Patent WO-2011126219-A2 (WO)
Title: Image acquisition method and system for object to be measured using confocal microscope structure
Inventor: KIM TAI WOOK
IPC: G01N21/17
Filed: 2011-03-14
Abstract: The present invention relates to an image acquisition method and system for an object to be measured using a confocal microscope structure. According to the present invention, the image acquisition method for the object to be measured using the confocal microscope structure, in which: light is generated from the upper part of an object to be measured; and images are obtained by sequentially deflecting and scanning the light on XY planes of a scan area by using an acousto-optic deflector, comprising the steps of: an intensity information acquisition step for generating light through a microscope light source, inputting the generated light to an optical path of a scanning unit so that the generated light is irradiated on the overall scan area, and obtaining and analyzing entire images of the scan area with a camera to obtain intensity information of the light at each scan position; an information setup step for mapping the obtained intensity information of the light at each scan position into location information of each scan position, and setting and storing the information to and as mapping information; a loading step for loading the mapping information stored in the information setup step according to a control signal; a transmission step for setting acoustic intensity information on the basis of the loaded mapping information, and transmitting the set information to the acousto-optic deflector; a scanning step for outputting the light, which has been inputted and outputted to and from the acousto-optic deflector, by adjusting the intensity of the light according to the acoustic intensity information as soon as the light has been deflected, scanning and reflecting the outputted light at each scan position through the scanning unit, and inputting the reflected light to the scanning unit; a recording step for detecting, by a photo detector, the light reflected from each scan position and inputted to the scanning unit, and recording detected optical detection signals; a Z-axis scanning step for changing a distance between the object to be measured and the scanning unit in a Z-axis direction to a certain distance, and recording the optical detection signals at each scan position in accordance with the change in the distance by sequentially performing said transmission step, said scanning step, and said recording step, wherein the optical detection signals at each scan position in accordance with the change in the distance are performed at least one time; and an image acquisition step for selecting one of the plurality of optical detection signals at each scan position detected through the Z-axis scanning step, and forming images at each scan position in accordance with the acoustic intensity information to obtain entire images of the scan area. Thus, the invention provides the image acquisition method and system for the object to be measured using the confocal microscope structure, in which images are obtained by adjusting the intensity of the scanned light according to the intensity of the light detected from each scan position so as to match with brightness differences of images caused by differences in detection signals which are changed according to surface information such as reflectivity, roughness, and reflection angles or the like at each scan position of the scan area, thereby improving measurement precision of the scan area.