Abstract: Provided is an optical apparatus that includes an illumination assembly which include an extended radiation source emitting radiation with a controllable spatial distribution and telecentric condensing optics, configured to receive and project the emitted radiation with a numerical aperture exceeding 0.3 along a first optical axis onto a field and an imaging assembly that includes a sensor and objective optics configured to image the field along a second optical axis onto the sensor and also a prism combiner positioned between the field and the condensing and objective optics which is configured to combine the first and second optical axes, while reflecting at least one of the optical axes multiple times within the prism combiner.

Abstract: An inspection system including an illumination subsystem and an image sensing subsystem, the illumination subsystem providing a plurality of illumination modalities, the system simultaneously illuminating at least two areas of an object with different ones of the plurality of illumination modalities, images of which are acquired by a single sensor forming part of the image sensing subsystem.

Abstract: A method for reconstructing a digital hologram of a surface having at least one three- dimensional feature thereon, including acquiring a digital hologram of the surface, reconstructing a wavefront based on the digital hologram, generating a phase map of at least a portion of the surface based on the wavefront, the phase map including phase ambiguities, obtaining at least one additional image of the surface, obtaining height data relating to the three-dimensional feature from the at least one additional image of the surface, the height data being obtained with a first precision, resolving the phase ambiguities based on the height data and deriving a height of the at least one three- dimensional feature based on the phase map following the resolving of the phase ambiguities therein, the height being derived with a second precision more precise than the first precision.

Abstract: Provided is an optical apparatus that includes an illumination assembly which include an extended radiation source emitting radiation with a controllable spatial distribution and telecentric condensing optics, configured to receive and project the emitted radiation with a numerical aperture exceeding 0.3 along a first optical axis onto a field and an imaging assembly that includes a sensor and objective optics configured to image the field along a second optical axis onto the sensor and also a prism combiner positioned between the field and the condensing and objective optics which is configured to combine the first and second optical axes, while reflecting at least one of the optical axes multiple times within the prism combiner.

Abstract: An image acquisition device including a first plurality of cameras arranged in a mutually spaced configuration, each having a field of view, each field of view lying in a plane and a second plurality of photon emitters arranged in a multiplicity of generally circumferential arrangements about each camera of the first plurality of cameras, at least one photon emitter within the generally circumferential arrangement directing light to a field of view of one of the first plurality of cameras that is not the closest field of view thereto.

Abstract: An inspection system including an illumination subsystem and an image sensing subsystem, the illumination subsystem providing a plurality of illumination modalities, the system simultaneously illuminating at least two areas of an object with different ones of the plurality of illumination modalities, images of which are acquired by a single sensor forming part of the image sensing subsystem.

Abstract: A range differentiator useful for auto-focusing, the range differentiator including an image generator providing an image of a scene at various physical depths, a depth differentiator distinguishing portions of the image at depths below a predetermined threshold, irrespective of a shape of the portions, and providing a depth differentiated image and a focus distance ascertainer ascertaining a focus distance based on the depth differentiated image.

Abstract: A range differentiator useful for auto-focusing, the range differentiator including an image generator providing an image of a scene at various physical depths, a depth differentiator distinguishing portions of the image at depths below a predetermined threshold, irrespective of a shape of the portions, and providing a depth differentiated image and a focus distance ascertainer ascertaining a focus distance based on the depth differentiated image.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: A system and method for illuminating an elongated field of view of a linear or high aspect ratio area image sensor comprises providing illumination with an elongated field shape with a plurality of discrete light sources and projecting the illumination toward an object to be imaged; wherein the illumination projected on the object is substantially spatially invariant in intensity and angular distribution along the elongated field shape on the object.

Abstract: A new architecture for machine vision system that uses area sensor (or line sensor), with telecentric imaging optics compound with telecentric illumination module is described. The illumination module may include a bright field illumination source and/or a dark field illumination source. The telecentric imaging optics includes an upper imaging module having an aperture stop and a lower imaging module positioned between the upper imaging module and object, such that the light source and the aperture stop are located in the back focal plane of the lower imaging module. The lower imaging module images the illumination source into a plane of an aperture stop of the upper imaging module. The optical axis of the upper imaging module is offset with respect to the lower imaging module. The optical axis of the telecentric illumination module is offset with respect to the axis of the lower imaging module in the opposite direction.

Abstract: A method of exposing a pattern on a light sensitive surface comprises forming a spatially modulated light beam including a rectangular matrix pattern of rows and columns of image data over a surface, wherein the spatially modulated light beam is operable to expose contiguous sub-exposure areas of the surface, each sub-exposure area associated with a datum of the image data, aligning one of the rows or columns of the spatially modulated light beam with a scan direction and the other one of the rows and columns of the spatially modulated light beam with a cross-scan direction for exposing the surface, shearing at least one portion of the modulated light beam with respect to a second portion of the modulated light beam in a cross scan direction by an amount less than a center to center distance between two sub-exposure areas in a cross scan direction, exposing the surface in the scan direction with the sheared spatially modulated light beam, and overlapping exposed sub-areas in the cross scan direction as a resu

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: An inspection system includes a CMOS integrated circuit having integrally formed thereon an at least two dimensional array of photosensors and providing an inspection output representing an object to be inspected. A defect analyzer is operative to receive the inspection output and to provide a defect report.

Abstract: A method of scanning a pattern on a surface, the method comprises forming a first spatially modulated light beam including a pattern for writing on a surface; splitting the first spatially modulated light beam into a plurality of sub-beams; altering a spatial relationship between the plurality of sub-beams, thereby forming a second spatially modulated light beam; and canning the surface with the second spatially modulated light beam.

Abstract: A method of exposing a pattern on a light sensitive surface comprises forming a spatially modulated light beam including a rectangular matrix pattern of rows and columns of image data over a surface, wherein the spatially modulated light beam is operable to expose contiguous sub-exposure areas of the surface, each sub-exposure area associated with a datum of the image data, aligning one of the rows or columns of the spatially modulated light beam with a scan direction and the other one of the rows and columns of the spatially modulated light beam with a cross-scan direction for exposing the surface, shearing at least one portion of the modulated light beam with respect to a second portion of the modulated light beam in a cross scan direction by an amount less than a center to center distance between two sub-exposure areas in a cross scan direction, exposing the surface in the scan direction with the sheared spatially modulated light beam, and overlapping exposed sub-areas in the cross scan direction as a resu

Abstract: A new architecture for machine vision system that uses area sensor (or line sensor), with telecentric imaging optics compound with telecentric illumination module is described. The illumination module may include a bright field illumination source and/or a dark field illumination source. The telecentric imaging optics includes an upper imaging module having an aperture stop and a lower imaging module positioned between the upper imaging module and object, such that the light source and the aperture stop are located in the back focal plane of the lower imaging module. The lower imaging module images the illumination source into a plane of an aperture stop of the upper imaging module. The optical axis of the upper imaging module is offset with respect to the lower imaging module. The optical axis of the telecentric illumination module is offset with respect to the axis of the lower imaging module in the opposite direction.