Visual selection and precision isolation system for microelectronic units

Claim 2

An optical system for visually selecting and precisely locating microelectronic units, said optical system comprising first optical means including first imaging means having a first pair of conjugate planes in a first optical path, second optical means including second imaging means having a second pair of conjugate planes in a second optical path, observation means visually communicating with one of said first conjugate planes and one of said second conjugate planes, third optical means for projecting a reticle image, beam splitting means for superposing said reticle image onto said one of said first conjugate planes and said one of said second conjugate planes, said one of said first conjugate planes and said one of said second conjugate planes being coplanar with the reticle image plane, first illuminating means for said second optical path, first mechanical means for adjustably positioning a plurality of microelectronic devices in the other of said first conjugate planes and in the other of said second conjugate planes, second mechanical means for selecting one of a plurality of microelectronic devices with reference to said reticle image for movement through a predetermined distance with reference to said reticle image, and control means for switching said first illuminating means and said second illuminating means, whereby different aspects of a particular microelectronic unit optically centered initially may be examined.

Claim 3

The optical syStem of claim 1 wherein said first imaging means includes a microscope objective adjacent to said one of said first conjugate planes and said second optical means includes a microscope objective adjacent to said one of said second conjugate planes.

Claim 4

The optical system of claim 1 wherein said observation means is a binocular pair.

Claim 5

The optical system of claim 1 wherein said observation means is a television camera.

Claim 6

The optical system of claim 1 wherein said third optical means includes a projection lens for optically positioning bright reticles at least on said one of said conjugate planes.

Claim 7

The optical system of claim 1 wherein said third optical means includes an opaque mask having a slotted shape thereon, said third optical means including third imaging means having a third pair of conjugate planes one, of said third pair of conjugate planes being at said slotted mask and the other of said third pair of conjugate planes being coplanar with said one of said first pair of conjugate planes and said one of said second pair of conjugate planes.

Claim 8

The optical system of claim 1 wherein said control means selects one of said first illumination means and said second illumination means at one time.

Claim 9

The optical system of claim 1 wherein said one of said first conjugate planes and said one of said second conjugate planes are coplanar.

Claim 10

An optical system for visually selecting and precisely locating microelectronics units, said optical system comprising a base housing, a lower support for manually positioning a plurality of said units in said base housing, upper pick-up means moveable with respect to said base housing between several accurate positions, first optical means including first imaging means having a first pair of conjugate planes in a first optical path, one of said first pair of conjugate planes lies at an upper face of said unit on said lower support, second optical means including second imaging means having a second pair of conjugate planes in a second optical path, one of said second pair of conjugate planes lies at a lower face of said unit on said upper pick-up means, third optical means for projecting an image of a reticle on the other of said first conjugate planes and on the other of said second conjugate planes, beam splitting means for superposing said reticle image on said other of said first conjugate planes and said other of said second conjugate planes, observation means visually communicating with said other of conjugate planes, first illuminating means for said first optical path, second illuminating means for said second optical path, first control means for positioning said pick-up means at precise locations with respect to said image, and second control means for switching said first illuminating means, said second illumination means, and said third optical means, whereby the upper and lower faces of a particular microelectronic unit may be examined.

Claim 11

An optical system for visually selecting and precisely locating microelectronics units, said optical system comprising a base housing, a lower support for manually positioning a plurality of said units in said base housing, upper pick-up means moveable with respect to said base housing between several accurate positions, first optical means including first imaging means having a first pair of conjugate planes in a first optical path, one of said first pair of conjugate planes lies at an upper face of said unit on said lower support, second optical means including second imaging means having a second pair of conjugate planes in a second optical path, one of said second pair of conjugate planes lies at a lower face of said unit on said upper pick-up means, third optical means for projecting an image of a reticle on the other of said first conjugate planes and on the other of said second conjugate planes, beam splitting means for superposing said reticle image on said other of said first conjugate planes and said other of said second conjugate planes, observation means visually communicating with said other of conjugate planes, first illuminating means for said first optical path, second illuminating means for said second optical path, first control means for positioning said pick-up means at precise locations with respect to said image, and second control means for switching said first illuminating means, said second illumination means, and said third optical means, whereby the upper and lower faces of a particular microelectronic unit may be examined.

Claim 12

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said first optical means includes a microscope objective adjacent to said one of said first conjugate planes and said second optical means includes a microscope objective adjacent to said one of said second conjugate planes.

Claim 13

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said observation means is a binocular pair.

Claim 14

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said third optical means includes projection means including third imaging means and an opaque mask having a slotted shape thereon, said third imaging means having a third pair of conjugate planes, one of said third pair of conjugate planes being at said slotted mask and the other of said third pair of conjugate planes being coplanar with said other of said first pair of conjugate planes and said other of said second pair of conjugate planes.

Claim 15

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said control means selects one of said first illumination means and said second illumination means at one time.

Claim 16

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said one of said first conjugate planes and said one of said second conjugate planes are coplanar.

Claim 17

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said lower support means is vacuum means.

Claim 18

The optical system of claim 9 wherein said pick-up means is vacuum means.

Claim 19

An optical system for visually selecting and precisely isolating microelectronic units, said optical system comprising a base housing, an upper housing, a first support constrained for motion in said base housing, a second support constrained for motion in said base housing, first optical means including first imaging means having a first pair of conjugate planes in a first optical path, second optical means including second imaging means having a second pair of conjugate planes in a second optical path, observation means visually communicating with one of said first conjugate planes and one of said second conjugate planes, first illumination means for said first optical path, second illuminating means for said second optical path, projection means for optically projecting a bright image of cross hairs, beam splitting means for superposing said bright image on said one of said first conjugate planes and on said one of said second conjugate planes, an upper face of a particular microelectronic unit at the other of said first pair of conjugate planes, a lower face of the particular microelectronic unit at the other of said second pair of conjugate planes, first control means for precisely adjusting the position of said first support with respect to said bright image, second control means for precisely adjusting the position of said second support with respect to said bright image, and third control means for switching said first illuminating means, said second illumination means, and said projection means, whereby the upper and lower faces of the particular microelectronic unit optically centered initially at the center of said cross hairs may be examined, said first optical means including a microscope objective adjacent to said other of said first conjugate planes and said second optical means including a microscope objective adjacent to said other of said second conjugate plane, said observation means being a binocular pair, said projection means including an opaque mask having a slotted shape thereon, said projection means including third imaging means having a third pair of conjugate planes, one of said third pair of conjugate planes being at said slotted mask and the other of said third pair of conjugate planes being coplanar with said other of said first pair of conjugate planes and said other of said second pair of conjugate planes, said third control means selecting one of said first illumination means and said second illumination means.

Claim 20

An optical system for visually selecting and precisely isolating microelectronic units, said optical system comprising a base housing, an upper housing, a first support constrained for motion in said base housing, a second support constrained for motion in said base housing, first optical means including first imaging means having a first pair of conjugate planes in a first optical path, second optical means including second imaging means having a second pair of conjugate planes in a second optical path, observation means visually communicating with one of said first conjugate planes and one of said second conjugate planes, first illumination means for said first optical path, second illuminating means for said second optical path, projection means for optically projecting a bright image of cross hairs, beam splitting means for superposing said bright image on said one of said first conjugate planes and on said one of said second conjugate planes, an upper face of a particular microelectronic unit at the other of said first pair of conjugate planes, a lower face of the particular microelectronic unit at the other of said second pair of conjugate planes, first control means for precisely adjusting the position of said first support with respect to said bright image, second control means for precisely adjusting the position of said second support with respect to said bright image, and third control means for switching said first illuminating means, said second illumination means, and said projection means, whereby the upper and lower faces of the particular microelectronic unit optically centered initially at the center of said cross hairs may be examined, said first optical means including a microscope objective adjacent to said other of said first conjugate planes and said second optical means including a microscope objective adjacent to said other of said second conjugate plane, said observation means being a binocular pair, said projection means including an opaque mask having a slotted shape thereon, said projection means including third imaging means having a third pair of conjugate planes, one of said third pair of conjugate planes being at said slotted mask and the other of said third pair of conjugate planes being coplanar with said other of said first pair of conjugate planes and said other of said second pair of conjugate planes, said third control means selecting one of said first illumination means and said second illumination means.