Friends familiar with Leica microscopes know that the prominent feature of Leica microscopes is that they can make the inspection workflow more efficient.


The Leica DVM6 model is a special digital Leica microscope that uses a non eyepiece configuration and can directly observe images on the display. And with its series of important functions, it achieves efficient inspection, quality control and assurance (QC/QA), fault analysis (FA), and research and development (R&D). The main functional characteristics are as follows:


Micro lens tilt and sample rotation are fast and simple


Overview of sample inlay, such as XY and XYZ splicing


Built-in LED ring light and coaxial lighting


The backlight accessory can provide multiple contrasts to highlight sample characteristics


High definition dynamic synthesis (HDR) imaging capability


Intuitive software for microscope operation and data analysis


Enlargement can be changed in an efficient and simple manner throughout the entire range


Multiplication (12x to 2350x)


Encode important parameters (automatic tracking and storage), such as


Platform, optical components, lighting, and camera settings for quick access at any time


High performance digital camera, capable of capturing fast dynamic images,


Resolution up to 10 million pixels (MP)


With these powerful and intelligent functional features, it is easy to quickly and reliably inspect printed circuit boards. Here are the methods recommended by Leica experts, which are simple, fast, and very reliable. It is worth understanding that it can improve work efficiency and accuracy.


1、 Installation and startup checks


The installation and operation of Leica microscope Leica DVM6 is very simple. Insert the power cord, connect the USB cable to the computer, install the objective lens, turn on the computer, and run the Leica Application Suite X (LAS X) software. The Leica DVM6 can be used for inspection at any time.

    2、 Viewing printed circuit board components from different perspectives, tilting the microscope lens and rotating the stage


The inspection workflow of printed circuit boards often requires viewing their complex 3D components from different perspectives, such as amplifiers, regulators, transistors, diodes, capacitors, and other components. The Leica DVM6 microscope is equipped with a tilted primary mirror device (-60° to+60°) and a rotating sample stage (-180° and+180°).


The following set of photos shows examples of printed circuit board images recorded from different viewing angles. For example, the voltage regulator welding wire shown in the red circle. Changing the viewing angle allows you to view different parts of the wires and components, which are in a fixed angle top view; Hide” (0° inclined). When inspecting components, different viewing angles are crucial.

    3、 Overview of sample inlay


When inspecting a printed circuit board, the usual method is to first use a low magnification overview, and then amplify the position of interest at a high magnification. Through LAS X software, different modes can be used for large-area XY (2D) scanning, such as" Tag and Find&# quo& Ldquo; Tile Scan” And&quo; Spiral Scanning&# quo;, As the stage scans along the X and Y directions, multiple sample images of areas of interest are taken, and then LAS X is used to concatenate these images to form a mosaic image. See the figure below.

    4、 Diversified lighting provides multiple phase contrast observation methods and high-definition dynamic synthesis (HDR) imaging


When conducting inspections, quality control (QC), fault analysis (FA), and R&D of printed circuit boards, diverse lighting and phase contrast observation methods help to make specific details or characteristics easier to observe. The Leica DVM6 Leica microscope is equipped with built-in LED ring lights and coaxial lighting, as well as other lighting accessories such as backlight, equalizer, and polarizer.


5、 Ring lights and backlight lights


Most holes in printed circuit boards are through holes. In addition, semi transparent areas of glass fiber epoxy substrates on printed circuit boards can also be found around certain through-holes. Backlight can be used to detect light from printed circuit board holes, transparent components, or semi transparent components. The following image shows the imaging of the same printed circuit board area using a circular light and backlight, or using only backlight illumination.

    6、 Equalizer and polarizer


The polarizer can completely eliminate glare from high reflective points, such as welding wires. When using a tilted microscope lens for imaging, the image shows that the homogenizer eliminates glare from the glossy surface of the printed circuit board glass fiber epoxy substrate. In addition, tilting the backlight can also observe the details on the inner wall of the through-hole of the printed circuit board. The following images still show the same printed circuit board area, which were captured under circular lighting with or without accessories (i.e. backlight, dimmer, or polarizer).

    7、 High definition dynamic synthesis (HDR)


To avoid areas that are too dark or too bright in the captured image, high-definition dynamic synthesis (HDR) imaging can be used. The HDR imaging method captures a series of sample images under various exposure intensities. Subsequently, LAS X software used different algorithms to calculate the final synthesized image. Due to taking multiple sample images under different lighting conditions, this method requires more time to record the final image, but in general, more details of the sample can be seen.


The images of the printed circuit board area (with voltage regulator) shown below were taken with and without HDR, respectively.

    I don't know if the editor has explained the above methods clearly. I hope it can give you some inspiration and help. Since you have chosen the Leica microscope, you need to fully utilize its functions and make the most of everything. No matter how much money you spend, it is worth it. If you have any further questions or application related issues, you can directly contact our Chain Metallography application engineer, and I believe you will receive a satisfactory solution.