Continuous Monitoring of Manufacturing Processes Dedicated to Printed Electronics (Printed Electronics Europe 2015)

Continuous inspection is the key point to maintain yield targets and to ensure the repetitiveness in printed electronics manufacturing processes. Among the inspection techniques, the real time control based on visual inspection 2D and 3D is the most comprehensive solution. The multipurpose sensors (cameras) with adequate light source are used above all to run properly the process. The positions, overlap, registration of all printed/coated features are controlled with very high resolution. The process defect such as printing, coating defects which have the functionality impact on the elements (circuits, cells, sensors) are detected and localized to be removed in downstream process. This inspection solution offers also a huge flexibility which is essential for the processes which are in permanent modification toward the new ways and standards.

The implementation of visual inspection into printing electronics process flows is demonstrated on two case studies:

Image acquisition conditions are discussed as a function of used substrate and ink properties. It is shown for both examples that it is feasible to highlight crucial defects such as short circuits and circuit breaks, lack and excess of inks and inclusions of foreign particles and thus directly relate optical impact to electrical yield

Michel POPOVIC received his degree in Electrical Engineering (CUST University, Clermont-Ferrand France) and obtained his Phd Thesis in Electronics in 1993 at "UFR de Recherche Scientifique et Technique"-University Blaise Pascal in Clermont-Ferrand France. From 1988 to 1998, he worked as the R&D project leader at Centralp Automatism (Vénissieux- France) being in charge of the systems architecture development integrating automatic real-time inspection dedicated to industrial applications. In 1998 he co-founded IN-CORE SYSTEMES, an established technology company known in the field of vision inspection whose expertise focuses on designing imaging systems line-scan camera based and providing optical methods for high-valueadded surfaces inspection and measurements -quality control and process characterization oriented - meant for Printed Electronics applications among many others

IN-CORE Systèmes, as a leading supplier of modular optical industrial solutions, delivers high-resolution inspection, measuring and full traceability devices for 100% surface material control and process monitoring. Lineavision advanced 2D & 3D image processing range of equipment enables to precisely define & characterize, either single or multilayer structure, flexible conductive films and to monitor various R2R or S2S step processes (coating, printing, encapsulating ....). It addresses various Printed Electronics applications such as flexible solar cells (OPV), OLED Displays, Smart Cards, Antennas, Smart Systems..... for high quality production, thus minimising waste, enhancing product repetitiveness & compliance as well as performance.