Patent ID: 6389688
Filing Date: 2002-05-21
Classification: H01L,H05K,Y10T

Abstract:
Apparatus for accurately positioning a first component having at least one alignment feature on a surface thereof and a second component having a transparent area therethrough and at least one alignment feature on a first side thereof in the transparent area, said positioning apparatus comprising:A) positioning means for controlling the positions of the first and second components relative to each other, said positioning means locating the first component with its alignment feature surface facing the first side of the second component, B) optical means positioned on a second side of the second component that is opposite from the first side whereby the second component is intermediate the first component and said optical means, said optical means generating a superposed image containing the alignment features of the first and second components in response to light reflected from the first component, said optical means including: i) a light source directing light through the second component transparent area to the alignment feature surface of the first component along parallel light ray axes that are perpendicular to the alignment feature surface, and ii) a lens set that receives the light reflected from the alignment feature surface of the first component past the alignment features in the transparent areas of the second component whereby the light received in the lens set includes a superposed image containing alignment features from each of the first and second components, and C) image processing means responsive to the superposed image for generating first and second sets of alignment signals from first and second different portions of the superposed image whereby the first and second sets of alignment signals continuously indicate the relative positions of components thereby to enable said positioning means to maintain the components in register as said positioning means move the components into contact.