Tool alignment apparatus and method

Claim 2

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said radiation source includes a radiation-transmitting device to receive an incoming radiation beam directed along a second path and having an internal reflecting surface for reflecting a radiation beam along said first path disposed at an angle relative to the second path, said device having a reticle line for aligning the same with a predetermined reference.

Claim 3

Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said source includes a radiation-transmitting plate having a beam exit surface alignable with the tool, said intercepting means including structure coupled with said plate and defining a surface across the path of radiation reflected from each face of the tool, respectively.

Claim 4

Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the radiation-transmitting plate has a face from which the beam exits therefrom, said face being coated with a radiation-reflecting material, there being a slit formed in the coating to permit the beam to exit from the radiation-transmitting plate only through the slit.

Claim 5

Apparatus for aligning a scribing tool of a wafer-scribing machine movable relative to a wafer support below the tool with the tool having a cutting edge and a pair of opposed faces converging to said cutting edge comprising: means to be mounted on the wafer support of the machine for dIrecting a beam of radiation upwardly toward and against the opposed faces of the scribing tool, whereby the beam will be divided by the faces and reflected transversely therefrom; and means to be disposed adjacent to each side of the tool, respectively, for receiving the reflected radiation from the corresponding tool face and for indicating the relative position of the tool face and thereby the orientation of said cutting edge with respect to the path of movement of said tool relative to said wafer support.

Claim 6

Apparatus for aligning a scribing tool of a wafer-scribing machine movable relative to a wafer support below the tool with the tool having a cutting edge and a pair of opposed faces converging to said cutting edge comprising: means to be mounted on the wafer support of the machine for dIrecting a beam of radiation upwardly toward and against the opposed faces of the scribing tool, whereby the beam will be divided by the faces and reflected transversely therefrom; and means to be disposed adjacent to each side of the tool, respectively, for receiving the reflected radiation from the corresponding tool face and for indicating the relative position of the tool face and thereby the orientation of said cutting edge with respect to the path of movement of said tool relative to said wafer support.

Claim 7

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said directing means includes a radiation-transmitting device having an internal reflecting surface permitting said beam to be directed substantially horizontally to said reflecting surface and then substantially vertically to said tool faces, and wherein is included a source of radiation disposed in alignment with said device for directing a beam of coherent radiation toward and into the same along a generally horizontal path.

Claim 8

Apparatus as set forth in claim 6, wherein said receiving and indicating means includes a structure defining a surface on which the reflected radiation from a corresponding tool face impinges.

Claim 9

In combination: a scribing tool having a cutting edge and a pair of opposed faces converging to said edge; means coupled with the scribing tool for mounting the same above a support for an article to be scribed with the tool being movable relative to said article support; a source of radiation disposed to direct a radiation beam along a path adjacent to the wafer support and substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the tool; means in the path of the beam for directing the same upwardly from the article support and toward and against the faces of the tool whereby the beam impinging on the tool faces will be divided and reflected therefrom away from the tool; and a pair of radiation receiving devices on opposite sides of the tool, said devices being disposed to intercept the beams reflected from respective faces of the tool to provide indications of the locations of respective tool faces and thereby the orientation of said cutting edge with respect to said direction of movement of the tool relative to said support.

Claim 10

In combination: a scribing tool having a cutting edge and a pair of opposed faces converging to said edge; means coupled with the scribing tool for mounting the same above a support for an article to be scribed with the tool being movable relative to said article support; a source of radiation disposed to direct a radiation beam along a path adjacent to the wafer support and substantially parallel to the direction of movement of the tool; means in the path of the beam for directing the same upwardly from the article support and toward and against the faces of the tool whereby the beam impinging on the tool faces will be divided and reflected therefrom away from the tool; and a pair of radiation receiving devices on opposite sides of the tool, said devices being disposed to intercept the beams reflected from respective faces of the tool to provide indications of the locations of respective tool faces and thereby the orientation of said cutting edge with respect to said direction of movement of the tool relative to said support.

Claim 13

A method as set forth in claim 10, wherein is included the step of adjusting the position of the tool until a predetermined spatial coordinate of one of the indications is substantially the same as the corresponding coordinate of the other indication.

Claim 16

A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said beam directing step includes directing the beam along a first path substantially parallel to said direction of tool movement and then directing the beam along a second path substantially perpendicular to said first path.

Claim 17

A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein said providing step includes providing a source of coherent radiation.

Claim 18

A method as set forth in claim 12, wherein is included the step of adjusting the tool relative to its path of movement when said indications differ in a predetermined spatial coordinate from each other, whereby the tool can be moved into a position at which the spatial coordinates of the indications are the same.