IP Library › Granted Patent US 12674761
Granted Patent B2
US 12674761 · App. 17/990,759 · Granted Jul 7, 2026

Defect detection and removal apparatus and method

Inventors: Chang-Rong Lin (MiaoLi County, TW); Ching-Liang Lin (MiaoLi County, TW)
Assignee: PlayNitride Display Co., Ltd.
G01N21/8851G06T7/001G01N2021/8887G06T2207/30148
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12674761
App. No.
17/990,759
Granted
Jul 7, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A defect detection and removal apparatus including a removing unit, an image capturing unit, and a determining unit is provided. The removing unit is configured to remove at least one defective micro-element on a substrate. The image capturing unit is configured to capture a detection image of at least one defective micro-element correspondingly on the substrate. The determining unit is coupled to the image capturing unit and the removing unit. The image capturing unit executes capturing a first detection image before the removing unit executes removing a defective micro-element, and executes capturing a second detection image after the removing unit executes removing the defective micro-element. The determining unit confirms whether the defective micro-element has been removed according to the first and second detection image obtained from the image capturing unit. A defect detection and removal method is also provided.

Claims (31)

1 . A defect detection and removal method, comprising:

step 1: providing a substrate having a plurality of defective micro-elements, and sequentially performing step 2 to step 8 at below according to a plurality of defective positions of the defective micro-elements on the substrate stored in a defective micro-element database;

step 2: using an image capturing unit to capture a first detection image before each of the defective micro-elements is removed;

step 3: using a removing unit to remove each of the defective micro-elements according to the defective position of each of the defective micro-elements on the substrate stored in the defective database;

step 4: using the image capturing unit to capture a second detection image after each of the defective micro-elements is removed; and

step 5: using a determining unit to compare the first detection image before each of the defective micro-elements is removed with the second detection image after each of the defective micro-elements is removed to determine whether each of the defective micro-elements is successfully removed, thereby generating a comparison result;

step 6: storing a position of the defective micro-element not being successfully removed in step 5 in a storage database in response to the comparison result compared by the determining unit;

step 7: moving the removing unit to the position of the next defective micro-element, and performing step 2 to step 6 until step 2 to step 6 are performed to all of the defective micro-elements; and

step 8: repeatedly performing step 2 to step 5 to each of the defective micro-elements not being removed according to the storage database until the defective micro-element is successfully removed or a repetition number is reached.

2 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , further comprising:

before step 2, using a detection unit to perform an automatic optical inspection on the micro-element arranged with the substrate, to obtain a position of the at least one defective micro-element on the substrate, and storing the position in the defective database.

3 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , wherein the first detection image before the defective micro-element is removed and the second detection image after the defective micro-element is removed are captured by the same image capturing unit.

4 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , wherein step 5 comprising:

performing an image processing and comparison to the first detection image before the defective micro-element is removed with the second detection image after the defective micro-element is removed, and the determining unit, in response to a variation of the comparison result exceeding a critical value, determining that the defective micro-element is successfully removed.

5 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , further comprising: comparing the second detection image after the defective micro-element is removed with an image without the micro-element after step 5, to determine whether the defective micro-element is actually successfully removed.

6 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , further comprising:

after step 5, in response to determining, by the determination unit, that the defective micro-element is successfully removed, moving the removing unit to a position of a next defective micro-element, and performing step 2 to step 5.

7 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , further comprising:

taking the second detection image which is captured after the defective micro-element is removed in step 4 and is determined by the determining unit that a position of the defective micro-element is successfully removed as an image without the micro-element, and storing the image without the micro-element in a database of removed micro-element for subsequent use of reference in the micro-component transfer or patching.

8 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 1 , further comprising:

in response to the repetition number is reached, marking the position of the defective micro-element not being successfully removed in the storage database.

9 . A defect detection and removal method, comprising:

step 1: providing a substrate having a plurality of defective micro-elements, and sequentially performing step 2 to step 7 at below according to a plurality of defective positions of the defective micro-elements on the substrate stored in a defective micro-element database;

step 2: using an image capturing unit to capture a first detection image before each of the defective micro-elements is removed;

step 3: using a removing unit to remove each of the defective micro-elements according to the defective position of each of the defective micro-elements on the substrate stored in the defective database;

step 4: using the image capturing unit to capture a second detection image after each of the defective micro-elements is removed; and

step 5: using a determining unit to compare the first detection image before each of the defective micro-elements is removed with the second detection image after each of the defective micro-elements is removed to determine whether each of the defective micro-elements is successfully removed, thereby generating a comparison result;

step 6: storing a position of the defective micro-element not being successfully removed in step 5 in a storage database in response to the comparison result compared by the determining unit; and

step 7: after the position of the defective micro-element not being successfully removed is stored in the storage database, immediately performing step 2 to step 5 again to the defective micro-element not being successfully removed according to the storage database.

10 . The defect detection and removal method of claim 9 , step 7 further comprising:

repeating step 2 to step 5 to the defective micro-element not being successfully removed according to the storage database until the determining unit determines that the defective micro-element is successfully removed, but stopping repetitions of performing step 2 to step 5 to the defective micro-element not being successfully removed when a repetition number of how many times step 2 to step 5 are performed is greater than a predetermined number, and marking the position of the defective micro-element not being successfully removed, and moving the removing unit to the position of the next defective micro-element for performing step 2 to step 5.