IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,644,851
Granted Patent B2
US 12,644,851 · App. 18/618,475 · Granted Jun 2, 2026

Method and apparatus for inspection of panel embedded dies using combined thermal and optical imaging

Inventors: Elkana Porat (Yavne, IL); Ronen Yogev (Hulda, IL); Nava Shpaisman (Yavne, IL)
Assignee: Orbotech Ltd.
G01N25/72G01J5/48G01J5/485G01N21/171G01N21/8806G01N21/8851G01N21/9505G01N21/95607G01N21/95684G01J2005/0077G01N2021/1714G01N2021/8835G01N2021/8864G01N2021/95638G01N2201/1042
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,644,851
App. No.
18/618,475
Granted
Jun 2, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

The system includes a thermal subsystem, an optical subsystem, and a processor. The thermal subsystem comprises a first laser light source configured to emit laser light, a first focusing lens configured to direct the laser light onto a workpiece, and a thermal camera configured to capture a thermal image of the workpiece. The optical subsystem includes at least one light source configured to emit laser light with at least one illumination modality, at light focusing lens configured to direct the light onto the workpiece, and a detector configured to capture at least one image of the workpiece. The processor is configured to compare the at least one image received from the detector to at least one reference image for registration of the workpiece or to determine presence of a surface defect on the workpiece, and to determine presence of a bulk defect in the workpiece based on the thermal image.

Claims (59)

1 . A system comprising:

a thermal subsystem comprising:

a first laser light source configured to emit laser light;

a first focusing lens configured to direct the laser light from the first laser light source onto a workpiece; and

a thermal camera configured to capture a thermal image of the workpiece;

an optical subsystem comprising:

at least one light source configured to emit light with at least one illumination modality;

a light focusing lens configured to direct the light from the at least one light source onto the workpiece; and

a detector configured to capture at least one image of the workpiece; and

a processor in electronic communication with the thermal subsystem and the optical subsystem, wherein the processor is configured to:

compare the at least one image received from the detector to at least one reference image to for registration of the workpiece or to determine presence of a surface defect on the workpiece; and

determine presence of a bulk defect in the workpiece based on the thermal image, wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the bulk defect in the workpiece based on the thermal image by:

obtaining an intensity of each pixel of the thermal image along an edge of the workpiece;

deriving a gradient map representing a spatial derivative of a temperature profile along the edge of the workpiece using the intensity of each pixel of the thermal image;

determining that the bulk defect in the workpiece exists where there is a peak in the gradient map; and

determining that no bulk defect exists in the workpiece where there is no peak in the gradient map.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the workpiece is a PCB panel with at least one embedded semiconductor die.

3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the PCB panel further includes a dielectric overcoat layer deposited over the at least one embedded semiconductor die.

4 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a first scanning mirror configured to direct the laser light from the first laser light source to scan around a perimeter of the workpiece.

5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:

a stage, wherein the workpiece is disposed on the stage and the stage is movable relative to the thermal subsystem in a first direction; and

a carrier, wherein the thermal subsystem and the optical subsystem are disposed on the carrier and the carrier is movable relative to the stage in a second direction that is orthogonal to the first direction.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal subsystem further comprises:

a second laser light source configured to emit laser light; and

a second focusing lens configured to direct the laser light from the second laser light source onto the workpiece at a position that is offset from the laser light from the first laser light source.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the thermal camera is a forward looking infrared (FLIR) camera.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one illumination modality comprises a plurality of illumination modalities, wherein the at least one light source is configured to emit light according to each of the plurality of illumination modalities.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the detector is configured to capture a plurality of images of the workpiece corresponding to the plurality of illumination modalities.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to register the workpiece based on similarities between the at least one reference image and the at least one image of the workpiece with a same illumination modality.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine presence of a surface defect in the workpiece based on differences between at the at least one reference image and the at least one image of the workpiece with a same illumination modality.

12 . A method comprising:

emitting light from at least one light source with at least one illumination modality;

directing the light from the at least one light source onto a workpiece with a light focusing lens;

capturing at least one image of the workpiece with a detector;

comparing, with a processor, the at least one image of the workpiece to at least one reference image for registration of the workpiece or to determine presence of a surface defect on the workpiece;

emitting laser light from a first laser light source;

directing the laser light from the first laser light source onto the workpiece with a first focusing lens;

capturing a thermal image of the workpiece with a thermal camera; and

determining, with the processor, presence of a bulk defect in the workpiece based on the thermal image by;

obtaining an intensity of each pixel of the thermal image along an edge of the workpiece;

deriving a gradient map representing a spatial derivative of a temperature profile along the edge of the workpiece based on the intensity of each pixel of the thermal image;

determining that the bulk defect in the workpiece exists where there is a peak in the gradient map; and

determining that no bulk defect exists in the workpiece where there is no peak in the gradient map.

13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the workpiece is a PCB panel with at least one embedded semiconductor die.

14 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

scanning the laser light from the first laser light source around a perimeter of the workpiece with a first scanning mirror.

15 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

moving a stage in a first direction, wherein the workpiece is disposed on the stage; and

moving a carrier relative to the stage in a second direction, wherein the second direction is orthogonal to the first direction and the at least one light source, the detector, the first laser light source, and the thermal camera are disposed on the carrier.

16 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

emitting laser light from a second laser light source; and

directing the laser light from the second laser light source onto the workpiece with a second focusing lens at a position that is offset from the laser light from the first laser light source.

17 . The method of claim 12 , wherein comparing, with the processor, the at least one image of the workpiece to at least one reference image for registration of the workpiece or to determine presence of a surface defect in the workpiece comprises:

obtaining, from a memory, at least one reference image corresponding to a same illumination modality of the at least one image of the workpiece;

comparing the at least one reference image to the at least one image of the workpiece with the same illumination modality; and

registering the workpiece based on similarities between the at least one reference image and the at least one image of the workpiece with the same illumination modality.

18 . The method of claim 17 , wherein comparing, with the processor, the at least one image of the workpiece to at least one reference image for registration of the workpiece or to determine presence of a surface defect on the workpiece further comprises:

determining presence of a surface defect on the workpiece based on differences between the at least one reference image and the at least one image of the workpiece with the same illumination modality.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2024
From: YOGEV, RONEN; SHPAISMAN, NAVA; PORAT, ELKANA
To: ORBOTECH LTD.
Reel/Frame 067706/0859 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63547147 · Nov 3, 2023
Related Publication 20250146955A1 · May 8, 2025
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