There are provided a control device of an image reading apparatus, an operation method and an operation program thereof, and an image detection system capable of quickly and easily outputting an image having an appropriate density for analysis from an image reading apparatus. An image receiving unit receives a pre-image output in pre-scanning performed before main scanning for outputting a main image for analysis in an image reading apparatus. A region information receiving unit receives information of a region in the pre-image designated by a user. A calculation unit calculates an appropriate voltage value that is a voltage value of the photomultiplier at which a density of the region becomes an appropriate density for analysis. A scanning conditions setting unit sets the appropriate voltage value as temporary scanning conditions of main scanning.

Provided is an inspection method including providing a pattern layout including measurement points, generating a first measurement map including first measurement regions that overlap the measurement points and do not overlap each other in a two-dimensional plan view, providing preliminary measurement regions on the measurement points, producing a polygon by grouping ones of the preliminary measurement regions that overlap each other in the two-dimensional plan view, providing a second measurement region on a center of the polygon, selecting the second measurement region when all of the measurement points in the polygon overlap the second measurement region in the two-dimensional plan view, generating a second measurement map including the selected second measurement region, generating a third measurement map by using the first and second measurement maps, and inspecting patterns on a semiconductor substrate by using the third measurement map. The third measurement map includes the selected second measurement region and ones of the first measurement regions that do not overlap the selected second measurement region in the two-dimensional plan view.

Methods and systems for performing electron microscopy are provided. Microscopy images candidate sub-regions at different magnification levels are captured and provided to a trained sub-region quality assessment application trained to output a quality score for each candidate sub-region. From the quality scores, group-level features for the larger magnification images are determined using a group-level feature extraction application. The quality scores for the candidate sub-regions and the group-level extraction features are provided to a trained Q-learning network that identifies a next sub-region amongst the candidate sub-regions for capturing a micrograph image, where reinforcement learning may be used with the Q-learning network for such identification, for example using a decisional cost.

There are provided a control device of an image reading apparatus, an operation method and an operation program thereof, and an image detection system capable of quickly and easily outputting an image having an appropriate density for analysis from an image reading apparatus. An image receiving unit receives a pre-image output in pre-scanning performed before main scanning for outputting a main image for analysis in an image reading apparatus. A region information receiving unit receives information of a region in the pre-image designated by a user. A calculation unit calculates an appropriate voltage value that is a voltage value of the photomultiplier at which a density of the region becomes an appropriate density for analysis. A scanning conditions setting unit sets the appropriate voltage value as temporary scanning conditions of main scanning.

Methods and systems for creating a sample of defects for a specimen are provided. One method includes detecting defects on a specimen based on output generated by a detector of an output acquisition subsystem. For the defects detected in an array region on the specimen, where the array region includes multiple array cell types, the method includes stacking information for the defects based on the multiple array cell types. The stacking includes overlaying design information for only a first of the multiple array cell types with the information for only the defects detected in the first of the multiple array cell types. In addition, the method includes selecting a portion of the detected defects based on results of the stacking thereby creating a sample of the detected defects.

Methods and systems for creating a sample of defects for a specimen are provided. One method includes detecting defects on a specimen based on output generated by a detector of an output acquisition subsystem. For the defects detected in an array region on the specimen, where the array region includes multiple array cell types, the method includes stacking information for the defects based on the multiple array cell types. The stacking includes overlaying design information for only a first of the multiple array cell types with the information for only the defects detected in the first of the multiple array cell types. In addition, the method includes selecting a portion of the detected defects based on results of the stacking thereby creating a sample of the detected defects.

A method for an automated detection of swallowed capsules on X-ray scanner images, the method including (a) based on a first image of a person, generating additional images by performing transformations of the first image; (b) calculating a position of a stomach area in the first image and on the additional images; (c) identifying rotationally invariant periodic features in windows of the stomach area; (d) calculating aggregate features for the windows based on the rotationally invariant periodic features; and (e) informing a user that the first image contains the swallowed capsules if a dissimilarity function for the aggregate features for the first image, relative to images that do not contain swallowed capsules, is larger than a predefined threshold. Optionally, the method includes segmenting the stomach area prior to identifying rotationally invariant periodic features.

Provided is an inspection method including providing a pattern layout including measurement points, generating a first measurement map including first measurement regions that overlap the measurement points and do not overlap each other in a two-dimensional plan view, providing preliminary measurement regions on the measurement points, producing a polygon by grouping ones of the preliminary measurement regions that overlap each other in the two-dimensional plan view, providing a second measurement region on a center of the polygon, selecting the second measurement region when all of the measurement points in the polygon overlap the second measurement region in the two-dimensional plan view, generating a second measurement map including the selected second measurement region, generating a third measurement map by using the first and second measurement maps, and inspecting patterns on a semiconductor substrate by using the third measurement map. The third measurement map includes the selected second measurement region and ones of the first measurement regions that do not overlap the selected second measurement region in the two-dimensional plan view.

A method for an automated detection of swallowed capsules on X-ray scanner images, the method including (a) based on a first image of a person, generating additional images by performing transformations of the first image; (b) calculating a position of a stomach area in the first image and on the additional images; (c) identifying rotationally invariant periodic features in windows of the stomach area; (d) calculating aggregate features for the windows based on the rotationally invariant periodic features; and (e) informing a user that the first image contains the swallowed capsules if a dissimilarity function for the aggregate features for the first image, relative to images that do not contain swallowed capsules, is larger than a predefined threshold. Optionally, the method includes segmenting the stomach area prior to identifying rotationally invariant periodic features.

A method for automated detection of illegal substances smuggled inside internal cavities of a passenger, e.g., as capsules. The method provides for an automated detection of narcotics hidden in a passenger's stomach area using pictures produced by an X-ray scanner. According to an exemplary embodiment, throughput of the scanner is increased by an automated detection algorithm, which takes less time than visual analysis by an operator. The operator is only involved in cases when narcotics are detected. The automated detection method has a consistent precision, because the effects of tiredness of the operator are eliminated. Efficiency and costs of the process are improved, since fewer qualified operators can service several scanners.