Simultaneous viewing of spreading and leveling

A system for measuring sample spreading and leveling, comprising:

• a substrate configured to receive a sample;
• an illumination source configured to generate light incident upon a region of the substrate including the received sample;
• a detector configured to measure intensity of the generated light that is reflected as a function of position and time;
• a processor configured to:
• receive the measured light intensity;
• generate a first graphical image representing flatness of the sample as a function of position by:
• comparing the measured intensity to a predetermined light intensity threshold value;
• identifying first locations corresponding to measured light intensity that is greater than or equal to the predetermined light intensity threshold value as representing flat regions of the sample or substrate;
• identifying second locations corresponding to measured light intensity that is less than the predetermined light intensity threshold value as representing non-flat regions of the sample;
• generating the first graphical image presenting the first locations in a first color or pattern and the second locations in a second color or pattern different from the first color or pattern;
• generate a second graphical image representing spreading of the sample as a function of time by:
• identifying boundary positions at which the first and second locations are adjacent to one another at a plurality of times;
• and
• generating the second graphical image presenting the identified boundary positions for at least two of the plurality of times;
• and
• a display configured to display at least one of the first and second graphical images.