Rudolph Technologies, Inc.

August Technology Corp.

Hak Chuah Sim

Charles K Harris

Clyde Maxwell Guest

Sanjeev Mathur

John Mark Thornell

Thomas Casey Carrington

Ramiro Castellanos-Nolasco

An edge inspection method for detecting defects on a wafer edge normal surface includes acquiring a set of digital images which captures a circumference of the wafer. An edge of the wafer about the circumference is determined. Each digital image is segmented into a plurality of horizontal bands. Adjacent edge clusters about the circumference of the wafer are combined into edge pixel bins. The edge pixel bins are analyzed via edge clusters analysis to identify defects. The edge pixel bins are also analyzed via blob analysis to determine defects.

Edge normal process

A system for inspecting components is provided. The system includes an axial lighting system that illuminates the component with axial lighting to allow one or more features of the component to be located, such as by causing protruding features to be brighter than the background and recessed features to be darker than the background. An off-axis lighting system illuminates the component with off-axis lighting in the absence of the axial lighting to allow the component to be inspected to locate one or more features, such as a bump contact.

System and method for inspection using off-angle lighting

Growing community of inventors

Dallas, TX, United States of America

Hak Chuah Sim