Active Short Wave InfraRed (SWIR) imaging presents unique challenges to laboratory testing. It is always important to have laboratory testing that will directly relate to field performance. This paper will present the modeling and corresponding laboratory testing that was developed for these types of systems. The paper will present the modeling that was used to derive the lab metric used for verification testing of the system and provide details into the design of the lab equipment that was necessary to ensure accurate lab testing. The Noise Limited Resolution (NLR) test, first developed for low light imaging systems in the 1960s, serves as the basic lab metric for the evaluation of the active SWIR system. This test serves well for a quick test (go-no go) and is used to evaluate this system during production testing. The test derivation will be described and shown how it relates to the modeling results. The test equipment developed by Santa Barbara InfraRed (SBIR) for this application allows for accurate uniform radiance levels from an integrating sphere for both 1.06um and 1.57um imaging applications. The source has the ability to directly mimic any laser system and can provide pulsed laser source radiation from 20 nanoseconds to 500 nanoseconds resulting in levels from 0.4 to 85 nJ/cm2/sr, peak radiance levels. The light source can be triggered to replicate a laser return at any range from 100m to 100,000m. Additionally, the source provides the ability to output Mid Wave IR (MWIR) illumination through the use of a small extended area IR source in the integrating sphere. This is useful for boresighting the active SWIR sensor with other sensors such as Forward Looking IR (FLIR).
Yield Mask, the first commercial Yield Management tool specifically developed for a Mask House, has been introduced and the necessity for such Yield Management system, given the current demands on high-end mask production, ascertained. In particular, Yield Mask has been shown to be a highly effective, defect-data analysis tool, with fully automated data collection and a database structure facilitating fast and flexible data retrieval and correlation, for process, inspection, SEM-review and repair data. The latest features of Yield Mask are now reported, including macros, user-definable sampling, user-definable grouping and defect tracking. These features are shown to enhance the efficiency of Yield Mask in a production environment. Macros are shown to significantly decrease the manpower required to run standard analysis routines, accommodating continuous monitoring and analysis of the data. User-definable sampling is shown to allow users to select defects of particular interest, within a given inspection report for subsequent SEM review. This significantly increases the efficiency of review carried out using basic sampling criteria. Lastly, user-definable grouping, along with defect tracking are shown to be advantageous in the selection of any, desired combination of data, for comparison and/or correlation.
KEYWORDS: Reflectivity, Minimum resolvable temperature difference, Projection systems, Thermography, Black bodies, Temperature metrology, Imaging systems, Infrared imaging, Infrared sensors, Control systems
This paper presents qualitative and quantitative comparisons between emissive and reflective target technologies used in the application of IR target projection for thermal imager test and evaluation. Comparison of target projector performance in MRTD, SiTF, MTF, and other test areas will be presented. Relative advantages and disadvantages of emissive and reflective systems will be shown, in addition to requirements placed upon test laboratory environment by the different projector technologies. Discussion of software-based compensation techniques for mitigating reflected ambient effects, environmental ambient drift, and other anomalies will also be provided.
To support the continuing Defect Engineering activities in the Infineon Mask House, a professional analysis tool has been developed for Defect Yield Management, in collaboration with EGsoft. EGSoft is the software division of Electroglas Inc. and suppliers ofthe YieldManager TM product, used for Yield Management in numerous wafer fabs. The requirement for such a tool was catalysed by the ever-increasing demand for sophisticated defect analysis, to accelerate defect learning and the identification of major and minor defect-related-yield detractors. Yield Mask consists of a database, which centrally stores all relevant information from Defect Inspection, Repair and Review tools in the Infineon Mask House and an analysis tool, which allows users to analyse the data collected on their PC. The analysis tool can be divided into six major modules: Data Set Builder, Mask Map, Map Gallery, Image Gallery, Charting and Customise: The functionality of the above-mentioned modules is presented and their application in the analysis of defect data demonstrated. The tool is shown to be an invaluable, cost-effective labour-saving device in a high-end Mask House, where the time required to analyse and resolve defect problems can be dramatically reduced.
The development and manufacture of high performance Infrared imaging sensors requires more than just the tools to design and build them it also requires the tools to accurately characterize their electro-optical performance and further utilize this data to better optimize the product as well as monitor many systems in serial production. Santa Barbara Infrared (SBIR) in cooperation with FLIR Systems, Inc. (FLIR) has competed a project to significantly enhance the capabilities of their IRWindows software package, now IRWindows2001, to meet the needs of all levels of IR system developers. This paper will discuss both hardware and software requirements, for IR staring sensor testing and performance evaluation. Key aspects of the new IRWindows2001 software will be described and their utility will be demonstrated with FLIR's MilCAM RECON InSb handheld IR camera.
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