Abstract: A method for inspecting the filled state of a plurality of via-holes which pass through a non-conductive circuit board and are filled with a conductive substance and an apparatus for carrying out the method are disclosed.The surface of the circuit board is illuminated in two directions to generate shadows depending on the concave or convex state of the fillers in a plurality of via-holes. An optical image of the illuminated surface of the circuit board is detected. Each edge of the two shadow areas, which exist in the detected optical image and are generated in one via-hole by light irradiation in two directions, is detected. Whether the filler in this one via-hole is in the concave state or convex state is identified according to the mutual position relationship of the detected edges. The length of each shadow area is detected, and whether the concave state or convex state of the filler is within a predetermined allowance is decided according to the detection results.

Abstract: In an X-ray tomographic imaging system and method, an object to be inspected is irradiated with X-rays from an X-ray source to obtain an X-ray transmission image of the object. The X-ray transmission image is converted by an X-ray fluorescence image intensifier into a detection image. The intensity of the detection image is also intensified by the X-ray fluorescence image intensifier. A photo-electric converter converts the intensified detection image from the X-ray fluorescence image intensifier into an electrical signal. The object to be inspected is held by an object holder rotatably at a position in proximity to the X-ray source and movably in a direction of the axis of rotation of the object and a direction perpendicular to the rotation axis. The electrical signal from the photo-electric converter is processed to a cross-sectional image.

Abstract: Two kinds of image corresponding to a reference pattern and a pattern to be inspected are converted into binary images and local images cut out from the binary images are compared with each other to detect differences between the cut out images and recognize these differences as a defect. One of the main subjects of the inspecting method is to moderate excess sensitivity to the different portions to the extent of allowing non-serious actual defects. By setting don't care areas each of which consists of one pixel row neighboring on a binary boundary line in the image, and comparing the remaining portions of the images other than the don't care areas by logical processing it is possible to detect various defects without regarding the quantization error as a defect.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting an appearance of soldered portions connected between the pads formed on a printed circuit board and leads of an electronic body part. A slit light beam is directed to portions to be inspected and scanned thereon with a light fluorescent image generated from the substrate portion of the printed circuit board and a dark fluorescent image generated from the leads, pads and soldered portions being detected with an image signal being generated in accordance therewith. The image signal is binarized and different functions are extracted from the binarized signal which functions are utilized in connection with other functions and previously obtained data to determine whether an abnormal portion is present or not in a predetermined position on the circuit board.

Abstract: An apparatus for testing printed wiring patterns for use in combination with an apparatus including a plurality of dedicated pattern generators for generating arcuate wiring patterns. In contrast to the conventional LSI pattern inspection effected with design data being inputted, the apparatus can inspect the pattern including curved portions peculiar to the printed wiring pattern. Although the conventional LSI inspection technique involves an impracticably increased amount of design data, the invention allows the test or inspection to be performed at a high speed with an improved reliability and can be applied to the inspection of any pattern including arcuate patterns. By inputting graphic data in conformance with the order for generating patterns, pattern generation can be accomplished not only through ordinary raster scan but also by other various scanning methods.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for detecting the edge of a fine pattern formed on a specimen such as a fine circuit pattern formed on a semiconductor element or the like, there is prepared a predetermined model waveform based on theoretical secondary electron emission from the edge portion. Secondary electrons emitted from successive scanning points across the pattern edge portion through the irradiation of a scanning electron beam thereonto are detected to produce an actual signal waveform reflecting the secondary electron emission from the pattern edge portion. The actual signal waveform is compared with the model waveform, and one of the scanning points at which the highest coincidence exists between both the actual and model waveforms, is determined as a position of the pattern edge.

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting the outer peripheral surface of a cylindrical object is disclosed, in which the light in slit form is radiated on the surface of an object such as a nuclear fuel pellet at an angle thereto, the light regularly reflected on the surface is detected by a detector, the detected image signal is quantized at threshold values higher and lower than an average level, and the binary signals are used to detect surface losses separately from an unground part and a metal inclusion as a first detection process.

Abstract: A surface defect inspection system comprises an image pick-up device for picking up an image by sequentially scanning the surface of an object two-dimensionally, a threshold circuit for quantizing the image signal produced from the image pick-up device as a binary code, a pattern feature extracting device for making calculations for extracting the features of image patterns from the quantized signal in synchronism with the scanning, and for temporarily storing the result of the calculations, a pattern region end decision device for deciding that individual pattern regions have ended in one direction, and a defect decision device for reading out from the pattern feature extracting device the result of the calculations on the pattern features corresponding to the positions each of the patterns in the direction perpendicular to the one direction each time of the decision that each pattern region has ended, so that the feature of each pattern scanned is compared with a predetermined reference, thus deciding and a

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting the position of an object. The apparatus has an optical device for magnifying or enlarging a plurality of portions on the object, a photoelectric converter adapted for converting the enlarged portion image into electric signals, a plurality of thresholding circuits adapted for changing analogue signals from the respective photoelectric converter into binary signals with a threshold value determined by a signal level given by a first signal holding circuit, a circuit for calculating the threshold value from the analogue signals, a circuit for detecting the approximate position of a specific pattern in the enlarged portion images through a coarse sampling of the binary signals. A circuit for detecting the exact position of the specific pattern through measuring the area of a specific brightness in a plurality of regions in the enlarged portion images, by a fine sampling of the binary signals, and a controller for controlling the operations of respective circuits.

Abstract: An automatic cylindrical body appearance inspection apparatus comprises a cylindrical body appearance detecting device including rotating means for rotating the cylindrical body around its axis at a constant speed and detecting means for optically picking up an image of a cylindrical surface of the cylindrical body rotated by the rotating means and one-dimensionally scanning the image on a plane of real image thereof in a predetermined direction to extract a base line of the cylindrical surface of the cylindrical body as an image signal, an end surface appearance detecting device including a pair of detecting means each for optically picking up an image of each of opposite end surfaces of the cylindrical body and one-dimensionally scanning the image on a plane of real image thereof in a direction transverse to the predetermined direction to extract an image signal, transporting means for transporting the cylindrical body while it is positioned, from the cylindrical surface appearance detecting means to the en

Abstract: Apparatus and method for testing surface defect on an object are disclosed, which comprise an illumination means for illuminating collimated lights onto a surface of the object obliquely to the surface and from two symmetrical directions, a sensor composed of a TV camera or a linear image sensor for sensing diffused reflected lights from the surface of the object in the direction perpendicular to the surface, a classification means for discriminating the sensed image signal by a threshold level which is higher than an average level of the image signal and a threshold level which is lower than the average level to determine the surface defect pattern as a broken cavity pattern or a pit or crack pattern by the discriminated signals, and a discrimination means for calculating L.sup.2 -4.pi.S, where S is an area of the defect and L is a length of the contour, when signal discriminated by the lower threshold level is produced to discriminate the pit pattern and the crack pattern by determining whether L.sup.2 -4.

Abstract: A variable thresholding circuit for converting an analog signal to a binary signal comprises a comparator to which signals to be converted are applied and a threshold circuit coupled with the comparator in order to provide the threshold level of the comparator, so that the signals applied to the comparator are converted into binary signals in accordance with the threshold level. The threshold level corresponding to the output of the threshold circuit is compensated in accordance with the variations of the levels of the signals applied to the comparator.

Abstract: A pattern position detecting system comprising first means to sequentially fetch local images in a two-dimensionally arrayed form from a video signal in accordance with the scanning of an image and at sampling intervals which are variably instructed independently in the vertical and horizontal directions, second means to hold two-dimensional patterns having the same array as the local images, third means to evaluate the degree of non-coincidence between the image of the first means and the pattern of the second means, fourth means to store the position of an image scanning point at the time when the degree of non-coincidence becomes the minimum in a predetermined range within a picture frame, fifth means to calculate the position of an object from the position obtained by the fourth means, and sixth means to store the vertical and horizontal sampling intervals necessary for the operation of the first means, the two-dimensional patterns for use in the second means and numerical values necessary for the positio

Abstract: An analog-digital converter comprises a comparator to which signals to be converted are applied, and a threshold circuit coupled with the comparator in order to control the threshold level of the comparator, so that the signals applied to the comparator are converted into binary signals based upon a predetermined threshold level. The threshold level corresponding to the output of the threshold circuit is compensated in accordance with the variations in the levels of the signals applied to the comparator. The threshold level of the comparator is changed to a compensated level when the result, calculated from the average level of the signals approximately corresponding to a predetermined area in a field of the object and that of the signals approximately corresponding to plural areas which are in the vicinity of the predetermined area, is different from that of the preceding frame.