Robotic video-based contact angle measuring device for flat panel display or very large samples in a production process including the clean room condition 

Contact angle measuring system for the automatic measurement of the wetting behavior of solids (e.g. wafers or glass substrates for flat panel displays) under clean-room conditions of any substrate size, as well as for series tests and systematic analysis. The PCA 100 enables the reduction of subjective factors and time involved for contact angle measurements in quality control and production inspection. PCA100's high flexibility allows it work as a portable, hand-held system or integrable in a process automation with a robotic system

• the static and dynamic contact angle according to the Sessile Drop method as well as the analysis of the drop shape according to the Pendant Drop method
• the wetting behavior on various solid surfaces
• the surface and interfacial tension out of the analysis of the drop shape
• the surface free energy of solids and their components

The PCA 100 consists of the basic instrument with the following technical equipment:

• Measuring head with integrated optics, illumination and multiple dosing unit
• high-performance, telecentric lens with high light transmitting capacity and integrated aperture
• Video measuring system with high-resolution CCD-camera
• High-performance video digitizing board for the PC
• Illumination with continuously adjustable intensity for a homogeneous back lighting
• Control and measuring electronics for selection and positioning of the dosing needles
• Power supply with automatic voltage adjustment

The 32-bit NT-based software SPCA 100 developed for Windows 2000/XP offers by various expansion steps.  The analyses according to different methods were build-in the software.