Patent classifications
G01N29/069
APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR INSPECTING ELECTROSTATIC CHUCK FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING
The apparatus for inspecting the electrostatic chuck for substrate processing includes the electrostatic chuck including a ceramic layer and an electrode layer coupled to an inside of the ceramic layer, an ultrasonic sensor unit disposed on the electrostatic chuck, allowing an ultrasonic wave to be incident into the electrostatic chuck, and converting a reflected signal reflected through the electrostatic chuck into an ultrasonic voltage signal, and an ultrasonic inspection unit to divide the ceramic layer and the electrode layer, based on a size value of the ultrasonic voltage signal.
Systems and methods of ultrasonic data evaluation of composite aircraft components
A computer system is provided for processing ultrasonic data of an ultrasonic probe applied to an area of an aircraft component that includes carbon fiber reinforced polymer. C-scan data is obtained and a preliminary mesh is defined over the C-scan data by taking into account the underlying structural or mechanical characteristics of the analyzed component. The mesh is further refined and data gathered for each mesh cell. A heat map is generated based on the mesh.
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR INSPECTING BONDED STRUCTURES
A method for inspecting a bonded structure, the bonded structure having a first structural member, a second structural member, and a bondline between the first structural member and the second structural member, includes projecting acoustic waves into the bonded structure at a non-zero angle relative to a normal axis defined by an external surface of the first structural member. The method further includes determining a magnitude of a total refraction of the acoustic waves after the acoustic waves pass through the bonded structure and comparing the magnitude of the total refraction to a predefined value.
Ultrasonic scanning device and an application and method thereof
An ultrasonic scanning device includes at least one pair of cylindrical rollers. The axes of each pair of cylindrical rollers are parallel to each other. A liquid for transmitting the ultrasound is stored in each cylindrical roller. In use, a pair of cylindrical rollers rotate around their respective axes in reverse directions, the test subject passes between the pair of cylindrical rollers and is tested by ultrasound. The ultrasonic scanning device can be applied in the field of lithium-ion battery testing. The internal flaws and health status of the lithium-ion battery can be determined by acquiring an ultrasonic image in the test subject. The device of the present invention has a simple structure and an ingenious conception, and is ready-to-use and less expensive, which is successfully applied in the field of lithium-ion battery testing.
Time-corrected gain method implemented in an ultrasonic scanner
An ultrasonic scanner acquires a gain profile including gain values for corresponding travel times in ultrasonic echoes reflected by a reference object. An ultrasonic probe signal is sent toward a test object. In response, an ultrasonic echo reflected by the test object is received at the scanner. A time of arrival of the echo is estimated. The gain profile is aligned with the echo according to the estimated time of arrival of the echo. The echo is amplified using the aligned gain profile and the amplified echo is digitized before being attenuated using the aligned gain profile. An actual time of arrival of the echo is calculated based on the attenuated digitized echo. The gain profile is re-aligned with the attenuated digitized echo according to the actual time of arrival of the echo. The attenuated digitized echo is re-amplified using the re-aligned gain profile to obtain a gain-corrected echo.
Scatterometer and method of scatterometry using acoustic radiation
An acoustic scatterometer has an acoustic source operable to project acoustic radiation onto a periodic structure and formed on a substrate. An acoustic detector is operable to detect the −1st acoustic diffraction order diffracted by the periodic structure and while discriminating from specular reflection (0th order). Another acoustic detector is operable to detect the +1st acoustic diffraction order diffracted by the periodic structure, again while discriminating from the specular reflection (0th order). The acoustic source and acoustic detector may be piezo transducers. The angle of incidence of the projected acoustic radiation and location of the detectors and are arranged with respect to the periodic structure and such that the detection of the −1st and +1st acoustic diffraction orders and discriminates from the 0th order specular reflection.
Structure evaluation system, structure evaluation apparatus, and structure evaluation method
According to one embodiment, a structure evaluation system of the embodiments includes a plurality of sensors, an arrival time determiner, a reliability calculator, and a map generator. The plurality of sensors detect elastic waves. The arrival time determiner determines arrival times of the elastic waves using elastic waves detected by the plurality of respective sensors. The reliability calculator calculates reliabilities related to measurement waveforms of the elastic waves on the basis of the arrival times. The map generator generates a first map on the basis of the calculated reliabilities or the reliabilities and a distance.
Dry-coupled magnetostrictive guided wave scanning system and method
A system includes a scanner body, a sensor package, a magnet, an actuator mechanism, and a retention mechanism. The sensor package includes a ferromagnetic strip and a flexible coil configured to at least one of transmit and detect a guided wave. The magnet is for applying a biasing magnetic field to the ferromagnetic strip. The actuator mechanism is configured to provide a mechanical pressure coupling between the magnetostrictive strip and a structure, and the retention mechanism is configured to counteract a force applied by the actuator mechanism. A processor is in communication with the sensor package and is configured to record guided wave signals detected by the flexible sensor coil, record scanner body location data provided by a position encoder, and generate two-dimensional image data of an anomaly in the structure based on the guided wave signals and location data. Methods of use and operation also are disclosed.
DAMAGE EVALUATION DEVICE AND DAMAGE EVALUATION METHOD
A damage evaluation device includes: a phased array probe that irradiates an ultrasonic signal from a surface of an inspection metal toward an inside of the inspection metal and detects a reflection signal reflected in a predetermined region inside the inspection metal; and an arithmetic processor. The arithmetic processor sets planes parallel to each other in an inspection region, calculates pixel data by quantifying the reflection signal from segments set in each of the planes; calculates a scattering degree of the pixel data, and evaluates damage of the inspection metal based on the scattering degree.
TECHNIQUES FOR ADAPTING TIME DELAYS OF ULTRASOUND INSPECTION SYSTEM DURING DATA ACQUISITION
Techniques for compensating a TFM delay computation live (e.g., during acquisition) as a function of the measured thickness along the scan axis of a probe of an acoustic inspection system. At various scan positions, the acoustic inspection system can measure the thickness of the object under test. With the measured thickness, the acoustic inspection system can compute the delays used for the TFM computation to reflect the actual thickness at that particular scan position of the probe.