Electricity: measuring and testing – Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components – For fault location
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-29
2004-06-22
Decady, Albert (Department: 2133)
Electricity: measuring and testing
Fault detecting in electric circuits and of electric components
For fault location
C324S714000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06753684
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for inspecting electrical characteristics, such as open/short, with regard to the electrode patterns formed on a panel type product such as a PDP(Plasma Display Panel).
2. Description of the Background Art
Generally, a glass panel, for example, a PDP, as shown in
FIGS. 1
a
and
1
b
, comprises a front panel
10
and a rear panel
11
. A large number of electrode patterns
10
a
and
11
a
are formed on the surfaces of the front and rear panels
10
and
11
.
In a 42 inch PDP, a line width and a pitch of one among electrode patterns
10
a
and
10
b
are 50 &mgr;m and 30 &mgr;m, respectively, whereas since a line length is 1 m long following cases that the line is cut, an open state, or connected with an adjacent line, a short state, are frequently occurred not only in a process for forming an electrode pattern and but also in a manufacturing process such as a heating process being repeated thereafter. Accordingly, an inspection process that whether the formed electrode pattern become opened/shorted or not, in the middle of the manufacturing process, is requisite for increase of yield of the PDP manufacturing processes.
As mentioned above, as shown in
FIG. 2
, a test pin block
12
is used in order to inspect electrical characteristics of the electrode patterns
10
a
and
11
a
in a conventional art. When inspecting by using the test pin, a large number of pins
12
a
formed at the test pin block
12
are contacted to connector connection portions, that is, both ends
10
b
and
10
c
of the electrode pattern
10
a
or both ends
11
b
and
11
c
of the electrode pattern
11
a
and thereafter a continuity test is performed between an inspection object electrode pattern and an adjacent pattern, and then electrical characteristics of the corresponding pattern, that is, the existence of open or short, is inspected.
However, the above inspection method has several disadvantages as follows.
First, the test pin block
12
of
FIG. 3
is expendables with a high price and has no durability and so it becomes a factor for raising the cost price of goods. That is, an inspection by the test pin block
12
is a pressure contact type and so the test pin is damaged easily.
Second, in a case that a model or a design of goods is changed, since a position and a pitch etc. of the electrode pattern is changed, the conventional test pin block
12
and the related mechanical parts all must be replaced. Accordingly, since there is no flexibility against the change of the model or the design of goods, the conventional inspection method cannot be used in flexible manner.
Third, in a case that the electrode patterns are formed in those ways as shown in
FIGS. 1
a
and
1
b
, since, when inspecting, the pin
12
a
of the test pin block
12
must be contacted to pixel portions “A” and “B” besides a connector connection portion of a PDP pattern, there is a disadvantage that an another defective factor is generated by scratching according to the contact.
Fourth, in a case that flatness of a glass panel on which electrode patterns are formed is not good, since the pin
12
a
of the test pin block
12
can exactly be contacted to the electrode patterns, the whole of the glass panel must be fixed by a separate accurate large vacuum chuck and an accurate servo mechanism of x-y-&thgr; of three axis is required in order to set an accurate x-y positioning of the electrode patterns and resultantly these become factors to raise the cost in manufacturing.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is a first object of the present invention to provide an inspection apparatus and method adapted to a scanning technique employing a rolling wire probe, in order to solve the above problems, in which it can be used flexibly up to electrode patterns having various forms and a factor generating scratch become reduced and a burden of the cost rising in manufacturing become decreased.
It is a second object of the present invention to provide an inspection apparatus and method adapted to a scanning technique employing a rolling wire probe in which an accuracy of inspection can be enhanced and expandable parts can be replaced efficiently.
In order to achieve the above-described object of one aspect of the present invention, in an inspection of electrical characteristics of the plural number of electrode patterns formed on a panel, the apparatus comprises a rolling wire probe having a rolling wire rotating at a constant speed in order to be performed a rolling contact sliplessly across the electrode patterns; a control unit for controlling operations of the inspection apparatus wholly and discriminating the electrical characteristics according to the electrical signal sensed through the rolling wire provided to the rolling wire probe.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3915850 (1975-10-01), Crownover
patent: 5596283 (1997-01-01), Mellitz et al.
patent: 6040705 (2000-03-01), Garcia et al.
patent: 6160409 (2000-12-01), Nurioka
patent: 3441426 (1985-08-01), None
patent: 61218914 (1986-04-01), None
patent: 4029070 (1992-01-01), None
De'cady Albert
Kerveros James C.
MicroInspection, Inc.
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
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