EP0123229A2
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EP
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Method and apparatus for detecting defects of printed circuit patterns
Assignee: Hitachi Ltd
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Filing: 1984-04-13
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2004-04-13
Abstract
Abstract A printed circuit pattern inspection system, in which the optical image of circuit patterns is transformed into an electrical signal, the signal is converted into a binary digital signal, the connectivity relationship between selected two points of pattern in the form of binary signal is examined, connection data representative of the connectivity relationship and expressed by a pair of numbers given to the points is generated, and the connection data is compared with design data which is produced from design information and expressed in the form of a circulation list of numbers given to points in linkage relationship, whereby determination of defectiveness of patterns is made basing on the result of comparison.
Inventors
- 👤 Takanori Ninomiya
- 👤 Yasuo Nakagawa
- 👤 Keiya Saito
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-25 20:10
CPC Classifications
G; G06; G06T; G06T7/00; G06T7/0002; G06T7/0004; G06T7/0006; G01; G01N; G01N21/00; G01N21/84; G01N21/88; G01N21/95; G01N21/956; G06T2207/00; G06T2207/30; G06T2207/30108; G06T2207/30141
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 20
Claim 1
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of detecting a defect of a circuit pattern comprising the steps of transducing an electrical image signal from an optical image of a circuit pattern using an image pickup means (21); transforming said electrical signal into a binary signal; examining the connectivity relationship between selected two points of the pattern represented by said binary signal; producing connection data representative of said connectivity relationship and expressed by a pair of symbols given to said points; and comparing said connection data with design data which is produced from design information and expressed in the form of a circulation list of symbols given to points in connectivity relationship so as to determine defectiveness of the pattern.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
115 words
A method of detecting a defect of a circuit pattern comprising the steps of transducing an electrical image signal from an optical image of a circuit pattern using an image pickup means (21); transforming said electrical signal into a binary signal; examining the connectivity relationship between selected two points of the pattern represented by said binary signal; producing connection data representative of said connectivity relationship and expressed by a pair of symbols given to said points; and comparing said connection data with design data which is produced from design information and expressed in the form of a circulation list of symbols given to points in connectivity relationship so as to determine defectiveness of the pattern.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a step of contraction process for the binary pattern is added between said step of binary translation of the electrical signal and said step of producing connection data.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
34 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein a step of expansion process for the binary pattern is added between said step of binary translation of electrical signal and said step of producing connection data.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein determination of defectiveness of the pattern is finally made basing on a determination result obtained through said contraction process and a determination result obtained without said contraction process.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method according to claim 3, wherein determination of defectiveness of the pattern is finally made basing on a determination result obtained through said expansion process and a determination result obtained without said expansion process.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
65 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein steps of contraction process and expansion process for the binary pattern are added between said step of binary translation of the electrical signal and said step of producing connection data, determination of defectiveness of the apttern being finally made basing on a determination result obtained through said contraction process and a determination result obtained through said expansion process.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
75 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein steps of contraction process and expansion process for the binary pattern are added between said step of binary translation of the electrical signal and said step of producing connection data, determination of defectiveness of the pattern being finally made basing on a determination result obtained through said contraction process, a determination result obtained through said expansion process and a determination result obtained without said contraction nor expansion processes.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
A method according to claim 1, wherein said steps of producing an electrical image signal and transforming said signal into a binary signal comprising the steps of producing electrical image signals using a pair of image pickup means which sense a same position of a pattern along optical axes of different directions, and a step of composing pattern sections of said two electrical signals to form said binary signal.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
29 words
A method according to claim 1 or 8, wherein said circuit pattern comprises a circuit pattern formed of metallic particles laid on a green sheet mainly made of alumina.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
148 words
An apparatus for detecting a defect of a circuit pattern comprising: image pickup means (21) which senses an optical image of a circuit pattern and provides an electrical image signal; a binary digitizing circuit (22) which transforms said electrical signal into binary picture element signals; connection data generating means (23) which examines the connectivity relationship between selected two points of the pattern in the form of said binary signal basing on said binary picture element signals, and produces connection data representative of a connectivity relationship and expressed by a pair of symbols given to said points; and. comparison means (25) which compares said connection data with design data which is produced from design information and expressed in the form of a circulation list of symbols given to points in connectivity relationship, whereby determination of defectiveness of the pattern is made basing on the output of said comparision means.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
148 words
An apparatus for detecting a defect of a circuit pattern comprising: image pickup means (21) which senses an optical image of a circuit pattern and provides an electrical image signal; a binary digitizing circuit (22) which transforms said electrical signal into binary picture element signals; connection data generating means (23) which examines the connectivity relationship between selected two points of the pattern in the form of said binary signal basing on said binary picture element signals, and produces connection data representative of a connectivity relationship and expressed by a pair of symbols given to said points; and. comparison means (25) which compares said connection data with design data which is produced from design information and expressed in the form of a circulation list of symbols given to points in connectivity relationship, whereby determination of defectiveness of the pattern is made basing on the output of said comparision means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
62 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein means (29) of contraction process for said binary pattern signal is provided between said binary digitizing circuit and said connection data generating means, the operation of said apparatus being switched to either a mode of processing the signal through said contraction processor means or another mode of processing the signal without said contraction processor means.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
62 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein means (30) of expansion process for said binary pattern signal is provided between said binary digitizing circuit and said connection data generating means, the operation of said apparatus being switched to either a mode of processing the signal through said expansion processor means or another mode of processing the signal without said expansion processor means.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
141 words
An apparatus for detecting a defect of a circuit pattern comprising means (45 - 48) for illuminating an object and means (21, 49) for transducing an optical image of said illuminated object into an electrical signal so as to detect a defect of a circuit pattern formed on a planar surface of said object, wherein said illumination means is disposed so that said object is illuminated on a side of the formation of said circuit pattern under test, and wherein said apparatus further comprises two sets of image pickup means (21a, 49a; 21b, 49b) which sense a same position of said illuminated pattern along optical axes (al, a2) of different directions on the side of pattern formation and transform luminance images of the circuit pattern into electrical signals, and means (55, 60) for composing pattern sections of said two electrical signals.
Claim 16
Independent Claim
141 words
An apparatus for detecting a defect of a circuit pattern comprising means (45 - 48) for illuminating an object and means (21, 49) for transducing an optical image of said illuminated object into an electrical signal so as to detect a defect of a circuit pattern formed on a planar surface of said object, wherein said illumination means is disposed so that said object is illuminated on a side of the formation of said circuit pattern under test, and wherein said apparatus further comprises two sets of image pickup means (21a, 49a; 21b, 49b) which sense a same position of said illuminated pattern along optical axes (al, a2) of different directions on the side of pattern formation and transform luminance images of the circuit pattern into electrical signals, and means (55, 60) for composing pattern sections of said two electrical signals.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
16 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said image pickup menas comprise linear sensors (21a, 21b).
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
38 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said composing means comprises means (22a, 22b) for transforming said two electrical signals into binary signals separately, and means (55) for taking logical product or logical sum for said binary signals.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
28 words
An apparatus according to claim 13, wherein said composing means comprises means (60) for providing a value corresponding to the larger or smaller of said two electrical signals.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
70 words
An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein said image pickup means comprises two sets of image pickup means (21a, 49a; 21b, 49b) which sense a same position of a circuit pattern under test along optical axes (al, a2) in different directions on the side of pattern formation and transform luminance images of the pattern into electrical signals, and means (55, 60) for composing pattern sections of said two electrical signals.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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