Patent ID: 6870177
Filing Date: 2005-03-22
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for supporting a micro-electronic chip within a chip-holding cavity and establishing a location of the chip for optical inspection, the chip having at least a front wall and a pair of opposed, spaced-apart side walls, wherein the front wall meets with each of the side walls to form opposed, spaced-apart first and second front edges, comprising: a microchip support structure having at least first and second chip holding cavities for holding respective first and second chips, wherein: each of the first and second chip-holding cavities have a cavity side wall formed to juxtapositionally abut at least one of the side walls of the respective first and second chips; the respective cavity side walls having intentionally formed therein a depression adapted for creating a shadow that has a measurable contrast in grayness with that of the first front edge of the respective first and second chips to form a detectable border between the shadow and the respective first and second chips; and, the depression in the cavity side wall of the first chip-holding cavity is substantially identical to the depression in the cavity side wall of the second chip-holding cavity.