Dark-field inspection using a low-noise sensor
US10462391B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Jul 14, 2016 |
| Grant date | Oct 29, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 1, 2036 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04N25/77
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
An inspection system and methods in which analog image data values (charges) captured by an image sensor are binned (combined) before or while being transmitted as output signals on the image sensor's output sensing nodes (floating diffusions), and in which an ADC is controlled to sequentially generate multiple corresponding digital image data values between each reset of the output sensing nodes. According to an output binning method, the image sensor is driven to sequentially transfer multiple charges onto the output sensing nodes between each reset, and the ADC is controlled to convert the incrementally increasing output signal after each charge is transferred onto the output sensing node. According to a multi-sampling method, multiple charges are vertically or horizontally binned (summed/combined) before being transferred onto the output sensing node, and the ADC samples each corresponding output signal multiple times. The output binning and multi-sampling methods may be combined.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.