[0088] Its second role is to locate the features where the depth information is critical and send to the OCT scanning system the coordinates within the field of view of the features to be inspected in the third dimension (defined as depth).

[0089] To achieve the above object, the OCT beam measures the depths profiles of user-defined features.

[0090] To achieve the above object, the lateral dimensioning measured by the machine vision and the depth profile of the user-defined features are compared to the design intent and the design tolerance of the sample manufacturer.

[0091] The galvonometric motors M1, M2 scan the beam to the position of the feature on the sample plane 13, the beam allows the extraction of the depth at the point where it is incident on in the plane. No lateral information leading to a pass/fail test is extracted from that measurement, the lateral information is extracted from the image from the machine vision 21 only.

[0092] The disclosure is not limited to the specific embodiment described herein, but also encompasses any variations that may be considered by any person skilled in the art (for example, as regards the choice of materials, dimensions, components, configuration, etc.), within the general scope of the disclosure as defined in the claims.