Illumination system for optical inspection

Apparatus for optical inspection of an object, comprising:

• an illumination assembly, which has a plane of symmetry that intersects the object along a line, and which comprises:
• first and second parallel rows of light sources, which are configured to emit light along respective optical axes, wherein the optical axes are oriented toward the object in respective first and second illumination planes that intersect the line at respective first and second equal and opposite elevation angles on opposing sides of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• first and second arrays of prisms, which are disposed respectively in the first and second illumination planes, and which are configured to divert the light emitted by the light sources so that the light incident on the object is concentrated within the first and second illumination planes, and is incident on the object from directions diagonal to the line within the first and second illumination planes;
• and
• an imaging assembly, which is configured to capture an image of a region of the object that contains the line under illumination by the illumination assembly.

Apparatus for optical inspection of an object, comprising:

• an illumination assembly, which has a plane of symmetry that intersects the object along a line, and which comprises multiple parallel rows of light sources for emitting light and illumination optics associated with each row for directing the light onto the object, the multiple parallel rows comprising:
• first and second rows of the light sources with respective first and second illumination optics that are configured to direct the light from the light sources in the first and second rows such that the light incident on the object is concentrated within respective first and second illumination planes that intersect the line at respective first and second equal and opposite elevation angles on opposing sides of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• third and fourth rows of the light sources with respective third and fourth illumination optics comprising arrays of prisms that are configured to divert the light from the light sources in the third and fourth rows such that the light incident on the object is concentrated within respective third and fourth illumination planes that intersect the line at respective third and fourth equal and opposite elevation angles on the opposing sides of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• an imaging assembly, which is configured to capture an image of the object under illumination by the multiple parallel rows of the light sources.

Apparatus for optical inspection of an object, comprising:

• an illumination assembly, which has a plane of symmetry that intersects the object along a line, and which comprises:
• multiple parallel rows of light sources, which are configured to emit light in respective illumination planes that intersect the line on opposing sides of the plane of symmetry, wherein the multiple parallel rows of light sources comprise at least first and second rows of light sources;
• and
• illumination optics, which are configured to divert the light emitted by the first and second rows of light sources so that light incident on the object from the first and second rows of light sources is concentrated within first and second illumination planes that intersect the line at intersection angles that are within 10° of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• an imaging assembly, which is configured to capture an image of a region of the object that contains the line under illumination by the illumination assembly.

A method for optical inspection, comprising:

• illuminating an object under inspection using multiple parallel rows of light sources for emitting light and illumination optics associated with each row for directing the light onto the object, the multiple parallel rows comprising:
• at least a first row with first illumination optics comprising a first array of prisms that are configured to reflect the light emitted by the light sources in the first row;
• and
• at least a second row with second illumination optics comprising a second array of prisms that are configured to refract the light emitted by the light sources in the second row;
• and
• capturing an image of the object under illumination by the multiple parallel rows of the light sources.

A method for optical inspection of an object, comprising:

• illuminating the object using an illumination assembly, which has a plane of symmetry that intersects the object along a line, and which comprises:
• first and second parallel rows of light sources, which are configured to emit light along respective optical axes, wherein the optical axes are oriented toward the object in respective first and second illumination planes that intersect the line at respective first and second equal and opposite elevation angles on opposing sides of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• first and second arrays of prisms, which are disposed respectively in the first and second illumination planes, and which are configured to divert the light emitted by the light sources so that the light incident on the object is concentrated within the first and second illumination planes, and is incident on the object from directions diagonal to the line within the first and second illumination planes;
• and
• capturing an image of a region of the object that contains the line under illumination by the illumination assembly.

A method for optical inspection of an object, comprising:

• illuminating the object using an illumination assembly, which has a plane of symmetry that intersects the object along a line, and which comprises multiple parallel rows of light sources for emitting light and illumination optics associated with each row for directing the light onto the object, the multiple parallel rows comprising:
• first and second rows of the light sources with respective first and second illumination optics that are configured to direct the light from the light sources in the first and second rows such that the light incident on the object is concentrated within respective first and second illumination planes that intersect the line at respective first and second equal and opposite elevation angles on opposing sides of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• third and fourth rows of the light sources with respective third and fourth illumination optics comprising arrays of prisms that are configured to divert the light from the light sources in the third and fourth rows such that the light incident on the object is concentrated within respective third and fourth illumination planes that intersect the line at respective third and fourth equal and opposite elevation angles on the opposing sides of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• capturing an image of the object under illumination by the multiple parallel rows of the light sources.

A method for optical inspection of an object, comprising:

• illuminating the object using an illumination assembly, which has a plane of symmetry that intersects the object along a line, and which comprises:
• multiple parallel rows of light sources, which are configured to emit light in respective illumination planes that intersect the line on opposing sides of the plane of symmetry, wherein the multiple parallel rows of light sources comprise at least first and second rows of light sources;
• and
• illumination optics, which are configured to divert the light emitted by the first and second rows of light sources so that light incident on the object from the first and second rows of light sources is concentrated within first and second along illumination planes that intersect the line at intersection angles that are within 10° of the plane of symmetry;
• and
• an imaging assembly, which is configured to capture an image of a region of the object that contains the line under illumination by the illumination assembly.