Patent ID: 7724939
Filing Date: 2010-05-25
Classification: G01N,G03F,G06T

Abstract:
1. An apparatus for inspecting a plurality of image portions of at least a region of a sample for defects, the apparatus comprising: a plurality of processors arranged to receive and analyze the image portions, the processors being arranged to operate in parallel and being configurable to implement one or more algorithms to determine whether the corresponding regions of the sample are defective, wherein each processor has access to a memory portion sized to hold at least one of the image portions; and a data distribution system arranged to receive image data, select at least a first processor for receiving a first image portion and not a second image portion of the image data, select at least a second processor for receiving the second image portion and not the first image portion of the image data, and output the first image portion to the memory portion that is accessible by the first processor and the second image portion to the memory portion that is accessible by the second selected processor, wherein the first image portion and the second image portion are different image portions that each has a width that comprises a plurality of pixels and a length that comprises a plurality of pixels, wherein the first processor is then operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze the first image portion to determine whether the analyzed first image portion has a defect and the second processor is operable to implement one or more algorithms to analyze the second image portion to determine whether the analyzed second image portion has a defect, wherein the defect determination operations for the first and second image portions are each based on analysis of substantially all of the respective image portion, wherein the first processor is configured with a different algorithm for analyzing the first image portion than the second processor.