Sub-resolution alignment of images

Computer-aided design and analysis of circuits and semiconductor – Nanotechnology related integrated circuit design

Reexamination Certificate

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

C716S030000, C716S030000, C716S030000

Reexamination Certificate

active

06848087

ABSTRACT:
A plurality of images, including a first image and a second image having a higher resolution than the first image, are aligned by generating an oversampled cross correlation image that corresponds to relative displacements of the first and second images, and, based on the oversampled cross correlation image, determining an offset value that corresponds to a misalignment of the first and second images. The first and second images are aligned to a precision greater than the resolution of the first image, based on the determined offset value. Enhanced results are achieved by performing another iteration of generating an oversampled cross correlation image and determining an offset value for the first and second images. Generating the oversampled cross correlation image may involve generating a cross correlation image that corresponds to relative displacements of the first and second images, and oversampling the cross correlation image to generate the oversampled cross correlation image.

REFERENCES:
patent: 4730158 (1988-03-01), Kasai et al.
patent: 4805123 (1989-02-01), Specht et al.
patent: 5548326 (1996-08-01), Michael
patent: 5550937 (1996-08-01), Bell et al.
patent: 5755501 (1998-05-01), Shinohara et al.
patent: 5995681 (1999-11-01), Lee et al.
patent: 6256767 (2001-07-01), Kuekes et al.
patent: 6282309 (2001-08-01), Emery
patent: 6343143 (2002-01-01), Guillemaud et al.
patent: 09 49588 (1999-10-01), None
M. Sengupta, et al., “Sub-resolution placement using IR image to CAD database alignment: an algorithm for silicon-side probing”,Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 4667 pp. 449-459, Jan. 2002.
N.T. Sullivan, “Critical Issues in Overlay Metrology”,Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology, 2000 International Conference, AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 550, pp. 346-350, 2000.
N. Sullivan, et al., “Overlay Metrology: The systematic, the random and the ugly”,Characterization and Metrology for ULSI Technology, 1998 International Conference, AIP Conference Proceedings, vol. 449, pp. 502-512, 1998.
K. Watson, “Processing remote sensing images using the 2-D FFT Noise reduction and other applications”,Geophysics, vol. 58, No. 6, pp. 835-848, 1993.
“Fast Signal Sinc-Interpolation Methods for Signal and Image Resampling”, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 4667 (Jan., 2002), pp. 120-129.
“Subpixel Localization of Synthetic References in Digital Images by use of Noncomposite and Composite Augmented Templates”, Proceedings of SPIE, vol. 4667 (Jan., 2000), pp. 139-148.

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for the USA inventors and patents. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Sub-resolution alignment of images does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.

If you have personal experience with Sub-resolution alignment of images, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Sub-resolution alignment of images will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-3407873

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.