System and method for high-resolution 3d images using laser ablation and microscopy

A method of generating a three-dimensional image of a PCB sample, the method comprising:

• (a) positioning the PCB sample on a stage;
• (b) identifying a region of interest of the PCB sample;
• (c) generating fiducial marks on the region of interest of the PCB sample with a laser;
• (d) moving the stage relative to a confocal microscope to acquire an optical image of the PCB sample and height information of a first surface of the PCB sample;
• (e) generating a mask providing a laser cutting pattern to expose a second surface of the PCB sample based on the height information of the first surface of the PCB sample;
• (f) activating the laser to delayer the PCB sample based on the laser cutting pattern for the second surface of the PCB sample;
• repeating steps (d)-(f);
• and
• generating a three-dimensional image of the PCB sample based on a plurality of the optical images and the height information of the plurality of surfaces of the PCB sample.

A system for generating a three-dimensional image of a sample, the system comprising:

• a stage configured to support the sample;
• a laser source configured to output a laser beam to remove material from the sample;
• a confocal height sensor;
• a confocal microscope;
• a CO2 nozzle;
• and
• a controller communicatively coupled to the stage, the laser source, the confocal height sensor, the confocal microscope, and the CO2 nozzle, the controller configured to
• (a) move the stage to align the sample with the confocal microscope to acquire a two-dimensional optical image and a two-dimensional height map of a first surface of the sample with the confocal microscope,
• (b) generate a mask based on the two-dimensional height map of the first surface of the sample, the mask providing a laser cutting pattern to expose a second surface of the sample,
• (c) activate the laser source to generate a laser beam to delayer the sample based on the mask,
• (d) activate the CO2 nozzle to remove debris from the second surface of the sample,
• (e) process the two-dimensional image data and the two-dimensional height map for the first surface to generate a three-dimensional image of the first surface, and repeat steps (a)-(e) to generate a three-dimensional image of the sample by stacking a plurality of the three-dimensional images of each of the surfaces of the sample.