Patent ID: 8098372

Claim:
An optical inspection system, the system comprising: a pulsed illumination source; an imager comprising an array of binnable pixel elements, the array comprising pixels of at least one detector; a stage for supporting an object; and a control system configured to provide at least one motion control signal to the stage that varies what area of the object is in view of the array; wherein the optical inspection system is configured to image a plurality of areas of the object along an inspection path by changing, a rate of motion for the stage and thereby changing which area of the object is in view of the array; wherein the optical inspection system is configured to operate in at least a base speed mode and at least one N-multiplied speed mode while inspecting the object during the same inspection, wherein the N-multiplied speed mode is a function of the base speed mode multiplied by an integer N; wherein, in the base speed mode: the optical inspection system is configured to change the area in view of the array by moving the stage at a first rate of motion, the pulsed illumination source is configured to provide illumination at a first pulse rate, and the system is configured to image a frame using a first number of pixels; wherein, in the N-multiplied speed mode: the optical inspection system is configured to change the area in view of the array by moving the stage at a second rate of motion, the second rate of motion about equal to the first rate of motion multiplied by the integer N; the at least one detector is configured to bin at least some pixel elements so that the system images a frame using a second number of pixels, wherein the second number of pixels is about equal to the first number of pixels divided by the integer N, and the pulsed illumination source is configured to provide illumination at a second pulse rate about equal to the first pulse rate multiplied by the integer N.