METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SIGNAL PATH EQUALIZATION IN A SCANNING ACOUSTIC MICROSCOPE
First Claim
1. A scanning acoustic microscope comprising:
- a signal processor; and
one or more signal paths, each signal path of the one or more signal paths being operable to couple an ultrasonic transducer to the signal processor, and each signal path of the one or more signal paths having a response characteristic that comprises a response characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer of the signal path;
where at least one first signal path of the one or more signal paths comprises a signal path equalizer, andwhere the signal processor is operable to process signals received from the one or more signal paths and produce an ultrasonic scan image from the received signals.
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Abstract
A scanning acoustic microscope includes a signal processor and one or more signal paths. In operation, each signal path couples an ultrasonic transducer to the signal processor that processes signals received from the signal paths to produce an ultrasonic scan image. Each signal path has a response characteristic that includes a response characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer. In order to compensate for variations between the signal paths or variations between different transducers in the same signal path, at least one of the signal paths includes a signal path equalizer. The equalizer may be responsive to a set of equalization coefficients. The coefficients are selected such that the response characteristic of the signal path including the equalizer more closely matches a reference characteristic response. The equalizer may operate on a transmitted or received signal or be used to generate an ultrasonic pulse.
10 Citations
33 Claims
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1. A scanning acoustic microscope comprising:
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a signal processor; and one or more signal paths, each signal path of the one or more signal paths being operable to couple an ultrasonic transducer to the signal processor, and each signal path of the one or more signal paths having a response characteristic that comprises a response characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer of the signal path; where at least one first signal path of the one or more signal paths comprises a signal path equalizer, and where the signal processor is operable to process signals received from the one or more signal paths and produce an ultrasonic scan image from the received signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method for performing an ultrasonic scan of an object using one or more ultrasonic transducers, the method comprising:
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at each of a plurality of scan points; receiving ultrasound at one or more ultrasonic transducers, the ultrasound produced in response to one or more ultrasound pulses incident upon the object; transmitting a plurality of response signals from the one or more ultrasound pulses along one or more signal paths, each signal path comprising an ultrasonic transducer of the one or more ultrasonic transducers; and processing the plurality of response signals from the plurality of scan points to produce the ultrasonic image, where transmitting a first response signal of the plurality of response signals along a first signal path of the one or more signal paths comprises equalizing the first response signal to compensate, at least partially, for differences between the response characteristic of the first signal path and a reference response characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
wherein equalizing the first signal produces an equalized response that substantially matches the reference response.
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27. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising:
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measuring one or more responses along the first signal path; and determining a relationship between the one or more responses and the reference response, wherein equalizing the first response signal, to substantially compensate for differences between the response of the first signal path and a reference response, is dependent upon the relationship between the one or more responses and the reference response.
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28. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising:
at each of a plurality of scan points; generating the one or more ultrasound pulses incident upon the object from the one or more ultrasonic transducers.
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29. A method in accordance with claim 21, further comprising:
at each of a plurality of scan points; generating the one or more ultrasound pulses incident upon the object from one or more further ultrasonic transducers.
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30. A method for performing an ultrasonic scan of an object using a plurality of ultrasonic transducers, the method comprising:
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for one or more signal paths of a plurality of signal paths that each comprise one or more ultrasonic transducers; equalizing an excitation waveform to compensate, at least partially, for differences between the response characteristic of the signal path and a reference response characteristic, to produce an equalized excitation waveform for the associated signal path; and at each of a plurality of scan points; transmitting each equalized excitation waveform along the associated signal path of the plurality of signal paths to produce ultrasound pulses incident upon the object; receiving ultrasound, produced in response to the ultrasound pulses, at a plurality of ultrasonic transducer to produce a plurality of response signals; and processing the plurality of response signals from the plurality of scan points to produce the ultrasonic image.
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31. A scanning acoustic microscope comprising:
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a signal processor; a signal path operable to couple an ultrasonic transducer of a plurality of ultrasonic transducers to the signal processor, the signal path having a response characteristic that comprises a response characteristic of the ultrasonic transducer; and a signal path equalizer, in the signal path, responsive to a set of equalization coefficients that are selected, dependent upon the ultrasonic transducer in the signal path, such that the response characteristic of the signal path more closely matches a reference characteristic response, the signal processor being operable to process signals received from the signal path to produce an ultrasonic scan image. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33)
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Specification