Metrology system for imaging workpiece surfaces at high robot transfer speeds

A system for processing a workpiece, comprising:

• at least one processing chamber;
• a workpiece transfer robot adapted to transport a workpiece to and from said at least one processing chamber along a workpiece transit path;
• a camera stationed at a fixed position and facing a transit path portion of said workpiece transit path, said camera comprising a pixel array of plural pixels, said pixel array having a field of view corresponding to a workpiece diameter and extending transverse to said transit path portion, said pixel array corresponding to an image frame of said camera;
• a light source at a fixed position facing said transit path portion and comprising an elongate light emitting array having a light source array length corresponding to the length of said pixel array of said camera and extending generally parallel to said pixel array;
• an image control processor coupled to said camera and a robot controller coupled to said workpiece transfer robot, said image control processor being adapted to cause said camera to capture successive image frames while said robot controller causes said robot to move said workpiece through said transit path portion.