Patent ID: 8913121

Claim:
A system comprising: an arrangement of components capable of being synchronized to generate images or spectra to be digitally rendered and categorized through parallel processing of illuminated regions of a thin film sample at a sufficient throughput so that on average a misclassification probability of one part per billion in 12 hours is at least met or exceeded; said arrangement including: an optical flat to receive one or more of said thin film samples, said one or more of said thin film samples to comprise a thinly approximately evenly spread sample, said optical flat being part of a movably controllable stage assembly so that separate regions of a particular thin film sample are capable of being illuminated during system operation over a processing period; a light source with associated optics to be capable of illuminating said separate regions of said particular thin film sample at least over a range of wavelengths of light, said separate regions of said particular thin film sample to be illuminated in a manner so that at least some of the illuminating light is capable of being captured by an optical detector; and a special purpose computing device coupled to said optical detector so as to receive captured pixel signal sample values over one or more of said processing periods, said captured pixel signal sample values to represent a signal characteristic of said illuminating light for said separate regions of said particular thin film sample, said special purpose computing device programmed so as to be capable of parallel processing pixel signal values from said separate regions of said particular thin film sample for spectral or high resolution spatial evaluation.