An automatic in-process microcircuit evaluation (aime) system

This paper describes a prototype system used to establish and demonstrate test techniques for the automatic in-process inspection of printed hybrid substrates and the semi-automatic precap inspection of completed hybrid units. The in-pro cess inspection is intended to provide an economical method of inspecting print ed substrates at certain key manufactur ing points where a 100 percent visual inspection is desirable but impractical using manual inspection. The semi automatic inspection will replace the microscope as an inspection instrument. Electronic zooming and positioning of the camera image by a computer in combi nation with the hybrid image being dis played on a television monitor, will provide a repeatable controlled sequen tial inspection process free from the operator fatigue characteristic of microscope inspection.