Patent Description:
In general, the process of mounting electronic components on a printed circuit board proceeds in the order of: applying solder onto the pad of the printed circuit board through screen printer equipment; inspecting the solder application state through solder paste inspection (SPI) equipment; and mounting the electronic components through component mounting equipment by using a surface mount technology (SMT).

In recent years, the use of a flexible printed circuit board having flexibility in electronic devices has been increasing. Typically, when mounting components on the flexible printed circuit board, a component mounting process is carried out while a plurality of flexible printed circuit boards is mounted on a jig in the form of an array.

However, in performing a component mounting process while a flexible printed circuit board is mounted on the jig, components may not be mounted in the correct positions of the flexible printed circuit board due to the characteristics of the flexible printed circuit board in which the flexible printed circuit board is thin and easily bent, thereby degrading the reliability of the component mounting process.

<CIT> and <CIT> are examples of inspection apparatuses.

Accordingly, in order to address the problem above, the present invention provides a solder paste inspection equipment according to claim <NUM> and a method to inspect a solder paste application according to claim <NUM>. Further preferred embodiments are provided in the dependent claims.

According to the solder paste inspection equipment and method above, the mounting tolerance information of the component mounting equipment and the warp information of the flexible array board obtained through the inspection of the solder paste inspection equipment are comprehensively compared to set a mounting region for components, and the components are mounted only on the board or region where mounting of components is possible according thereto, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the component mounting process.

The present invention may be variously modified and may have a variety of forms, and thus, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and will be described in detail in the specification.

Terms, such as "first" or "second," may be used to explain a variety of elements, but the elements are not limited to the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one element from the other element. For example, the first element may be referred to as the second element, and likewise, the second element may be referred to as the first element without departing from the scope of the present invention.

The terms that are used in the present specification are intended to merely explain specific embodiments, but are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions may encompass plural expressions unless otherwise stated. Terms, such as "include" or "have," of the present specification are intended to represent that there are characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or a combination thereof, which are described in the specification, and it should be understood that the terms do not exclude the possibility of the existence or addition of one or more other characteristics, numbers, steps, operations, elements, parts, or a combination thereof.

All the terms including technical terms and scientific terms that are used in the present specification have the same meanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined.

Any term that is defined in an ordinary dictionary shall be construed to have the same as the context of the related art, and shall not be construed as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless specifically defined in the present specification.

A combination of each block of the accompanying block diagrams and each step of the accompanying flowchart may be performed by computer program instructions. The computer program instructions may be installed in processors of general purpose computers, special purpose computers, or other programmable data processing equipment, and the instructions that are executed by the processors of the computers or other programmable data processing equipment create means for performing functions that are described in each block of the block diagram or in each step of the flowchart. The computer program instructions may be stored in a computer-available or computer-readable memory that is able to support the computers or other programmable data processing equipment in order to realize the function in a specific manner. Therefore, the instructions stored in the computer-available or computer-readable memory may make manufactured articles that include instruction means for performing the function that is described in each block of the block diagrams or in each step of the flowchart. Since the computer program instructions can be installed in the computer or other programmable data processing equipment, the instructions that allow a series of operation steps to be performed in the computer or other programmable data processing equipment to create computer-executable processes to then operate the computer or the other programmable data processing equipment may provide steps for executing the functions that are described in each block of the block diagrams and in each step of the flowchart.

In addition, each block or each step may represent a portion of a module, a segment, or code that includes one or more executable instructions for performing a specified logical function. In addition, in some alternative embodiments, it should be noted that the functions that are described in the blocks or steps may occur out of the order. For example, two successive blocks or steps may be performed substantially at the same time, or, sometimes, may be performed in a reverse order depending upon the functions.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a component mounting system, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the component mounting system <NUM>, according to an embodiment of the present invention, is configured for mounting components on a flexible array board which is placed on a jig, and includes screen printer equipment <NUM>, solder paste inspection equipment <NUM>, and component mounting equipment <NUM>. The component mounting system <NUM> may apply solder onto the flexible array board placed on the jig through the screen printer equipment <NUM>, inspect the solder application state through the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM>, and then mount components through the component mounting equipment <NUM>.

Since the flexible printed circuit board has characteristics of being easily bent or warped, mounting of components is performed in a state in which a plurality of boards is fixed to a jig in the form of an array for a component mounting process.

The screen printer equipment <NUM> is configured for applying solder on a pad of the flexible array board, and may apply the solder on the pad of the flexible array board while a stencil mask that has an opening formed to correspond to the position of the pad is disposed on the flexible array board.

The solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> inspects the solder application state through a measurement of the flexible array board which is transferred from the screen printer equipment <NUM>. For example, the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> obtains position information of the pad of the flexible array board and two-dimensional or three-dimensional shape information of the applied solder, and then inspects defects such as over-application, under-application, or inaccurate application of the solder by using the position and shape information.

After the inspection of the flexible array board through the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM>, the component mounting equipment <NUM> mounts components on the flexible array board by referencing the inspection information of the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM>. For example, when mounting the components on the flexible array board, the component mounting equipment <NUM> may align the components to the position of the pad by rotating a mounter head up to a predetermined angle to correspond to the rotational angle of the pad, and mount the components. However, since the rotational angle of the mounter head of the component mounting equipment <NUM> is determined to be within a predetermined range, it may be difficult to mount the components in a correct position when the flexible array board exceeds the maximum mounting angle of the component mounting equipment <NUM> due to a substantial warpage.

Accordingly, the present embodiment may improve the efficiency and reliability of a component mounting process with respect to the flexible array board through interworking between the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> and the component mounting equipment <NUM>.

<FIG> is a block diagram showing a structure of the solder paste inspection equipment, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> may include an information transmitting/receiving unit <NUM>, a measuring unit <NUM>, and an analyzing unit <NUM>.

The information transmitting/receiving unit <NUM> may transmit and receive measurement and analysis information of the screen printer equipment <NUM> and the component mounting equipment <NUM> in a wired or wireless manner. In addition, the information transmitting/receiving unit <NUM> may also transmit the transmitted/received information to a predetermined computing device. For example, the information transmitting/receiving unit <NUM> may receive mounting tolerance information from the component mounting equipment <NUM>, and thereafter, may transmit mount-impossible information to the component mounting equipment <NUM>.

The measuring unit <NUM> may measure the solder application state of the flexible array board in a two-dimensional or three-dimensional manner to obtain shape information of the solder, and may generate measurement information on the amount of rotation of the flexible array board and on the bending of the flexible array board.

The analyzing unit <NUM> may derive an analyzed result based on the information measured by the measuring unit <NUM>. The analyzing unit <NUM> may inspect defects, such as over-application, under-application, inaccurate application, the height, the warpage, etc. of the solder, through the shape information of the solder, and may set the region where the defects are detected as a first mount-impossible region based on the same.

In addition, the analyzing unit <NUM> may generate warp information by using the measurement information on the amount of rotation of the flexible array board and on the bending of the flexible array board, and may set a second mount-impossible region based on the warp information and the mounting tolerance information of the component mounting equipment <NUM>. That is, the mount-impossible region information may contain at least one of the first and the second mount-impossible region information, and may be information for determining whether or not mounting is possible by the component mounting equipment <NUM> prior to the mounting in order to prevent components from being mounted on the faulty region.

Thereupon, the analyzing unit <NUM> may transmit the mount-impossible information to the information transmitting/receiving unit <NUM> for transmission to the component mounting equipment <NUM>.

<FIG> is a flowchart showing a component mounting method, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to <FIG>, in order to improve the efficiency and reliability of a component mounting process, predetermined mounting tolerance information is first transmitted from the component mounting equipment <NUM> to the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> (S310). Here, the mounting tolerance information may include maximum mounting angle information of the component mounting equipment <NUM>. That is, the component mounting equipment <NUM> transmits, to the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM>, information on maximum mounting angle, which represents the maximum angle to which the mounter head can rotate for mounting of components. Meanwhile, the mounting tolerance information may further include information such as a maximum mounting height of the mounter head, etc..

In addition, the mounting tolerance information may be transmitted from the component mounting equipment <NUM> to the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> according to a specified criterion of the component mounting system <NUM> (for example, at predetermined times or only at the time of initial setting).

The solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> receives the mounting tolerance information from the component mounting equipment <NUM>, and may separately generate warp information of the flexible array board through a measurement of the flexible array board that is placed on the jig (S320). For example, the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> generates the warp information on the amount of rotation of the flexible array board and on the bending of the flexible array board by measuring at least one of a fiducial position, a pad position, or an outer line position of the flexible array board.

At this time, two-dimensional information and three-dimensional information, which may include the bending and curves of the board determined by using height information, may be used as the information on the amount of rotation and bending.

The component mounting process is performed on a flexible array board while a plurality of flexible boards is placed on the jig in an array form. However, there is a high likelihood that the flexible array board may warp or bend during the process due to the characteristics of the flexible board. Accordingly, the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> may generate warp information for each of the flexible array boards or warp information for each region thereof based on the fiducial information and the measurement information of the pads of the flexible array board.

Next, the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> compares the mounting tolerance information transmitted from the component mounting equipment <NUM> with the warp information of the flexible array board generated by the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> to generate mount-impossible information on a region where mounting of components is impossible, and transmits the mount-impossible information to the component mounting equipment <NUM> (S330). For example, if it is determined that the amount of rotation and the bending for each board or each region of the flexible array board exceeds the maximum mounting angle of the component mounting equipment <NUM> as a result of the measurement of the flexible array board, the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> sets the corresponding board or region as a region where mounting of components is impossible and generates mount-impossible information (for example, pad information, coordinate information, or the like). The solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> transmits the generated mount-impossible information to the component mounting equipment <NUM>.

The component mounting equipment <NUM> mounts components on the remaining regions except for the mount-impossible region based on the mount-impossible information transmitted from the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> (S340). For example, the component mounting equipment <NUM> may not mount components on the boards that correspond to the mount-impossible information and may mount components on the remaining boards among the flexible array boards placed on the jig. Alternatively or additionally, the component mounting equipment <NUM> may not mount components on the region within a single board that corresponds to the mount-impossible information and may mount components on the remaining regions of the board.

Meanwhile, the mount-impossible information may include instruction information that instructs to exclude mounting of components on a corresponding board or a specific region in the corresponding board. Therefore, the component mounting equipment <NUM> that receives the corresponding instruction does not perform the mounting of components on the corresponding board or the specific region in the corresponding board.

As described above, the mounting tolerance information of the component mounting equipment <NUM> and the warp information of the flexible array board obtained through the inspection of the solder paste inspection equipment <NUM> may be comprehensively compared to set a mounting region for components, and the components may be mounted only on the board or region where mounting of components is possible according thereto, thereby improving the efficiency and reliability of the component mounting process.

Claim 1:
A solder paste inspection equipment (<NUM>), comprising:
an information transmitting/receiving unit (<NUM>) configured to receive a mounting tolerance information from a component mounting equipment (<NUM>) and transmit information on whether mounting is impossible to the component mounting equipment (<NUM>);
a measuring unit (<NUM>) configured to generate information on the amount of rotation of a flexible array board placed on a jig and on the bending of the flexible array board; and
an analyzing unit configured to
generate a warp information by using the information on the amount of rotation and on the bending;
compare the mounting tolerance information with the warp information to generate a comparison result; and
generate the information on whether mounting of components on a region is impossible based on the comparison result,
characterised in that the mounting tolerance information includes a maximum mounting angle information of the component mounting equipment.