Patent · US Expired

Surface inspection system and method of inspecting surface of workpiece

US5712701A · kind A · utility

99Cited by
21References
42Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMar 6, 1995
Grant dateJan 27, 1998
Priority date
Expiry dateMar 6, 2015

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/8901
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A surface inspection system and methods of inspecting a surface of a workpiece are provided for detecting particles, defects, or other surface characteristics in or on a surface of the workpiece. The surface inspection system preferably has a transporter arranged for transporting a workpiece along a material path and a rotator associated with the transporter and arranged for rotating a workpiece during translational travel along the material path. A scanner is positioned and arranged for scanning a surface of a workpiece during rotational and translational travel along the material path. The scanner preferably includes a light source arranged to generate a light beam therefrom and a deflector positioned to receive the light beam and arranged for deflecting the light beam along a predetermined scan path across a surface of the workpiece as the workpiece rotationally and translationally travels along the material path. A collector also is preferably arranged for collecting light specularly reflected and scattered from the surface of the workpiece during rotational and translational travel along the material path.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.