Example implementations relate to an inspection method for training a measurement machine to accurately measure side joint lengths and detecting a defect among a plurality of solder joints. The method includes receiving a first data representing the side joint lengths of the plurality of solder joints measured by a first measurement machine and a second data representing the side joint lengths measured by a second measurement machine. Further, the method includes determining a correlation value based on a statistical analysis of a relationship between the first data and the second data. The method further includes updating an algorithm used by the first measurement machine to measure the side joint lengths, based on the correlation value to reduce deviation between the first data and the second data. Later, the updated algorithm is used as a dimensional metrology in the first measurement machine for detecting the defect in the solder joints.

Example implementations relate to an inspection method for training a measurement machine to accurately measure side joint lengths and detecting a defect among a plurality of solder joints. The method includes receiving a first data representing the side joint lengths of the plurality of solder joints measured by a first measurement machine and a second data representing the side joint lengths measured by a second measurement machine. Further, the method includes determining a correlation value based on a statistical analysis of a relationship between the first data and the second data. The method further includes updating an algorithm used by the first measurement machine to measure the side joint lengths, based on the correlation value to reduce deviation between the first data and the second data. Later, the updated algorithm is used as a dimensional metrology in the first measurement machine for detecting the defect in the solder joints.

Fiducial marking systems provided for forming a global coordinate system for a visual system having a limited field of view. The fiducial marking system includes a target surface that is movable relative to the visual system and a visual pattern associated with the target surface. The visual pattern includes a plurality of first lines and a plurality of second lines. Each first line is spaced by a first distance from each adjacent first line and each second line is spaced by a second distance from each adjacent second line, wherein the first distance is different than the second distance. Additionally, the first distance and the second distance are selected such that at least one first line and at least one second line are within the field of view at all relative positions of the visual system and the target surface.

An optical system and method are presented for use in measurements on an upper surface of a layered sample when located in a measurement plane. The optical system is configured as a normal-incidence system having an illumination channel and a collection channel, and comprises an objective lens unit and a light propagation affecting device. The objective lens unit is accommodated in the illumination and collection channels, thereby defining a common optical path for propagation of illuminating light from the illumination channel toward an illuminating region in the measurement plane and for propagation of light returned from measurement plane to the collection channel. The light propagation affecting device comprises an apertured structure located in at least one of the illumination and collection channels, and configured to provide angular obscuration of light propagation path for blocking angular segments associated with light propagation from regions outside the illuminated region.

A high effective refractive index structure may include one or more high effective refractive index materials disposed on a substrate. The high effective refractive index structure configured to respond to a light received at the high effective refractive index structure by at least generating one or more sub-diffraction limit illumination patterns for illuminating a specimen while one or more frames are captured of the illuminated specimen. The one or more sub-diffraction limit illumination patterns may include one or more speckle patterns. The one or more high effective refractive index materials may exhibit an effective refractive index equal to or greater than 3. Examples of high effective refractive index materials include hyperbolic metamaterial (HMM) multilayers, nanowire based hyperbolic metamaterials, and organic hyperbolic materials (OHM).

The present invention relates to a full-field reflection phase microscope. In a preferred embodiment, the invention can combine low-coherence interferometry and off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM). The reflection-based DHM provides highly sensitive and a single-shot imaging of cellular dynamics while the use of low coherence source provides a depth-selective measurement. A preferred embodiment of the system uses a diffraction grating in the reference arm to generate an interference image of uniform contrast over the entire field-of-view albeit low-coherence light source. With improved path-length sensitivity, the present invention is suitable for full-field measurement of membrane dynamics in live cells with sub-nanometer-scale sensitivity.

The present invention relates to a full-field reflection phase microscope. In a preferred embodiment, the invention can combine low-coherence interferometry and off-axis digital holographic microscopy (DHM). The reflection-based DHM provides highly sensitive and a single-shot imaging of cellular dynamics while the use of low coherence source provides a depth-selective measurement. A preferred embodiment of the system uses a diffraction grating in the reference arm to generate an interference image of uniform contrast over the entire field-of-view albeit low-coherence light source. With improved path-length sensitivity, the present invention is suitable for full-field measurement of membrane dynamics in live cells with sub-nanometer-scale sensitivity.

Disclosed is a method of, and associated apparatus for, determining an edge position relating to an edge of a feature comprised within an image, such as a scanning electron microscope image, which comprises noise. The method comprises determining a reference signal from said image; and determining said edge position with respect to said reference signal. The reference signal may be determined from the image by applying a 1-dimensional low-pass filter to the image in a direction parallel to an initial contour estimating the edge position.

Disclosed is a method of, and associated apparatus for, determining an edge position relating to an edge of a feature comprised within an image, such as a scanning electron microscope image, which comprises noise. The method comprises determining a reference signal from said image; and determining said edge position with respect to said reference signal. The reference signal may be determined from the image by applying a 1-dimensional low-pass filter to the image in a direction parallel to an initial contour estimating the edge position.

In one embodiment, a modular confocal microscope is disclosed that includes a beam steering means arranged to direct the source of electromagnetic radiation non-collinearly with the optical axis of a focusing lensing means configured within the modular confocal microscope, wherein the focused non-collinearly directed source of electromagnetic radiation is used for an imaging basis of targeted one or more sites of a specimen; and at least one arrayed detector configured along a beam path in a conjugate confocal plane to the targeted one or more sites of a specimen and further configured to provide autocorrection information to maintain focus and image quality of the targeted one or more sites using the imaging basis, and wherein the arrayed detector provides high-throughput configured synthetic apertures in a pixel range array of N=22 up to an array of N=2121.