Macro inspection systems, apparatus and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10914686-B2
Application number	US-202016738022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 9, 2020
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Feb 9, 2021
Grant date	Feb 9, 2021

Abstract

The disclosed technology relates to an inspection apparatus that includes a stage configured to retain a specimen for inspection, an imaging device having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the stage to view a specimen retained on the stage, and a plurality of lights disposed on a moveable platform. The inspection apparatus can further include a control module coupled to the imaging device, each of the lights and the moveable platform. The control module is configured to perform operations including: receiving image data from the imaging device, where the image data indicates an illumination landscape of light incident on the speciment; and automatically modifying, based on the image data, an elevation of the moveable platform or an intensity of one or more of the lights to adjust the illumination landscape. Methods and machine-readable media are also contemplated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An inspection apparatus comprising:
a stage configured to retain a specimen for inspection;
an imaging device having a field of view encompassing at least a portion of the stage to view light reflected by a specimen retained on the stage;
a plurality of lights disposed on a moveable platform; and
a computing system coupled to the imaging device, each of the lights and the moveable platform, wherein the computing system is configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving image data from the imaging device, wherein the image data indicates an illumination landscape of light incident on the specimen, the illumination landscape corresponding to an intensity of light on a region of interest of the specimen;
analyzing the image data to determine whether the illumination landscape is within a threshold value of a target illumination landscape, and
automatically modifying an elevation of the moveable platform or an intensity of one or more of the plurality of lights to achieve the target illumination landscape, based on the analyzing.

2. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to perform operations comprising:
automatically adjusting a color of one or more of the plurality of lights to improve the illumination landscape, based on the image data.

3. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to perform operations comprising:
automatically adjusting a pivot of one or more of the plurality of lights to adjust the illumination landscape, based on the image data.

4. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving specimen data indicating a specimen classification associated with the specimen, and wherein automatically modifying an elevation of the moveable platform or an intensity of one or more of the plurality of lights is further based on the specimen data.

5. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to perform operations comprising:
receiving specimen data indicating one or more physical properties associated with the specimen, and wherein automatically modifying an elevation of the moveable platform or an intensity of one or more of the plurality of lights is further based on the specimen data.

6. The inspection apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the computing system is further configured to perform operations comprising:
automatically adjust, based on the specimen classification, focus of a lens used for viewing the specimen.

7. The inspection apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lights are positioned radially outside a perimeter of the stage.

8. A computer implemented-method for automatically adjusting an illumination landscape provided by an inspection apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving, at a computing system coupled to an imaging device of the inspection apparatus, image data from the imaging device, wherein the image data indicates the illumination landscape of light incident on a specimen, the illumination landscape corresponding to an intensity of light on a region of interest of the specimen;
analyzing, at the computing system, the image data to determine a specimen classification corresponding to the specimen retained on a stage of the inspection apparatus by determining whether the illumination landscape is within a threshold value of a target illumination landscape; and
automatically modifying, based on the specimen classification and by the computing system, an elevation of a moveable platform of the inspection apparatus or an intensity of one or more of a plurality of lights disposed on the moveable platform to adjust the illumination landscape.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
automatically adjusting, based on the specimen classification, a color of the one or more of the plurality of lights to adjust the illumination landscape.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
automatically adjusting, based on the specimen classification, a pivot of the one or more of the plurality of lights to adjust the illumination landscape.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
automatically adjusting, based on the specimen classification, focus of a lens used for viewing the specimen.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein analyzing the image data to determine the specimen classification further comprises:
identifying, from the image data, a feature of the specimen; and
using the feature to determine the specimen classification.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
referencing a profile database using the specimen classification; and
obtaining, from the profile database, an illumination profile, wherein the illumination profile is associated with the specimen classification in the profile database.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing thereon executable instructions that, as a result of being executed by one or more processors of a computing system coupled to an imaging device of an inspection apparatus, cause the computing system to:
obtain image data from the imaging device, wherein the image data indicates an illumination landscape of light incident on a specimen, the illumination landscape corresponding to an intensity of light on a region of interest of the specimen;
analyze the image data to determine whether the illumination landscape is within a threshold value of a target illumination landscape; and
automatically modify, based on the analyzing, an elevation of a moveable platform of the inspection apparatus or an intensity of one or more of a plurality of lights disposed on the moveable platform to achieve the target illumination landscape.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the computing system to adjust, based on the analyzing, a color of the one or more of the plurality of lights to adjust the illumination landscape.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the computing system to adjust, based on the analyzing, a pivot of the one or more of the plurality of lights to adjust the illumination landscape.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the computing system to:
obtain, from a profile database, the target illumination landscape; and
use the target illumination landscape to determine an adjustment to adjust the illumination landscape.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the computing system to analyze the image data to determine whether the illumination landscape is within the threshold value of the target illumination landscape further cause the computing system to:
identify, from the image data, one or more physical properties associated with the specimen; and
determine, based on the one or more physical properties, a specimen classification.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions further cause the computing system to adjust, based on the analyzing, a focus of a lens used for viewing the specimen.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the computing system to analyze the image

Assignees

• Nanotronics Imaging Inc

Inventors

• Putman Matthew C
• Putman John B
• Moffitt John
• Moskie Michael
• Andresen Jeffrey
• Pozzi-Loyola Scott
• Orlando Julie

Classifications

• H04N23/74

  by influencing the scene brightness using illuminating means · CPC title

• G06V20/698

  Matching; Classification · CPC title

• G06V20/693

  Acquisition · CPC title

• G06V10/774

  Generating sets of training patterns; Bootstrap methods, e.g. bagging or boosting · CPC title

• G06T2207/30148

  Semiconductor; IC; Wafer · CPC title