Apparatus for inspecting electrical circuits including a scanner including at least one multiline Time Delay Integration (TDI) sensor having multiple parallel lines of sensor pixels, the multiple lines being separated from each other by a separation distance along a scanning axis, each of the sensor pixels having a sensor pixel dimension along the scanning axis, a linear displacer providing mutual displacement of the TDI sensor and an electrical circuit to be inspected along the scanning axis and scanning optics directing light reflected from the electrical circuit to the sensor pixels, the scanning optics defining a projection of each sensor pixel onto the electrical circuit, which projection defines the area on the electrical circuit from which light reaches each sensor pixel, each projection having a sensor pixel projection dimension along the scanning axis and an image generator constructing an image from composite output pixels of the TDI sensor.

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement TDI imaging techniques in conjunction with monolithic CCD image sensors having multiple distinct imaging regions, where TDI imaging techniques can be separately implemented with respect to each distinct imaging region. In many embodiments, the distinct imaging regions are defined by color filters or color filter patterns (e.g. a Bayer filter pattern); and data from the distinct imaging regions can be read out concurrently (or else sequentially and/or nearly concurrently). A camera system can include: a CCD image sensor including a plurality of pixels that define at least two distinct imaging regions, where pixels within each imaging region operate in unison to image a scene differently than at least one other distinct imaging region. In addition, the camera system is operable in a time-delay integration mode whereby time delay-integration imaging techniques are imposed with respect to each distinct imaging region.

Systems and methods related to a structured illumination (SI)-based inspection apparatus are described. The SI-based inspection apparatus may be capable of accurately inspecting an inspection object in real time with high resolution, while reducing the loss of light. Also described are an inspection method, and a semiconductor device fabrication method including the SI-based inspection method. The inspection apparatus may include a light source configured to generate and output a light beam, a phase shifting grating (PSG) configured to convert the light beam from the light source into the SI, a beam splitter configured to cause the SI to be incident on an inspection object and output a reflected beam from the inspection object, a stage capable of moving the inspection object and on which the inspection object is arranged, and a time-delayed integration (TDI) camera configured to capture images of the inspection object by detecting the reflected beam.

Hyperspectral imaging spectrometers have applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical imaging, surveillance, biological or chemical hazard detection, agriculture, and minerology. Nevertheless, their high cost and complexity has limited the number of fielded spaceborne hyperspectral imagers. To address these challenges, the wide field-of-view (FOV) hyperspectral imaging spectrometers disclosed here use computational imaging techniques to get high performance from smaller, noisier, and less-expensive components (e.g., uncooled microbolometers). They use platform motion and spectrally coded focal-plane masks to temporally modulate the optical spectrum, enabling simultaneous measurement of multiple spectral bins. Demodulation of this coded pattern returns an optical spectrum in each pixel. As a result, these computational reconfigurable imaging spectrometers are more suitable for small space and air platforms with strict size, weight, and power constraints, as well as applications where smaller or less expensive packaging is desired.

Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement TDI imaging techniques in conjunction with monolithic CCD image sensors having multiple distinct imaging regions, where TDI imaging techniques can be separately implemented with respect to each distinct imaging region. In many embodiments, the distinct imaging regions are defined by color filters or color filter patterns (e.g. a Bayer filter pattern); and data from the distinct imaging regions can be read out concurrently (or else sequentially and/or nearly concurrently). A camera system can include: a CCD image sensor including a plurality of pixels that define at least two distinct imaging regions, where pixels within each imaging region operate in unison to image a scene differently than at least one other distinct imaging region. In addition, the camera system is operable in a time-delay integration mode whereby time delay-integration imaging techniques are imposed with respect to each distinct imaging region.

Disclosed is a time delayed integration (TDI) image sensor capable of exposure control, including a pixel area including a plurality of line sensors, a light mask configured to block the incidence of light on part of the line sensors, and a scan controller configured to generate a line control signal and an exposure control signal based on the line trigger signal and to control movement of charges in the plurality of line sensors based on the generated line control signal and exposure control signal.

The application provides a cross-row time delay integral method, apparatus and camera. The method includes obtaining a first stage integral energy in an i-th target region from an i-th row of a first integral piece domain; transferring the first stage integral energy across rows to an i-th row of a second integral piece domain; obtaining the first stage integral energy and an second stage integral energy accumulated in the i-th target region from the i-th row of the second integral piece domain, after an integration period; outputting an image of the i-th target region containing the first stage integral energy and the second stage integral energy. The application performs cross-row integration through the energy obtained by imaging, the shooting of the target can be carried out in a higher-speed environment, the method can be implemented on the existing photoelectric device, and the method has excellent imaging quality and wide applicability.

Hyperspectral imaging spectrometers have applications in environmental monitoring, biomedical imaging, surveillance, biological or chemical hazard detection, agriculture, and minerology. Nevertheless, their high cost and complexity has limited the number of fielded spaceborne hyperspectral imagers. To address these challenges, the wide field-of-view (FOV) hyperspectral imaging spectrometers disclosed here use computational imaging techniques to get high performance from smaller, noisier, and less-expensive components (e.g., uncooled microbolometers). They use platform motion and spectrally coded focal-plane masks to temporally modulate the optical spectrum, enabling simultaneous measurement of multiple spectral bins. Demodulation of this coded pattern returns an optical spectrum in each pixel. As a result, these computational reconfigurable imaging spectrometers are more suitable for small space and air platforms with strict size, weight, and power constraints, as well as applications where smaller or less expensive packaging is desired.

A system for time-stamping the passage of a moving object is provided. The system includes a telescope, a satellite geolocating system and an electronic processor, the telescope comprising a focusing optic, a mechanical shutter and a CCD sensor comprising the function referred to as time delay and integration. When the moving object passes through the field of the telescope during a period wherein the mechanical shutter is open, the shift of the charge of a pixel in the rows of the CCD sensor ensured by the TDI function is carried out at least once at a time defined by the satellite geolocating system, shifting the trace of light left by the image of the moving object along a column of pixels, the electronic data processor determining the exact position of the moving object at the defined time depending on knowledge of this column and of the position of the telescope.

Real-time autofocus. In an embodiment, a scanning apparatus includes an imaging sensor, a focusing sensor, an objective lens, and processor(s) configured to analyze image data captured by the imaging and focusing sensors, and move the objective lens. Real-time autofocus during scanning of a sample is achieved by determining a true-Z value for the objective lens for a point on a sample and for each of a plurality of regions on the sample. The true-Z values and/or surfaces calculated therefrom are used to determine a predicted-Z value for an unscanned region of the sample. The objective lens is adjusted to the predicted-Z value at the beginning of the unscanned region. After scanning the region, a true-Z value is determined for the region and compared to the predicted-Z value. A rescan of the region is initiated if the comparison exceeds a predetermined threshold.