A method of determining a physical characteristic of an adhesive material on a semiconductor device element using structured light is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a structured light pattern to an adhesive material on a semiconductor device element; (2) creating an image of the structured light pattern using a camera; and (3) analyzing the image of the structured light pattern to determine a physical characteristic of the adhesive material. Additional methods and systems for determining physical characteristics of semiconductor devices and elements using structured light are also provided.

An illuminator for a viewing unit of an optical inspection machine for the quality control of parts, in particular gaskets, comprises a diffusion chamber, a diffuse illumination source, a low-angle illumination source, a direct illumination source placed in the diffusion chamber, and an annular reflective element placed in the diffusion chamber. The annular reflective element is integral to the direct illumination source so that together they form a chamber closure assembly delimiting the upper end of the diffusion chamber. The chamber closure assembly can move axially by translational movement in the diffusion chamber both toward and away from the diffuse illumination source.

A light projecting device comprises a flat light guide plate and a light source that introduces light into the light guide plate from a side peripheral surface thereof. A plurality of concave parts are formed on one plate surface of the light guide plate, and the light entering the light guide plate reflects off the concave parts while spreading out, and the light is emitted outside from the other plate surface of the light guide plate. Each concave part is formed by a smooth concave curved surface. A tangential angle that is an angle between a tangential line at an opening edge of the concave part and the plate surface is set to be ≥50° and ≤85° in a cross-sectional shape of the concave part cut by a plane that is both perpendicular to the plate surface and passing through the center of the concave part.

Systems and methods for illuminating and/or inspecting one or more features of a unit under test (UUT) are disclosed herein. A system configured in accordance with embodiments of the present technology can include, for example, a machine, one or more diffuser elements, and/or one or more light sources. The system can create and adjust brightfield illumination profiles (e.g., uniform, brightfield illumination profiles) on portions (e.g., on curved features) of the UUT by, for example, using the one or more light sources and/or the one or more diffuser elements to adjust diffuse and/or specular illumination projected onto the curved features of the UUT. In some embodiments, the system includes one or more darkfield light sources configured to project illumination onto second portions of the UUT to create a darkfield illumination profile. The system can capture data of the brightfield and/or darkfield illumination profiles and can thereby inspect portions of the UUT.

In one embodiment, a substrate imaging apparatus includes: a rotary holding unit that holds and rotates a substrate; a mirror member having a reflecting surface that opposes an end face of the substrate and a peripheral portion of a back surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, the reflecting surface being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the rotary holding unit; and a camera having an imaging device that receives both first light and second light through a lens, the first light coming from a peripheral portion of a front surface of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit, and the second light being a reflected light of second light which comes from the end face of the substrate held by the rotary holding unit and is reflected by the reflecting surface.

A defect inspection device includes an illumination unit that irradiates a sample with a linear illumination spot; a condensing detection unit that condenses reflected light of the illumination spot from the sample; and a sensor unit that forms an optical image on a light reception surface, and outputs the optical image as an electrical signal. An angle α formed between an optical axis of the condensing detection unit and a longitudinal direction of the linear illumination spot is 10° or more and less than 80°. The sensor unit is a line sensor provided with an array-like light reception unit at a position conjugate with the illumination spot. An angle β formed between direction of the line sensor and the optical axis of the condensing detection unit is 10° or more and less than 80°, and has a difference from the angle α of 5° or more.

Various surface and structural defects are currently inspected visually. This method is labor intensive, requiring large maintenance man hours, and is prone to errors. To streamline this process, herein is described an automated inspection system and apparatus based on several optical technologies that drastically reduces inspection time, provides accurate detection of defects, and provides a digital map of the location of defects. The technology uses multiple sensing/imaging modalities such as ring illumination angular scanning, coherent speckle scanning, multi-spectral imaging such as ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared (IR) spectrums, and polarization detection.

Various surface and structural defects are currently inspected visually. This method is labor intensive, requiring large maintenance man hours, and is prone to errors. To streamline this process, herein is described an automated inspection system and apparatus based on several optical technologies that drastically reduces inspection time, provides accurate detection of defects, and provides a digital map of the location of defects. The technology uses multiple sensing/imaging modalities such as ring illumination angular scanning, coherent speckle scanning, multi-spectral imaging such as ultraviolet (UV), visible and infrared (IR) spectrums, and polarization detection.

An imaging device configured to image a printed state of a target surface of a target object for inspection includes: a first light source; a diffuser including an inner periphery surface covered with a diffuse reflection material, and configured to diffusely reflect light emitted from the first light source and emit diffusely reflected light to the target surface; and a line sensor configured to receive light resulting from reflecting the diffusely reflected light from the target surface.

An inspection system for inspecting a target includes a first lighting device configured to irradiate light onto the target from a given direction; a second lighting device, provided between the target and the first lighting device, configured to irradiate light onto the target from an oblique direction with respect to the given direction; an image capture device, provided at a position opposite to a position of the target with respect to the first lighting device and the second lighting device in the given direction; and circuitry configured to acquire a first inspection target image of the target, captured by the image capture device by irradiating the light from the first lighting device, and a second inspection target image of the target, captured by the image capture device by irradiating the light from the second lighting device, to be used for inspecting the target.