Development of Defect Inspection System for PDP ITO Patterned Glass

The formation degree of sustain (ITO pattern) determines the quality of a PDP (Plasma Display Panel). Thus, in the present study, we attempt to detect 100% of the defects that are larger than 30μm. Currently, the inspection method in the PDP manufacturing process is dependent upon the naked eye or a microscope in off-line mode. In this study, a prototype inspection system for PDP ITO patterned glass is developed. The developed system, which is based on a line-scan mechanism, obtains information on the defects and sorts the defects by type automatically. The developed inspection system adopts a multi-vision method using slit-beam formation for minimum inspection time and the detection algorithm is embodied in the detection ability. Characteristic defects such as pin holes, substances, and protrusions are extracted using the blob analysis method. Defects such as open, short, spots and others are distinguished by the line type inspection algorithm. It was experimentally verified that the developed inspection system can detect defects with reliability of up to 95% in about 60 seconds for the 42-inch PDP panel.