The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
May. 06, 2003
Filed:
Nov. 30, 2000
Hitoshi Tamada, Kanagawa, JP;
Yutaka Imai, Tokyo, JP;
Ayumu Taguchi, Tokyo, JP;
Hiroyuki Wada, Kanagawa, JP;
Sony Corporation, Tokyo, JP;
Abstract
An image of an inspection target having a concave and convex pattern is picked up in an off-focus state by an image pickup element Further, the image of the inspection target picked up in the off-focus state is taken in by an image processing computer Based on the image, the image processing computer prepares a light intensity profile having a peak corresponding to a boundary portion between a concave portion and a convex portion of the concave and convex pattern of the inspection target. For example, a change of the width of the concave or convex portion of the concave and convex portion can be detected very accurately, by measuring the width of the concave or convex portion of the concave and convex portion on the basis of the intensity profile.