Abstract: The method for optimizing inspection speed during optical inspection of parts in high, low and fluorescent light applications. There are described autofocus mechanisms and methods optimized for fluorescent and non-fluorescent applications that when combined with a high speed CCD camera and high numerical aperture (NA) optics, achieve superior signal to noise ratio, resolution, and inspection speed performance.

Abstract: A novel method all of and apparatus for categorizing different material regions of an object-to-be inspected, by optical scanning of the object to produce a pixel image thereof, discriminating different pixel regions of the image corresponding to possibly different materials on the basis of color, and texture brightness measurements of the pixel regions and assigning preliminary likelihoods to such discrimination through with ambiguities; and comparing the measurements of the pixel regions with their local neighborhood surroundings in the image to assist in resolving said ambiguities and determining the material categorizations of the pixel regions with a high likelihood.

Abstract: A novel wafer or circuit board automatic scanning optical inspection system and technique using the reference comparison principle for finding defects in scanned sample images, that enables a new degree of universality in finding all defects including very small single pixel conductor breaks and shorts and defects of irregular shapes, and together with simultaneous design rule processing, through the use of processed skeletal reference images and with separately programmable alignment tolerance and detection parameters.

Abstract: Semiconductor wafers, circuit boards and similar multi-layer structures are optically inspected at high speeds with the aid of preferably a pair of oppositely and inclinedly directed laser beams at inclined angles to the vertical and the wafer surface to cause fluorescence by a photoresist layer carrying conductor patterns, defects in which are to be inspected, and using preferably a time-delay-integration CCD imaging camera for recording a fluorescent resist surface image accentuating the non-fluorescing conductor pattern thereupon, while masking all light from layers therebelow.

Abstract: A novel optical inspection technique for multi-layer wafers and the like in which conductor patterns of a top layer only are to be inspected, such layer being upon an intermediate transparent or translucent insulation layer in turn upon a base layer(s) thereunder, wherein the intermediate layer only is fluoresced, displaying the top layer conductors as dark in the field of fluorescent light, and causing reflections from layers below the intermediate layer effectively to disappear to obviate confusion with the top layer conductors to be inspected.

Abstract: A novel automatic inspection technique and apparatus is disclosed for differentiating differently colored regions of an object or surface (such as solid state wafers, printed circuit boards, or more general applications for distinguishing regions of one color from their neighboring or surrounding areas of different color), involving the use of at least a pair of separate detectors of light images (CCD cameras preferably) reflected from the object or surface and provided with optical filters of different colors corresponding to the differently colored regions of the object or surface; and an electronic filtering processing by multiplying the detector signals by different weighting coefficients selected to maximize the ratio between the filter responses to optimize signal contrast, and then linearly summing the multiplexed signals. Independence from wide light intensity variations and in color variations in the production or processing of the object is thereby obtained.

Abstract: A pattern inspection technique and apparatus, suitable for wafer and printed circuit board and related applications, employing novel intelligent imaged-pattern shrinking and expanding architecture to identify permissible line widths, spacing and in surrounding material context, and to identify defects or errors.

Abstract: To reduce the large number of pixels resulting from camera scanning of objects in which defects, features or differences are to be detected, and thus enhance processing speed, larger pixels are generated composed of groups of the smaller pixels, but with the smaller pixel information obtained from scanning conveyed by neighborhood majority binary value monitoring to the larger pixels, such that increased data rate is effected through processing the larger pixels without, however, loss of defect, feature or difference information contained in the small pixels.

Abstract: Apparatus and method for automatically inspecting objects and identifying or recognizing known and unknown portions thereof, including defects and the like, involving storing digital signal information representing an image of the desired predetermined object shapes to be learned by an image inspecting system and recognized during scanning of objects to be inspected, and modifying the stored digital signal information to create a fictitious image of the object shapes to be learned that incorporates acceptable size or dimension variations and the like in such objects such that during the inspecting of future objects, these acceptable variations will be ignored as defects or unknown elements.

Abstract: A method of and apparatus for discriminating sharp edge transitions produced during optical scanning, as by a CCD or the like, of differently reflective regions of a surface, such as copper conductors and resist background on printed circuit boards and similar applications, through delaying N successive sampling signals defining the edge transition of the desired edge transition regions slope and amplitude from unwanted reflections from other regions, subtracting each camera scan sampling signal from the previous Nth sample signal to produce a large difference signal only for the edge transitions, and adding such difference to the camera output signals to provide a distinctive boost to the edge transition signals which are then thresholded in a manner to insure rejection of signals from unwanted or spurious reflection regions into binary output signals unambiguously indentifying the edge transitions.

Abstract: Apparatus for rendering pixel resolution, with high signal-to-noise ratio, independent of clock signal-induced ringing effects that tend to blur such resolution as caused by the inherent inductance in the grounding system of CCD chip apparatus and the like, by a novel pair of wide ground plane configurations and interconnections, and separate ground-plane clock pulse and measurement current flow paths.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with real-time high-speed inspection of objects involving storing digital signal mask information of optical scans of objects at different magnifications, but with substantially the same field of view, and comparing digital mask information obtained by run scans of objects-to-be-inspected, at different magnifications, with the stored mask information to identify known or unknown portions of the objects, with adaptability for rapid "teaching" of large sets of objects for storage and subsequent comparison with real objects under inspection.

Abstract: This disclosure is concerned with the optical detection of pin holes or similar aberrations in sheet material, such as metal or metalized packaging materials that are to enclose and seal contents therewithin, with the aid of a reflective-wall cavity structure over which the sheet material is placed and light-sealed and the walls of which are shaped to enable external light leaking through the pin hole or the like to become multiply reflected from the cavity walls and the underside of the sheet to impinge upon photodetecting means at an appropriate portion of the walls, thus to enable detection of such leak, and, if desired, location of the pin hole or the like.

Abstract: Electronic focusing for television pick-up cameras and the like is effected by removing video synchronization information and discontinuities from the video signal, bandpass filtering the sync-free video signal below television cut-off frequency, producing a current therefrom and rectifying to charge capacitance which is integrated into a voltage, and periodically discharging the voltage to indicate a measure of average value of amplitude of signal which is maximized to focus the camera lens.