Methods of and apparatus for inspecting composite layers of a first material formed on a second material are provided including providing an illumination source, illuminating at least a portion of the composite at the layer, receiving light reflected from the sample, determining a spectral response from the received light, and comparing the received spectral response to an expected spectral response.

A defect inspection apparatus includes: an illumination unit configured to illuminate an inspection object region of a sample with light emitted from a light source; a detection unit configured to detect scattered light in a plurality of directions, which is generated from the inspection object region; a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert the scattered light detected by the detection unit into an electrical signal; and a signal processing unit configured to process the electrical signal converted by the photoelectric conversion unit to detect a defect in the sample. The detection unit includes an imaging unit configured to divide an aperture and form a plurality of images on the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is configured to synthesize electrical signals corresponding to the plurality of formed images to detect a defect in the sample.

A device and method for reliably and accurately detecting impurities in a bulk material comprising two opposing tunnel sections arranged such that a bulk material stream flows between or through the tunnel sections. At least one of the tunnel sections has a lighting means configured for indirectly illuminating the bulk material stream. Furthermore, an optical detector receives the light emitted from the illuminated bulk material. The lighting means and optical detector are configured about the tunnel sections such that the optical radiation optical radiation does not pass directly from the lighting means to the bulk material, nor from the bulk material stream to the optical detector An evaluation apparatus, responsive to measured data from the optical detector, identifies impurities in the bulk material. The invention moreover relates to a method for operating such a device.

Methods of and apparatus for inspecting composite layers of a first material formed on a second material are provided including providing an illumination source, illuminating at least a portion of the composite at the layer, receiving light reflected from the sample, determining a spectral response from the received light, and comparing the received spectral response to an expected spectral response.

Methods of and apparatus for inspecting composite layers of a first material formed on a second material are provided including providing an illumination source, illuminating at least a portion of the composite at the layer, receiving light reflected from the sample, determining a spectral response from the received light, and comparing the received spectral response to an expected spectral response.

A defect inspection apparatus includes: an illumination unit configured to illuminate an inspection object region of a sample with light emitted from a light source; a detection unit configured to detect scattered light in a plurality of directions, which is generated from the inspection object region; a photoelectric conversion unit configured to convert the scattered light detected by the detection unit into an electrical signal; and a signal processing unit configured to process the electrical signal converted by the photoelectric conversion unit to detect a defect in the sample. The detection unit includes an imaging unit configured to divide an aperture and form a plurality of images on the photoelectric conversion unit. The signal processing unit is configured to synthesize electrical signals corresponding to the plurality of formed images to detect a defect in the sample.

This invention provides a vision system camera assembly that includes an optics and illumination module that is removably attached thereto, and that is arranged to project illumination along an optical axis of the imager. This arrangement allows for short exposure time and a short working distance from an imaged scene/surface under inspection. A semi-reflecting mirror turns a structured illumination beam from an illumination axis onto the optical axis while allowing light from the imaged scene to pass through the mirror and into the imager optics. The front end of the module contains a collimating optics that causes a collimated beam from the mirror to strike the surface at various off-axis angles. The collimating optics can include a telecentric lens assembly that can comprise a pair of stacked lenses having a perimeter that is equal to or greater than the area of interest on the surface.

Apparatus for checking a tyre having: a support plane; a deformation element to generate a deformed surface portion; a positioning actuator to move the deformation element; and a device with a camera, a first light source, a second light source, a processing unit and a drive and control unit. The processing unit is programmed to activate the positioning actuator to move the deformation element towards the tyre to generate a deformed surface portion. The drive and control unit is programmed to: actuate the first light source to illuminate the deformed surface portion of the tyre, the second light source being inactive during the deformation; control the camera to acquire a first image of the deformed surface portion; actuate the second light source to illuminate an undeformed surface portion of the tyre; and control the camera to acquire a second image of the undeformed surface portion.

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.

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.