X-ray inspection apparatus, x-ray inspection method, x-ray inspection program, and x-ray inspection system

{
  "publication_number": "US2011222655A1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "A1",
  "title": "X-ray inspection apparatus, x-ray inspection method, x-ray inspection program, and x-ray inspection system",
  "abstract": "An X-ray inspection apparatus previously acquires and stores a mask thickness in a cream solder printing as a thickness of the solder applied on the board. In a cross-section parallel to a board surface, a range in a height direction is set as an inspection target from the mask thickness of the inspection target board, and the number of cross-sections is specified. The X-ray inspection apparatus measures an area and roundness of the solder in an inspection window for each cross-section. When the minimum values of the area and roundness are not lower than reference values, the X-ray inspection apparatus determines that the soldering of the inspection window is nondefective. When one of the minimum values of the area and roundness is lower than the reference value, the X-ray inspection apparatus determines that the soldering of the inspection window is defective.",
  "claims": [
    "1. An X-ray inspection apparatus that inspects an object using an X-ray, the object comprising a substrate and a component that is mounted on the substrate and electrically connected to the substrate by solder applied on the substrate, the X-ray inspection apparatus comprising: an X-ray output unit that outputs the X-ray toward the object; an X-ray detecting unit that images a perspective image indicating an intensity distribution of the X-ray being incident to the object from a plurality of directions and transmitted through the object; a reconstruction unit that reconstructs a cross-sectional image of a region between the component and the substrate based on the perspective image of the X-ray from the plurality of directions, wherein the region crosses a normal line to a surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted; an acquisition unit that acquires a thickness of the solder applied on the substrate; a specifying unit that specifies, based on the thickness of the solder, a position prescribed by a distance in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted as an inspection position of the object; and an inspection unit that determines whether the connection of the object by the solder is non-defective using the cross-sectional image located in the inspection position. 2. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the specifying unit specifies at least a range as the inspection position, wherein the range comprises a position prescribed by a distance corresponding to a thickness of the solder in the direction normal to the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted, and wherein the range is shorter than a distance between the substrate and the component. 3. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the specifying unit specifies a range from the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted to a position corresponding to the thickness of the solder in the direction normal to the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted as the inspection position. 4. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit comprises an input unit that receives an input of the thickness of the solder applied on the substrate. 5. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the acquisition unit acquires data indicating the thickness of the solder applied on the substrate from another device. 6. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the another device is for storing a measurement result of the thickness of the solder on the substrate in a device that measures the thickness of the solder on the substrate. 7. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a storage unit in which the thickness of the solder applied on the substrate is stored correlated with identification information on the substrate; and an identification unit that identifies the substrate, wherein the specifying unit reads the thickness of the solder, which is correlated with the identification information on the substrate of the object, and specifies the inspection position of the object. 8. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the identification information is identification information unique to the object. 9. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the identification information is identification information unique to a kind of the object. 10. The X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection unit determines whether the connection by the solder is non-defective using one of an area, roundness, and other feature amounts of a solder portion expressed in the cross-sectional image located in the inspection position or a combination thereof. 11. An X-ray inspection method for inspecting an object using an X-ray, the object comprising a substrate and a component that is mounted on the substrate and electrically connected to the substrate by solder applied on the substrate, the X-ray inspection method comprising: acquiring a thickness of the solder applied on the substrate included in the object; outputting the X-ray toward the object; imaging a perspective image indicating an intensity distribution of the X-ray being incident to the object from a plurality of directions and transmitted through the object; reconstructing a cross-sectional image of a region between the component and the substrate based on the perspective image of the X-ray from the plurality of directions, wherein the region crosses a normal line to a surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted; specifying, based on the thickness of the solder, a position prescribed by a distance in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted as an inspection position of the object; and determining whether the connection of the object by the solder is nondefective using the cross-sectional image located in the inspection position. 12. An X-ray inspection program that causes an X-ray inspection apparatus to inspect an object using an X-ray, the X-ray inspection apparatus comprising an X-ray source, an X-ray detector, and an arithmetic unit, wherein the object comprises a substrate and a component that is mounted on the substrate and electrically connected to the substrate by solder applied on the substrate, wherein the X-ray inspection program comprising: acquiring, with the arithmetic unit, a thickness of the solder applied on the substrate; outputting, with the X-ray source, the X-ray toward the object; imaging a perspective image indicating an intensity distribution of the X-ray being incident to the object from a plurality of directions and transmitted through the object; reconstructing, with the X-ray detector, a cross-sectional image of a region between the component and the substrate based on the perspective image of the X-ray from the plurality of directions, wherein the region crosses a normal line to a surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted; specifying with the arithmetic unit, based on the thickness of the solder, a position prescribed by a distance in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted as an inspection position of the object; and determining whether the connection of the object by the solder is nondefective using the cross-sectional image located in the inspection position. 13. An X-ray inspection system comprising: a first inspection apparatus that inspects a substrate on which solder is applied; and an X-ray inspection apparatus that inspects an object using an X-ray, wherein the object in the X-ray inspection apparatus comprises the substrate and a component that is mounted on the substrate and electrically connected to the substrate by the solder applied on the substrate, wherein the first inspection apparatus comprises: an inspection unit that measures an amount of the solder applied on the substrate at each inspection position and produces measurement result data of each substrate, wherein the measurement result is correlated with identification information identifying the substrate in the measurement result data; and a communication unit that transmits the measurement result data, wherein the X-ray inspection apparatus comprises: an X-ray output unit that outputs the X-ray toward the object; an X-ray detecting unit that images a perspective image indicating an intensity distribution of the X-ray being incident to the object from a plurality of directions and transmitted through the object; a reconstruction unit that reconstructs a cross-sectional image of a region between the component and the substrate based on the perspective image of the X-ray from the plurality of directions, wherein the region crosses a normal line to a surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted; an identification unit that identifies the substrate; a communication unit that receives the measurement result data indicating a thickness of the solder applied on the identified substrate from the first inspection apparatus; a specifying unit that specifies a position prescribed by a distance in a direction normal to the surface of the substrate on which the component is mounted as an inspection position of the object based on the thickness of the solder applied on the substrate, wherein the thickness of the solder is included in the measurement result data; and an inspection unit that determines whether the connection of the object by the solder is non-defective using the cross-sectional image corresponding to the inspection position. 14. The X-ray inspection system according to claim 13, wherein the inspection unit of the first inspection apparatus measures an applied solder amount at each inspection point on the substrate to produce measurement result data at each inspection point, and wherein the specifying unit of the X-ray inspection apparatus specifies the inspection position at each inspection point on the substrate."
  ],
  "cpc": [
    "G01N 23/18",
    "G01N 2223/419",
    "G01N 2223/6113",
    "G01N 2223/643",
    "G01N 23/046",
    "G01N 23/083",
    "H05K 13/082"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "OMRON TATEISI ELECTRONICS CO"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2011-02-22",
  "publication_date": "2011-09-15",
  "priority_date": "2010-03-12",
  "application_number": "US-201113032342-A",
  "family_id": "44201812",
  "citations": [
    "JP2003240736A"
  ]
}