Configurable Area Light Source for Inspection Illumination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing illumination systems for inspection tools lack versatility in beam opening angles and sensitivity to object tilt, as they are either limited to wide-angle or collimated coaxial illumination, which affects imaging quality and adaptability.
Innovation Solution
A configurable area light source that allows selection of different area diameters, enabling variation of collimation beam opening angles from very narrow to very wide, and the integration of this system into inspection tools to provide adaptable coaxial illumination with adjustable beam angles.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a fixed wide-angle or collimated coaxial illumination system is used, then the imaging quality is optimized for specific inspection scenarios, but the adaptability to different inspection scenarios and object tilts is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system employs a dynamically adjustable beam opening angle through a configurable area light source, allowing the system to adapt between wide-angle and collimated modes. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction by enabling the system to optimize imaging quality for specific scenarios while maintaining versatility across different inspection scenarios through real-time parameter changes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the beam opening angle parameter of the illumination light by configuring the area light source dimensions. This parameter change allows transition between wide-angle illumination (larger area diameter) and collimated illumination (smaller area diameter), thereby resolving the contradiction between optimized imaging quality for specific scenarios and adaptability to different scenarios.
2Ease of operation
If the beam opening angle is fixed, then the illumination system is simpler to operate, but it lacks flexibility to handle various inspection scenarios including different object tilts
Solution Approach 1:
The illumination system provides dynamically adjustable beam opening angles through electronic configuration of the area light source, maintaining ease of operation through automated control while achieving flexibility to handle various inspection scenarios including different object tilts by adapting the illumination pattern to match specific inspection requirements.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides a flexible illumination system that can switch between wide-angle and collimated modes, improving imaging quality and adaptability to object tilt, enhancing the inspection tool's capability to handle various inspection scenarios.
Implementation Method 1
an illumination lens (12) downstream of the beam splitter (4) having an optical axis (20) coinciding with the illumination beam path (21) and configured to collimate the light (3) from the area light source (2) to form a collimated beam
Implementation Method 2
a beam splitter (4) upstream of the illumination lens (12) and configured to reflect light (3) from the optical axis (20) towards a surface (5) of an object (6)
Data Source
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AI summary
An illumination system, an inspection tool and a method for inspecting an object are disclosed. A configurable area light source is arranged in an illumination optical axis of an illumination beam path, wherein the configurable area light source is configured such that different beam diameters are settable. At least one illumination lens is positioned in the illumination beam path for directing a collimated beam at least onto a field of view on a surface of the object, wherein a value of an angle of incidence of the illumination optical axis of the illumination beam path equals a value of an angle of reflectance of the imaging optical axis of the imaging beam path. The invention allows the combination of the functionality of a wide angle coaxial illumination and a collimated coaxial illumination in one illumination system.