Source: http://www.google.com/patents/US5850467
Timestamp: 2014-03-15 02:18:08
Document Index: 31364395

Matched Legal Cases: ['art 2', 'art 2', 'art 3', 'art 3', 'art 4', 'arts 64', 'arts 2', 'arts 2', 'art 2']

Patent US5850467 - Image data inspecting method and apparatus providing for equal sizing of ... - Google PatentsSearch Images Maps Play YouTube News Gmail Drive More »Sign inAdvanced Patent SearchPatentsAn image data inspecting method detects whether or not a pattern described by a first image data and a pattern described by a second image data match. This method includes the steps of (a) carrying out a sizing process on the first and second image data so that the patterns described thereby are at least...http://www.google.com/patents/US5850467?utm_source=gb-gplus-sharePatent US5850467 - Image data inspecting method and apparatus providing for equal sizing of first and second image data to be comparedAdvanced Patent SearchPublication numberUS5850467 APublication typeGrantApplication numberUS 08/341,031Publication dateDec 15, 1998Filing dateNov 15, 1994Priority dateNov 5, 1990Also published asDE69132285D1, DE69132285T2, EP0485274A2, EP0485274A3, EP0485274B1Publication number08341031, 341031, US 5850467 A, US 5850467A, US-A-5850467, US5850467 A, US5850467AInventorsKenichi Kobayashi, Shogo MatsuiOriginal AssigneeFujitsu LimitedExport CitationBiBTeX, EndNote, RefManPatent Citations (11), Non-Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (22), Classifications (16), Legal Events (1) External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, EspacenetImage data inspecting method and apparatus providing for equal sizing of first and second image data to be comparedUS 5850467 AAbstract An image data inspecting method detects whether or not a pattern described by a first image data and a pattern described by a second image data match. This method includes the steps of (a) carrying out a sizing process on the first and second image data so that the patterns described thereby are at least enlarged or reduced by the same amount, and (b) comparing the first and second image data which are processed in the step (a) to determine whether or not the processed first and second image data match.
In the present invention, first and second image data D1 and D2, which respectively describe a pattern, are compared to detect whether or not the patterns match. The first image data D1 is stored in a memory 1.sub.1, and the second image data D2 is stored in a memory 1.sub.2. An image data processing part 2.sub.1 processes the first image data D1 so that all patterns described by the first image data D1 are enlarged or reduced by the same amount, and an image data processing part 2.sub.2 processes the second image data D2 so that all patterns described by the second image data D2 are enlarged or reduced by the same amount. Hence, the first and second image data D1 and D2 are enlarged or reduced by the same amount and respectively formed into a first processed image data D1A and a second processed image data D2A. The above image data processing is also referred to as a sizing process. A comparator part 3 compares the first and second processed image data D1A and D2A so as to detect whether or not the two described images match. A comparison result output from the comparator part 3 is supplied to an output part 4.
According to the conventional method and apparatus of FIG. 1, the image data correcting parts 64 and 65 simply operate independently of each other, depending on the modifications to be made of the image data. However, in the present invention, the operations of the two image data processing parts 2.sub.1 and 2.sub.2, which likewise function prior to the image data comparison, are controlled and linked so that the same image data processing is carried out with respect to the two image data D1 and D2. The two image data D1 and D2 are enlarged or reduced so as to facilitate the determination of whether or not the two image data D1 and D2 match. In other words, the image data processing carried out in each of the image data processing parts 2.sub.1 and 2.sub.2 is an enlargement or reduction of the existing patterns. In this case, the conventional image data correcting part may be used as the image data processing part 2.sub.1 or 2.sub.2.
For example, the sensor 156 includes a one dimensional charge coupled device (CCD) having 1024 detecting elements linearly arrayed. In this embodiment, the sensor 156 scans a distance of 1 mm in the X direction and detects the reticle surface of 1 mm length along the Y direction. As a result, an area of 1 mm.sup.2 on an object surface is resolved into 1024 shown in FIG. 6.
In the above described case, 1 bit of the data represents whether or not the pattern exists in an area of about 1 μm.sup.2. The object area represented by each bit of data varies depending on a magnifying ratio of the lens systems 155, and therefore, it is possible to inspect the reticle 51 by changing only the magnification ratio of the lens systems 155.
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