Reconstructed Image for Semiconductor Wafer Inspection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Large digital images, such as those of semiconductor wafers, are difficult to inspect due to display size limitations, requiring manual panning to view all parts, which is inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A method using a processor to reconstruct images by defining contour points, obtaining characteristic lines with pre-defined lengths and widths, and rearranging them to form a straight edge, creating a smaller reconstructed image that allows for easier inspection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the original large digital image is displayed directly, then all information is preserved, but the image size is too large to fit on the display screen requiring manual panning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the original large digital image into multiple characteristic lines by identifying contour points and extracting line features. Each characteristic line represents a portion of the object contour with associated pixel values. This segmentation transforms the large 2D image into a compact representation that fits on the display screen while preserving all essential information for defect inspection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the essential information from the original image by identifying contour points and obtaining characteristic lines that define the object boundary. Instead of displaying the entire original image, the system extracts and rearranges these characteristic lines to form a reconstructed image that contains all relevant defect information in a condensed format.
2Loss of information
If the original large digital image is displayed directly, then all information is preserved, but manual panning is required to view all parts
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the image into characteristic lines that capture the essential contour and defect information, the patent preserves all relevant data while eliminating the need for panning. The segmented representation maintains complete information about the object boundary and any defects located along it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a reconstructed image that is a simplified copy of the original, containing only the essential contour and defect information. This copy preserves all necessary inspection data while being compact enough to display entirely on the screen, eliminating the time loss associated with manual panning.
3Area of stationary object
If the original large digital image is displayed directly, then complete object information is available, but the display requires frequent manual dragging
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the large image into characteristic lines that can be arranged in a compact reconstructed image. This segmentation reduces the display area required while maintaining all essential inspection information, thereby improving productivity by eliminating the need for frequent manual dragging and allowing inspectors to view the entire object contour at once.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for constructing an image includes: defining a foreground area associated with an object in an original image; identifying a plurality of contour points defining a contour of the object; for each of the contour points, obtaining a reference contour point set that includes at least one reference contour point on each of two sides of the contour point; obtaining a plurality of characteristic lines, each associated with the reference contour point set and defined by an end point obtained from the contour points; and aligning the end points on one side to form a straight edge and making the characteristic lines adjoin each other side by side, so as to construct a reconstructed image.