A Fast Acquisition System for Large-Scale Optical Microscopic Integrated Circuit Chip Images Based on Thin Plate Spline

Abstract:

When large-scale images acquisition conducted on an Integrated Circuit (IC) chip by using an optical microscope, multi-layer routing structure and transparent inter-layer dielectric of IC chips can interfere with auto-focusing of an optical microscope, which significantly increases the images’ acquisition time. To solve the forementioned problems, a fast acquisition system is proposed based on surface fitting. First of all, we obtain focus plane height of multiple scattered points through pre-acquisition. Then, the surface fitting method, with Thin Plate Spline (TPS) model is applied, to get the height of the rest points. Thus the system can acquire correct surface-layer images of an IC chip without background interference. The experimental results suggest that the proposed technology is highly superior to manual acquisition system and auto-focusing based acquisition system in acquisition accuracy and speed, and it also decreases the amount of manual workload by 70%-80%.

• Periodical: Applied Mechanics and Materials (Volumes 303-306)
• Pages: 1629-1634
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.303-306.1629
• Online since: February 2013
• Authors: Xu Zhang, Xi Chen, Li Xin Wei, Hong Tu Ma, Hua Han
• Keywords: Auto-Focusing, Fast Acquisition, Integrated Circuit Chip Images, Thin Plate Spline

References

[1] N. K. Chern, P. A. Neowk, M. H. Ang, Practical issues in pixel-based autofocusing for machine vision,.　IEEE Robotics and Automation, 2791-2796, (2001).

DOI: 10.1109/robot.2001.933045

[2] Y. Sun, Duthaler, S. Nelson, Auto focusing algorithm selection in computer microscope,. IEEE Robots and Systems, 70-76, (2005).

[3] M. Subbarao, T. J. Kwei, Selection the optimal focus measure for auto focusing and depth-from-focus,. IEEE Transactions on Pattern A nalysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 20, No. 8, 864-870, (1998).

DOI: 10.1109/34.709612

[4] L.G. Miao, B. Xuan, S.L. Peng, Fast autofocusing algorithm in microscopy,. Journal of Optoelectronics· Laser, Vol. 18, No. 1, 9-12, Jan. 2007. ( in Chinese ).

[5] B. Xuan, L.G. Miao, S.L. Peng, Fast auto-focusing algorithm of two-layer objects in microscopy,. Computer Application , Vol. 27, No. 1, pp.143-145, Jan. 2007. ( in Chinese ).

[6] R. L. Harder, R. N. Desmarais, Interpolation using surface splines, Journal of Aircraft, Vol. 9, No. 2, 189-191, (1972).

DOI: 10.2514/3.44330

[7] J. He, R. Z. Zhou, Z.L. Hong, Modified fast climbing search auto-focus algorithm with adaptive step size searching technique for digital camera, IEEE Transactions on Consumer Electronics, Vol. 49, 257-262, May (2003).

DOI: 10.1109/tce.2003.1209511

[8] W. C. O'mara, Planarization by CMP: Forecasting the future,. Semiconductor International, Vol. 17, No. 8, 140-144, (1994).

[9] J. M. S. Shyam, P. M. Ronald, J. Guttann, Chemical mechanical planarization of microelectronic materials,. New York: John Willey & Sons Inc., (1997).

[10] M. Kallay, B. Ravani, Optimal twist vectors as a tool for interpolating a network of curves with a minimum energy surface, Computer Aided Geometric Design, Vol. 7, 465-473, (1990).

DOI: 10.1016/0167-8396(90)90009-g

[11] J. Duchon, Splines minimizing rotation invariant seminorms in Sobolev spaces, Constructive Theory of Functions of several variables, Vol. 1, 85-100, (1977).

DOI: 10.1007/bfb0086566

[12] Bookstein, L. Fred, Principal warps: Thin-plate splines and the decomposition of deformations, IEEE Transactions on Pattern Analysis and Machine Intelligence, Vol. 11, No. 6, 567-585, June (1989).

DOI: 10.1109/34.24792