Creating emission images of integrated circuits
First Claim
1. A method of creating an image from a device, comprising:
- defining a region of interest of the device;
separating said region of interest into a plurality of overlapping areas;
computing image acquisition locations for each of said overlapping areas;
using the computed image acquisition locations to acquire first and second images from first and second areas of the plurality of overlapping areas of the device, said first and second images having overlapping portions;
using the computed image acquisition locations for estimating said overlapping portions to obtain an approximate shift amount to align approximately said first and second images;
analyzing said overlapping portions, using a defined cross-correlation algorithm, to calculate a precise shift amount to align the first and second images; and
using said calculated precise shift amount to join the first and second images together to form a joined image.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for creating an image from a device. In one embodiment, the method comprises acquiring first and second images from the device, said first and second images having overlapping portions, and estimating said overlapping portions to obtain an approximate shift amount to align approximately said first and second images. This method further comprises analyzing the overlapping portions, using a defined cross-correlation algorithm, to calculate a precise shift amount to align the first and second images; and using said precise shift amount to join the first and second images together. In one embodiment, an optical system is used to acquire the images, a stage is used to move either the device or the optical system to acquire the first and second images, and the estimating includes using movement of the stage to estimate the overlapping areas.
25 Citations
25 Claims
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1. A method of creating an image from a device, comprising:
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defining a region of interest of the device; separating said region of interest into a plurality of overlapping areas; computing image acquisition locations for each of said overlapping areas; using the computed image acquisition locations to acquire first and second images from first and second areas of the plurality of overlapping areas of the device, said first and second images having overlapping portions; using the computed image acquisition locations for estimating said overlapping portions to obtain an approximate shift amount to align approximately said first and second images; analyzing said overlapping portions, using a defined cross-correlation algorithm, to calculate a precise shift amount to align the first and second images; and using said calculated precise shift amount to join the first and second images together to form a joined image. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A method of creating an image from a device, comprising:
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acquiring first and second images from first and second areas of the device, said first and second images having overlapping portions; estimating said overlapping portions to obtain an approximate shift amount to align approximately said first and second images; analyzing said overlapping portions, using a defined cross-correlation algorithm, to calculate a precise shift amount to align the first and second images; using said calculated precise shift amount to join the first and second images together to form a joined image; and processing said overlapping portions to reduce noise therein, including identifying regions of high emission in one of the overlapping portions that do not have counterparts in the other of the overlapping portions, and removing at least some of said identified regions.
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11. A system for acquiring and processing images from a device, comprising:
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an optical system for collecting light from the device; an imaging detector for measuring the intensity of the collected light; a translation stage for moving the optical system or the device to enable the optical system to take multiple images of different areas of the device; and a control unit for controlling movement of the translation stage, acquisition of the images, and processing of the images into a combined image; and
wherein;the device includes a defined region of interest separated into a plurality of overlapping areas; the control unit computes image acquisition locations for each of said overlapping areas, and uses the computed image acquisition locations to position the device relative to the optical system to take said multiple images; said multiple images include first and second images of first and second areas of the plurality of overlapping areas of the device, said first and second images having overlapping portions; and the control unit includes functionality for using the computed image acquisition locations for estimating said overlapping portions to obtain an approximate shift amount to align approximately said first and second images, analyzing said overlapping portions, using a defined cross-correlation algorithm, to calculate a precise shift amount to align the first and second images, and using said calculated precise shift amount to join the first and second images together to form a joined image. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. An article of manufacture comprising:
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at least one tangible computer readable device having computer readable program code logic tangibly embodied therein to execute machine instructions in one or more processing units for acquiring and processing images of a device in an image acquisition and processing system, the device including a define region of interest separated into a plurality of overlapping areas, and the image acquisition and processing systems including an optical system for collecting light from the device, and a translation stage to move the optical system or the device to enable the optical system to take multiple images of different areas of the device, said multiple images including first and second images of first and second areas of the plurality of overlapping areas of the device, said first and second images having overlapping portions, the computer readable program code logic, when executing, performing the following; computing image acquisition locations for each of said overlapping areas; using the computed image acquisition locations to acquire said first and second overlapping images; controlling movement of the translation stage, acquisition of the images, and processing of the images into a combined image, including using the computed image acquisition locations for estimating said overlapping portions to obtain an approximate shift amount to align approximately said first and second images, analyzing said overlapping portions, using a defined cross-correlation algorithm, to calculate a precise shift amount to align the first and second images, and using said calculated precise shift amount to join the first and second images together to form a joined image. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. A method of creating an emission image of an area of an integrated circuit that is larger than a field of view of an optical system used for acquiring the image, the method comprising:
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separating said area into a plurality of overlapping sections; computing image acquisition locations for each of the overlapping sections; acquiring first and second initial emission images of the plurality of overlapping sections of the integrated circuit, by using an optical system, wherein said first and second initial images have overlapping portions; using the computed image acquisition locations for determining an approximate shift amount to obtain an approximate alignment of said first and second initial images; processing at least parts of the first and second initial images, using a defined correlation algorithm, to determine a precise shift amount to align the first and second initial emission images; and forming a composite image by using said precise shift amount to join together the first and second initial images, wherein the optical system has a field of view, and said composite image corresponds to the area of the integrated circuit that is larger than the field of view of the optical system. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25)
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Specification