Method of visualizing minute particles

Claim 1

A method of determining the geometric dimension of a minute particle disposed on the top surface of a substrate, comprising: generating a plurality of coincident light beams arranged in a row; directing said plurality of coincident light beams toward the substrate and the minute particle; viewing said plurality of coincident light beams as they are reflected from the minute particle and the substrate; determining the gray scale intensity levels of each of the beams reflecting from the minute particle and substrate; determining a weighted average gray scale value of the plurality of reflected beams; calculating the center of intensity of the beams reflecting from the minute particle and the substrate; and determining a weighted average dimension of the minute particle based on the calculated center of intensity.

Claim 2

A method of determining the geometric dimension of a minute particle disposed on the top surface of a substrate, comprising: generating a plurality of coincident light beams arranged in a row; directing said plurality of coincident light beams toward the substrate and the minute particle; viewing said plurality of coincident light beams as they are reflected from the minute particle and the substrate; determining the gray scale intensity levels of each of the beams reflecting from the minute particle and substrate; determining a weighted average gray scale value of the plurality of reflected beams; calculating the center of intensity of the beams reflecting from the minute particle and the substrate; and determining a weighted average dimension of the minute particle based on the calculated center of intensity.

Claim 16

A method of determining the geometric dimensions of minute particles disposed on the top surface of a substrate, comprising: using a plurality of cameras for observing elongated beams of reflected light; mounting said plurality of cameras in groups of at least two cameras each, each group being spaced apart from every other group and being aligned parallel with every other group; separating elongated beams of reflected light into a reflected beam and a transmitted beam, said transmitted beam being observed by the cameras in one of said groups; deflecting said reflected beam to be received by another one of said groups and for preventing every other group from observing said reflected beam; illuminating a given area of the substrate and the minute particles within said area with a forward laser beam and a rear laser beam; viewing reflected forward laser beam images and reflected rear laser beam images by said cameras; viewing orthogonally the reflected beam images as they are reflected from the minute particles and the substrate in said given area; determining the gray scale intensity levels of the beam images reflecting from the minute particles and substrate in said given area; determining the distance between the intensity center of the beam image reflecting from the minute particles and the intensity center of the beam image reflecting from the substrate; determining the height of the minute particles within said given area; storing the determined height of the minute particles within said given area; moving said camera means and the substrate relative to one another to permit another area of the substrate to be scanned by said forward laser beam and said rear laser beam; repeating the steps of illuminating, using, viewing, determining, determining, storing and moving until substantially the entire top surface of the substrate has been scanned by said forward and rear laser beams; retrieving the stored determined height information; calculating the area of each minute particle disposed on the top surface of the substrate; and calculating the volume of each minute particle disposed on the top surface of the substrate.

Claim 17

A method of determining the geometric dimensions of minute particles disposed on the top surface of a substrate, comprising: using a plurality of cameras for observing elongated beams of reflected light; mounting said plurality of cameras in groups of at least two cameras each, each group being spaced apart from every other group and being aligned parallel with every other group; separating elongated beams of reflected light into a reflected beam and a transmitted beam, said transmitted beam being observed by the cameras in one of said groups; deflecting said reflected beam to be received by another one of said groups and for preventing every other group from observing said reflected beam; illuminating a given area of the substrate and the minute particles within said area with a forward laser beam and a rear laser beam; viewing reflected forward laser beam images and reflected rear laser beam images by said cameras; viewing orthogonally the reflected beam images as they are reflected from the minute particles and the substrate in said given area; determining the gray scale intensity levels of the beam images reflecting from the minute particles and substrate in said given area; determining the distance between the intensity center of the beam image reflecting from the minute particles and the intensity center of the beam image reflecting from the substrate; determining the height of the minute particles within said given area; storing the determined height of the minute particles within said given area; moving said camera means and the substrate relative to one another to permit another area of the substrate to be scanned by said forward laser beam and said rear laser beam; repeating the steps of illuminating, using, viewing, determining, determining, storing and moving until substantially the entire top surface of the substrate has been scanned by said forward and rear laser beams; retrieving the stored determined height information; calculating the area of each minute particle disposed on the top surface of the substrate; and calculating the volume of each minute particle disposed on the top surface of the substrate.