	US 7,570,799 B2
	Morphological inspection method based on skeletonization
Roni Flieswasser, Neise (Belgium); Moti Yanuka, Haifa (Israel); and Boris Dolgin, Nazareth Illit (Israel)
Assigned to Camtek Ltd., Migdal Haemek (Israel)
Appl. No. 10/508,526 PCT Filed Mar. 17, 2003, PCT No. PCT/IL03/00227 § 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Jul. 11, 2005, PCT Pub. No. WO03/081531, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 02, 2003.
Claims priority of application No. 148828 (IL), filed on Mar. 21, 2002.
Prior Publication US 2006/0233433 A1, Oct. 19, 2006
Int. Cl. G06K 9/00 (2006.01)

U.S. Cl. 382—149

13 Claims

1. A morphological inspection method based on a comparison of real images—a real reference image and a real inspected image of an inspected—object said method comprising:

a) creating a reference mask, said reference mask is comprised a first-color image and second-color image wherein: i) said first-color image is obtained from skeletonization of said reference real image, thus generating a skeletons image; and ii) said second-color image is obtained from skeletonization of an inversion of said reference image, thus generating an edges-skeletons image, wherein the reference mask, the first-color image and the second color image are created by a signal processor and are stored in a storage coupled to the digital signal processor;

b) painting said inspected image in a third color and: (i) performing logical functions using said first-color image and said third-color inspected image, thus generating first-defects-image; and (ii) performing logical functions using said second-color image and said third-color inspected image, thus generating second-defects-image, wherein the first-color image and the second-color image are retrieved from said storage and wherein the painting and the performing logical functions are performed by said signal processor; and

c) combining by said signal processor said first-defects-image with said second-defects-image, thus generating an inspection-defects-image or defects-map.