Chip/Wafer Lighting Setup Evolution
Moderators: rjlittlefield, ChrisR, Chris S., Pau
Chip/Wafer Lighting Setup Evolution
Per request here's a lighting setup similar to this one by Frédéric but larger with strobes instead of LED lamps. Frédéric has produced amazing mineral images with his setup as you can see.
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... &start=180
A older version of setup I used for somewhat uniform lighting for imaging semiconductor chips/wafers:
Note the dual light tents and multiple strobes with diffusion soft boxes and umbrellas. All this in an attempt for uniform lighting for chips with tiny solder balls (spherical mirrors).
The general idea was if you could stand on the subject and look around you would see a uniform light source from almost every direction, without any significant bright spots (which can cause issues with chips, especially with solder balls).
Later Version:
This setup also uses light tents (sometimes dual), and/or white foam cups for more diffusion. The strobes can have diffusion white foam or paper on the reflectors. Large (20" X 30") white & black foam panels are used around the setup as selective reflectors/absorbers. The strobe modeling lamps were replaced with dimmable LEDs lamps to reduce the heat build-up with continuous lighting. The strobes are triggered by an RF signal and/or optical S1 mode.
Frédéric, in the post mentioned above, has masterfully creating a similar lighting scheme on a much smaller scale for continuous LED illumination.
[AdminCR Moved as requested]
Best,
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... &start=180
A older version of setup I used for somewhat uniform lighting for imaging semiconductor chips/wafers:
Note the dual light tents and multiple strobes with diffusion soft boxes and umbrellas. All this in an attempt for uniform lighting for chips with tiny solder balls (spherical mirrors).
The general idea was if you could stand on the subject and look around you would see a uniform light source from almost every direction, without any significant bright spots (which can cause issues with chips, especially with solder balls).
Later Version:
This setup also uses light tents (sometimes dual), and/or white foam cups for more diffusion. The strobes can have diffusion white foam or paper on the reflectors. Large (20" X 30") white & black foam panels are used around the setup as selective reflectors/absorbers. The strobe modeling lamps were replaced with dimmable LEDs lamps to reduce the heat build-up with continuous lighting. The strobes are triggered by an RF signal and/or optical S1 mode.
Frédéric, in the post mentioned above, has masterfully creating a similar lighting scheme on a much smaller scale for continuous LED illumination.
[AdminCR Moved as requested]
Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike
~Mike
-
- Posts: 1976
- Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:16 am
- Location: Bigfork, Montana
- Contact:
... that'$ crazy. Surely there's another way to achieve the desired illumination you're shooting for? Oh, and I don't have the answer or I wouldn't be posting this. Years ago I did some reading about integrating spheres but all the DIY articles and forums I visited were using them for measuring flashlight lumens. I was under the impression it could be used to evenly illuminate a subject to be photographed.
-JW:
-JW:
Crazy for sure, but it worked
I started off trying speedlights but I needed massive diffusion (some cases 4 different levels), so I got 4 cheap Interfit adjustable strobes with soft boxes and a light tent. This worked OK except with the chips with new tiny solder balls (before the solder oxidized), these are 100 and 40 micron diameter spherical mirrors. These had some spectral artifacts that didn't look nice in the images. I needed more diffusion, thus the dual light tents, and more power, thus the added non-adjustable strobes and umbrellas. After much experimentation I was able to get fairly uniform lighting with the setup shown, utilizing up to 12 strobes. With more challenging stacks with much longer sessions I started having problems with the cheap strobes and not all firing, or not having uniform output.
Then a couple of the cheap Neewer strobes actually exploded, I was abusing them and the energy conversion capacitor actually blew up in 3 strobes, 2 spectacularly I replaced the capacitors and then began looking for a better strobe that was reasonable cost, eventually after much experimentation and $ I found the Adorama Studio 300 AC strobes (think you have these). I got 2 initially, then 2 more and just got 4 more. I have 3 on my vertical setup and 5 on my horizontal setup along with 2 DG600 and 3 older Flashpoint 320M as backups. I had some problems with one of the DG600 (got into a repeated firing cycle) related to the cheap RF Trigger and strobe, so I use the DG600 (2) in optical S1 mode triggered from the optical burst from the 5 AC 300 which utilize the much more stable Adorama (Godox X1) R2 RF system. This setup has proven more reliable and uniform than the earlier setup versions.
Later on I wanted to try some stacks with continuous lighting with the new Nikon D850 in totally electronic shutter mode (no mechanical movement whatsoever). However, the heat generated by the multiple strobe modeling lamps proved excessive. I've found a LED replacement bulb that is dimmable and works well with these strobes (AC 300), the DG600 already has LED modeling lamps, so that's why they are in the setup.
Now I have the ability to do flash and continuous illumination from the same setup without physically changing anything. With the R2 RF system I can control each AC 300 flash output individually, which is helpful when you want a illumination gradient, or just set the proper exposure for a given stacking session.
Anyway, it's been a long tiring road to get here. I'm sure others could have arrived at better solutions and much quicker than my plodding along with this setup Frankenstein
Best,
I started off trying speedlights but I needed massive diffusion (some cases 4 different levels), so I got 4 cheap Interfit adjustable strobes with soft boxes and a light tent. This worked OK except with the chips with new tiny solder balls (before the solder oxidized), these are 100 and 40 micron diameter spherical mirrors. These had some spectral artifacts that didn't look nice in the images. I needed more diffusion, thus the dual light tents, and more power, thus the added non-adjustable strobes and umbrellas. After much experimentation I was able to get fairly uniform lighting with the setup shown, utilizing up to 12 strobes. With more challenging stacks with much longer sessions I started having problems with the cheap strobes and not all firing, or not having uniform output.
Then a couple of the cheap Neewer strobes actually exploded, I was abusing them and the energy conversion capacitor actually blew up in 3 strobes, 2 spectacularly I replaced the capacitors and then began looking for a better strobe that was reasonable cost, eventually after much experimentation and $ I found the Adorama Studio 300 AC strobes (think you have these). I got 2 initially, then 2 more and just got 4 more. I have 3 on my vertical setup and 5 on my horizontal setup along with 2 DG600 and 3 older Flashpoint 320M as backups. I had some problems with one of the DG600 (got into a repeated firing cycle) related to the cheap RF Trigger and strobe, so I use the DG600 (2) in optical S1 mode triggered from the optical burst from the 5 AC 300 which utilize the much more stable Adorama (Godox X1) R2 RF system. This setup has proven more reliable and uniform than the earlier setup versions.
Later on I wanted to try some stacks with continuous lighting with the new Nikon D850 in totally electronic shutter mode (no mechanical movement whatsoever). However, the heat generated by the multiple strobe modeling lamps proved excessive. I've found a LED replacement bulb that is dimmable and works well with these strobes (AC 300), the DG600 already has LED modeling lamps, so that's why they are in the setup.
Now I have the ability to do flash and continuous illumination from the same setup without physically changing anything. With the R2 RF system I can control each AC 300 flash output individually, which is helpful when you want a illumination gradient, or just set the proper exposure for a given stacking session.
Anyway, it's been a long tiring road to get here. I'm sure others could have arrived at better solutions and much quicker than my plodding along with this setup Frankenstein
Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike
~Mike
-
- Posts: 1976
- Joined: Sat Oct 07, 2006 10:16 am
- Location: Bigfork, Montana
- Contact:
... just wondering, so are you saying the heat that was generated was detrimental and causing noise on the sensor? When I was heavily involved in astrophotography heat was a huge issue here in the Arizona summer. I used a cold box or peltier cooler and some were using cold finger etc. All of which worked fine. I was always curious if heat would be an issue (camera wise) with some of my microscope setups, epi etc.mawyatt wrote:However, the heat generated by the multiple strobe modeling lamps proved excessive.
-JW:
Lou,
Here's link on the LED lights.
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=36514
They are not really powerful LEDs but do the job as a modeling light. I've used them for continuous lights for stacks with fully electronic shutters and got good results.
Here's the link on the Adorama AC 300 strobes.
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=35093
Best,
Here's link on the LED lights.
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=36514
They are not really powerful LEDs but do the job as a modeling light. I've used them for continuous lights for stacks with fully electronic shutters and got good results.
Here's the link on the Adorama AC 300 strobes.
https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=35093
Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike
~Mike
Lou,
Yes, 110~120V for US. These are 18W, white, dimmable with a 31mm base so they fit into the modeling light socket in AC 300. Here's specs from site.
Best,
Wattgae
18W-64LEDs
Base Type
E12/E26/E27/E14/G9/GU10
Size(L*W)
100*31mm(E12,E26,E27);
96*31mm(G9,GU10);104*31mm(E14)
Voltage
AC110V(E12,E27,G9);AC 220V(E27,E14,G9)
Dimmable
Dimmable
Light Color
White6000-6500K;Warm White2700-3300K
Lumens
930-1000LM
CRI
>70 RH
Beam Angle
360 Degree
Working Temperature
-20 ? to 60 ?
Lifespan
>50,000Hrs
Certification
CE&ROHS
Warranty
3 Years
Yes, 110~120V for US. These are 18W, white, dimmable with a 31mm base so they fit into the modeling light socket in AC 300. Here's specs from site.
Best,
Wattgae
18W-64LEDs
Base Type
E12/E26/E27/E14/G9/GU10
Size(L*W)
100*31mm(E12,E26,E27);
96*31mm(G9,GU10);104*31mm(E14)
Voltage
AC110V(E12,E27,G9);AC 220V(E27,E14,G9)
Dimmable
Dimmable
Light Color
White6000-6500K;Warm White2700-3300K
Lumens
930-1000LM
CRI
>70 RH
Beam Angle
360 Degree
Working Temperature
-20 ? to 60 ?
Lifespan
>50,000Hrs
Certification
CE&ROHS
Warranty
3 Years
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike
~Mike
Yesmjkzz wrote:you are crazy
This was an attempt at creating a spherical illumination source for the chips and wafers.
If you use the C stands to support the strobes as shown in the later images, this makes strobe positioning relatively straightforward. They can be easily rotated out of the way for access, and returned to the same position.
Overall, makes a surprisingly easy setup to use, manipulate and modify.
Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike
~Mike
Peter,mjkzz wrote:just by looking at it, my head is spinning but this explains why you guys can do great stacks. I need to practice more when I have time.Overall, makes a surprisingly easy setup to use, manipulate and modify.
Not sure I would qualify as doing "great stacks" (others on here certainly do, yourself included), but my case was more of the need for better chip images for our work dating back to ~2000. So the procedures & setup evolved over time to what you see, certainly not an optimal or space efficient setup, but works for my present needs (chips & wafers).
Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike
~Mike