Electronic Components Anomaly Opto solino® RTI sensor
Detecting micro defects using BRDF computational imaging
Customer Task
Modern electronic assemblies rely on highly precise semiconductor packages and solder connections. Components such as BGA packages, processors and high-density electronic modules must meet extremely strict quality standards to ensure reliable electrical performance and long-term durability.
Manufacturers require reliable inspection methods for:
- solder ball arrays on BGA packages
- semiconductor chip packages
- contact pads and electrical interfaces
- microelectronic surface structures
- contamination or foreign particles on packages
The goal is to detect surface defects early in the production process and ensure consistent quality across all electronic components before assembly.
Inspection Challenges
Inspecting semiconductor packages and BGA solder arrays presents several challenges for conventional machine vision systems.
Typical challenges include:
- highly reflective solder balls
- dense micro-scale structures
- small defects difficult to detect under fixed illumination
- contamination or oxidation on contact surfaces
- variations in solder ball shape or height
Standard camera systems rely on fixed lighting conditions and often struggle with reflective metallic surfaces such as solder balls. Glare and reflections can hide defects or produce unreliable inspection results.
As a result, certain defects may remain unnoticed until later stages of the production process.
Technology Principle
The solino® RTI sensor uses BRDF-based computational imaging to reveal surface structures. Within milliseconds the system captures a series of images under different illumination angles and reconstructs the surface reflectance information computationally.
Key elements include:
- 64 multi-directional LED illumination
- photometric stereo image capture
- reflectance-based surface reconstruction
- computational defect enhancement
This approach creates a stable and repeatable inspection environment independent of external lighting conditions.
Application
The solino® 10×10 sensor can be used to inspect Semicon packages and electronic components before assembly.
Typical inspection targets include:
- BGA solder ball arrays
- semiconductor chip packages
- electrical contact surfaces
- contamination or foreign particles
Because the system captures the surface under 64 illumination directions, even small surface irregularities become visible with significantly enhanced contrast.
Original RGB image vs. solino® Contrast Enhancement CPI Image
Original RGB image vs. solino® 3D CPI Image
Technology Benefits
Using controlled multi-directional illumination, solino® enhances the visibility of surface anomalies in semiconductor components such as:
- solder ball defects or deformation
- surface contamination and particles
- micro scratches or mechanical damage
- oxidation or irregular reflectance on solder contacts
The technology works particularly well on reflective metallic surfaces such as solder balls where traditional imaging fails due to glare or uncontrolled reflections.
Original RGB image vs. solino® Surface Anomaly CPI Image
Solution Architecture: Software & Hardware together in one solution
Item No.: 100-SO-10-MAN-001 solino® 10x10 - Viewer + Stand
The inspection system consists of:
- solino® RTI sensor
- integrated dome illumination with 64 LEDs
- high-resolution 20 MP industrial camera
- solinoStudio software for image acquisition and processing
The sensor design allows integration into inspection stations or automated production systems. Inspection workflow:
- Electronic component is positioned under solino® sensor
- The system captures a series of images under varying illumination directions
- Computational algorithms reconstruct the surface reflectance information
- solinoStudio enables visualization of surface structures
Conclusion
The solino® RTI sensor combines controlled illumination with computational imaging to reveal surface structures that are difficult to detect using traditional machine vision systems. This enables reliable inspection of semiconductor packages, BGA solder arrays and electronic components, helping manufacturers improve quality assurance and reduce the risk of defects during electronic assembly.
Additional Image processing and AI available on request
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