ALIO Industries Solves the Problem of Inspecting Micro LEDs

Micro-LEDs promise significant improvements in display technology, offering superior brightness, contrast, and energy efficiency compared to current technologies like OLEDs. However, their tiny size makes them difficult to manufacture at scale without compromising quality. Defects become harder to detect as chip sizes shrink, and the inspection process is further complicated by the need for high precision in testing electrical contacts.

Emerging test technologies, such as electroluminescence (EL), are being used to detect defects in LED chips. EL testing involves measuring light emission when a current is passed through the chip, which helps identify defects early. The challenge with micro-LEDs lies in achieving accurate probing of electrical contacts without damaging the chips. Any misalignment, even at the nanometer level, can lead to faulty chips, lowering the yield and driving up production costs.

Standard motion systems in inspection equipment lack the resolution and stability needed for micro-LED manufacturing. They struggle to maintain the precise, repeatable motion required to probe the tiny electrical contacts of micro-LED chips accurately. Even small deviations from the intended path can result in damaging the chip or failing to detect defects.

Standard systems also often suffer from a lack of five-degree-of-freedom (5DOF) motion control, which is essential for handling the complexities of probing tiny chips. This shortfall leads to increased downtime, lower yields, and higher costs. In a competitive market like micro-LED manufacturing, where every micron matters, these inefficiencies are unacceptable.

How ALIO Industries Solves These Challenges

ALIO Industries’ motion systems are specifically designed to address the needs of precision manufacturing, including micro-LED production. Their patented 6D Point Precision® motion systems offer unmatched repeatability and precision, ensuring that manufacturers can probe micro-LED chips with nanometer-level accuracy.

One of the primary advantages of ALIO’s systems is their ability to offer true 5DOF and 6DOF motion control. This allows the system to compensate for the tiniest variations in alignment, ensuring that the point of interest on the micro-LED chip is reached every time without error. This is especially important in EL testing, where a single misstep can damage a chip or produce inaccurate test results.

Additionally, ALIO’s systems are designed for speed and throughput. While maintaining precision, the company’s stages can move quickly between testing points, significantly reducing cycle times. This combination of accuracy and speed directly addresses the two biggest challenges in micro-LED manufacturing: low yield and high cost. By improving the accuracy of defect detection and reducing the chances of chip damage, ALIO’s systems help manufacturers increase their yields and lower their costs.

As the micro-LED market continues to grow, manufacturers need to overcome the challenges of low yield and high costs to bring this promising technology to mass production. ALIO Industries’ motion systems, with their industry-leading precision and repeatability, offer the optimal solution. While inferior systems struggle to meet the demands of micro-LED manufacturing, ALIO’s advanced motion properties ensure that manufacturers can achieve the necessary accuracy and throughput to succeed. In this way, ALIO is stimulating innovation and driving progress in disruptive technologies which strive to enhance manufacturing efficiency.