Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. The interface card sets a register indicating whether a predetermined amount of image data has been stored in a memory, and the process node reads the register to determine whether the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory, and initiates image processing when the register indicates that the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. A first network is coupled to a sensor array and communicates data. Process nodes are coupled to the first network, and process the data to produce reports. Each process node includes memory sufficient to buffer the data until it can process the data. Each process node has an interface card that formats the data for a high speed interface bus that is coupled to the interface card. A computer receives and processes the data to produce the report. A second network receives the reports. A job manager is coupled to the second network, receives the reports, and sends information to the process nodes to coordinate processing of the data.

Abstract: An inspection image analysis system. At least one image processing computer is configured to receive and analyze at least one portion of an image. At least one test computer is configured to receive at least one common portion of the image also received by the at least one image processing computer, and to analyze the at least one common portion, using equivalent image processes as the corresponding at least one image processing computer. A job manager is configured to assign the common portion and to configure the corresponding image processing computer and the test computer to run equivalent image processes.

Abstract: An inspection system. The inspection system has a sensor for generating data. A first network is coupled to the sensor and communicates the data. An array of nodes is coupled to the first network, and processes the data to produce reports. Each node has an interface coupled to the first network, and formats the data according to protocol. A bus is coupled to the interface A computer is coupled to the bus, and process the data according to an algorithm, to produce the report. The array of nodes is coupled to the first network in a daisy chain topology, and each node within a column of nodes receives common data with other nodes within the column. A second network is coupled to the nodes the second network, and receives the anomaly reports from the nodes and sends information to the nodes to coordinate processing of the data.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. A first network is coupled to a sensor array and communicates data. Process nodes are coupled to the first network, and process the data to produce reports. Each process node has an interface card that formats the data for a high speed interface bus that is coupled to the interface card. A computer receives and processes the data to produce the report. A second network receives the reports. A job manager is coupled to the second network, receives the reports, and sends information to the process nodes to coordinate processing of the data.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. A first network is coupled to the sensor array and communicates image data. Process nodes are couple to the first network, and process the data to produce reports. Each process node has an interface card that formats the data for a high speed interface bus that is coupled to the interface card. A computer receives and processes the data to produce the report. A second network receives the reports from the process nodes. A job manager is coupled to the second network, and receives the reports from the process nodes and sends information to the process nodes to coordinate the processing of the data in the process nodes.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. The interface card sets a register indicating whether a predetermined amount of image data has been stored in a memory, and the process node reads the register to determine whether the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory, and initiates image processing when the register indicates that the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. The interface card sets a register indicating whether a predetermined amount of image data has been stored in a memory, and the process node reads the register to determine whether the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory, and initiates image processing when the register indicates that the predetermined amount of image data has been stored in the memory.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. A high speed interface bus is coupled to the interface card, receives the image data from the interface card. A computer is coupled to the high speed interface bus, and receives the image data from the high speed interface bus and processes the image data according to an algorithm, to produce the anomaly report.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. A first network is coupled to a sensor array and communicates data. Process nodes are coupled to the first network, and process the data to produce reports. Each process node has an interface card that formats the data for a high speed interface bus that is coupled to the interface card. A computer receives and processes the data to produce the report. A second network receives the reports. A job manager is coupled to the second network, receives the reports, and sends information to the process nodes to coordinate processing of the data.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. A first network is coupled to a sensor array and communicates data. Process nodes are coupled to the first network, and process the data to produce reports. Each process node includes memory sufficient to buffer the data until it can process the data. Each process node has an interface card that formats the data for a high speed interface bus that is coupled to the interface card. A computer receives and processes the data to produce the report. A second network receives the reports. A job manager is coupled to the second network, receives the reports, and sends information to the process nodes to coordinate processing of the data.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. The inspection system has a sensor array for generating image data. A first high speed network is coupled to the sensor array and receives and communicates the image data. An array of process nodes is coupled to the first high speed network, and receives and processes the image data to produce anomaly reports. Each of the process nodes has an amount of memory that is sufficient to receive image data representing a plurality of dice on an integrated circuit wafer, and each of the process nodes performs analysis on the plurality of dice. Each process node has an interface card coupled to the first high speed network, that receives the image data from the first high speed network and formats the image data according to a high speed interface bus protocol. A high speed interface bus is coupled to the interface card, receives the image data from the interface card.

Abstract: An inspection system for detecting anomalies on a substrate. A first network is coupled to a sensor array and communicates image data. Process nodes are coupled to the first network, and processes the data to produce reports. Each process node has an interface card that formats the data for a high speed interface bus that is coupled to the interface card. A computer receives and processes the data to produce the anomaly report. A second network receives the anomaly reports from the process nodes. A job manager is coupled to the second network, and receives the anomaly reports from the process nodes and sends information to the process nodes to coordinate the processing of the data in the process nodes.

Abstract: A method for calibrating a non-contact range sensor comprises the steps of employing the range sensor to obtain a range image of an object to be inspected. The range image is registered with a reference image of the object thereby providing registered data. The reference image may be derived through computer assisted drawing (CAD) data. Normal deviations between the registered data and the reference image are computed. Noise is filtered from the normal deviations. A plurality of bias vectors and a covariance matrix are estimated based on the normal deviations, stored in memory as a lookup table comprising geometric correction factors for the sensor. Images of the object subsequently obtained by the sensor are compensated in accordance with the lookup table.