Alignment systems and methods

1. A method comprising:

viewing an alignment feature of a first component and a second component with an infrared camera, wherein the infrared camera receives infrared energy through at least the first component;

performing a fine alignment of the first component with the second component, by moving the first and/or second component relative to each other, while viewing the alignment features; and

applying pressure and/or heat to the first component and the second component to form electrical interconnects between the first component and the second component.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

viewing at least a portion of the first component and the second component with a visible light camera; and

performing a coarse alignment of the first component with the second component while viewing using visible light at least the portions of the first component and the second component with the visible light camera.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising separately mounting the first component and the second component to an alignment stage adapted to provide positioning for the coarse alignment and the fine alignment to align the first component with respect to the second component.

4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the electrical interconnects comprise bump bonds, and wherein the first component is a first semiconductor device and the second component is a second semiconductor device.

5. The method as recited in claim 4 , wherein the first component comprises a read-out integrated circuit and the second component comprises an infrared detector, and wherein the infrared camera comprises an InGaAs infrared detector, an InSb infrared detector, or an HgCdTe infrared detector.

6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the infrared camera provides images based on infrared energy having wavelengths of at least 0.85 to 1.0 micrometers, wherein the alignment features comprise corresponding bump bonds, fiducials, marks, and/or indices on the first and second components, and wherein the performing the fine alignment is based on an automated operation.

7. A method comprising:

aligning first and second components that are to be coupled to one another by viewing at least a portion of the second component through the first component using infrared energy, wherein the aligning of the first and second components comprises;

positioning the first and second components proximate to each other;

viewing alignment features of the first component and the second component using infrared energy that passes through the first component; and

moving the first component and/or the second component relative to each other until the alignment features of the first component are aligned with the alignment features of the second component, as indicated by the viewing based on the infrared energy; and

coupling the two components together.

8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the first component is a first semiconductor device and the second component is a second semiconductor device.

9. The method as recited in claim 8 , further comprising coarse aligning the first component and the second component with respect to one another by viewing at least a portion of the first component and the second component using images based on visible light.

10. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the viewing of the alignment features and the moving the first component and/or the second component provide fine alignment of the first component and the second component with respect to one another.

11. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the viewing is performed by an automated machine vision system.

12. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the alignment features of both the first component and the second component are viewed, with the coupling providing electrical connections between the first and the second components.

13. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the infrared energy comprises infrared energy in the range of approximately 0.85 microns to approximately 1.7 micrometers, and wherein the viewing uses an infrared camera having an InGaAs infrared detector, an InSb infrared detector, or an HgCdTe infrared detector.

14. The method as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first component comprises a read-out integrated circuit, and wherein the alignment features comprise corresponding bump bonds, fiducials, marks, and/or indices on the first and second components.

15. The method as recited in claim 14 , wherein the second component comprises a detector, and wherein the alignment features comprise corresponding bump bonds, fiducials, marks, and/or indices on the first and second components.

16. A system comprising:

a first camera configured to view alignment features of a first component and a second component using infrared energy, wherein, for the alignment features of the second component, the infrared energy is transmitted through the first component prior to being viewed by the first camera, wherein the first camera comprises an infrared camera;

a second camera that is configured to facilitate viewing of at least a portion of the first component and/or the second component using visible light;

a fixture for positioning the first component proximate to the second component; and

a positioner for moving the first component and/or the second component with respect to the other until the alignment features of the first component are aligned with the alignment features of the second component, based on images provided by the first camera, and wherein the fixture and/or the positioner are configured to join the first component to the second component to form electrical interconnects between the first component and the second component.

17. The system as recited in claim 16 , wherein the first component is a first semiconductor device and the second component is a second semiconductor device.

18. The system as recited in claim 17 , further comprising a machine vision system for monitoring images from the first and second cameras and controlling the positioner to align the first component to the second component.

19. The system as recited in claim 18 , further comprising an infrared energy source adapted to direct infrared energy to the first and second components, wherein the first camera comprises an InGaAs infrared detector, an InSb infrared detector, or an HgCdTe infrared detector, and wherein the alignment features comprise corresponding bump bonds, fiducials, marks, and/or indices on the first and second components.

20. The system as recited in claim 17 , wherein the second component comprises a detector and the first component comprises a read-out integrated circuit for the detector, and wherein the electrical interconnects form bump bonds between the first component and the second component.