A method includes patterning a hard mask over a target layer, capturing a low resolution image of the hard mask, and enhancing the low resolution image of the hard mask with a first machine learning model to produce an enhanced image of the hard mask. The method further includes analyzing the enhanced image of the hard mask with a second machine learning model to determine whether the target layer has defects.

A method for quality inspection of laser material processing includes performing laser material processing on a workpiece and generating, by a sensor, raw image data of secondary emissions during the laser material processing of the workpiece. The method also includes determining a quality of the laser material processing by analyzing the raw image data of the secondary emissions.

A filter unit for a Raman microscope mounted with a dark-field objective lens unit includes a frame body, a plurality of UV-LED elements that is disposed around a window part of the frame body to emit UV light, and a long-pass filter that is supported to the frame body to cover the window part of the frame body and transmits a light having a wavelength longer than the wavelength of the UV light. The filter unit has a dark-field UV irradiation function, and is able to impart a fluorescence observation function to the Raman microscope.

A reticle inspection system may include two or more inspection tools to generate two or more sets of inspection images for characterizing a reticle, where the two or more inspection tools include at least one reticle inspection tool providing inspection images of the reticle. The reticle inspection system may further include a controller to correlate data from the two or more sets of inspection images to positions on the reticle, detect one or more defects of interest on the reticle with the correlated data as inputs to a multi-input defect detection model, and output defect data associated with the defects of interest.

The present invention addresses to a multidirectional dynamic phase shifting interferometry (DPSI) shearography and interferometry sensor. The present invention uses a configuration with three fixed prisms, or a single fixed three-facet optical prism constructed so as to achieve the same effect as three prisms and thus simultaneously obtain three images with phase shifting. The present invention also encompasses a method of inspection and measurement of vibration modes using said sensor.

Block-to-block reticle inspection includes acquiring a swath image of a portion of a reticle with a reticle inspection sub-system, identifying a first occurrence of a block in the swatch image and at least a second occurrence of the block in the swath image substantially similar to the first occurrence of the block and determining at least one of a location, one or more geometrical characteristics of the block and a spatial offset between the first occurrence of the block and the at least a second occurrence of the block.

Provided are a liquid surface inspection device, an automated analysis device, and a liquid surface inspection method with which instances of contamination can be minimized and the accuracy of the manner in which the surface conditions, such as bubbles or the like, of a liquid substance are detected can be enhanced. The device has: a light illumination unit for illuminating a container holding a liquid substance, as well as the surface of the liquid substance, with light; an image capture unit for acquiring a video image having at least color information and brightness information of light from the container and the liquid substance which are illuminated by the light illumination unit; and a detection unit for using the color information and brightness information in the video image captured by the image capture unit to detect the condition of the liquid surface.

An inspection system is provided with an inspection device configured to examine the external features of an object; and a control device for controlling the inspection device;

the inspection device including: a substantially column-shaped first barrel that includes a first through hole configured for an object to pass therethrough; and a plurality of imaging units provided on the inner peripheral surface which forms the first through hole in the first barrel; and the control device including: an image processing unit configured to process an image captured and output by each of the imaging units for the purpose of inspection.

A workpiece inspection device 1 includes a table (3), image capturing unit fixing part (7), first light projection unit (4), second light projection unit (5), linear movement mechanism (8), turning mechanism (9), quality determination unit (10), and control unit (11). The control unit (11) performs first image capturing step of causing first light projection unit (4) to project light and causing image capturing unit (6) to capture image, detailed inspection portion-determination step of setting, portion of workpiece (2) determined to require detailed inspection based on image captured in the first image capturing step, second image capturing step of causing second light projection unit (5) to project light onto the workpiece (2) and causing image capturing unit (6) to capture image of the detailed inspection-requiring portion, and quality determination step of determining quality of the detailed inspection-requiring portion based on image captured in the second image capturing step.

The coordinate system fixing unit uses the displacement of an object under measurement between photographed images in chronological order to generate fixed-coordinate chronological images. The displacement calculation unit uses the fixed-coordinate chronological images to calculate a two-dimensional spatial distribution of the displacement of the surface of the object under measurement. The displacement difference calculation unit calculates a two-dimensional displacement difference distribution by removing an error component from the two-dimensional spatial distribution. The depth movement amount calculation unit calculates a depth movement amount from the two-dimensional displacement difference distribution. The displacement separation unit calculates in-plane displacement from the two-dimensional displacement difference distribution. The determination unit uses the in-plane displacement and/or the depth movement amount to determine whether there is an abnormality in the object under measurement.