Nonintrusive System for Extraction of Interlayer Printed Circuit Patterns

The goal of this two-phase program is to develop a prototype system which addresses the problem of nondestructively extracting layout patterns for multilayer printed circuit boards. The system will use x-ray digital tomosynthesis for image acquisition, and advanced image processing, including morphological operators, to extract circuit features from the images. The objectives of Phase I are to 1) demonstruate the capability to image individual layers in multilayer printed circuit boards, 2) demonstrate the extraction of trace geometries from the images using image processing, morphological operators, or other advanced techniques, and 3) develop a conceptual design of a system (hardware and software) which optimally performs these functions. The Phase I program will answer thefundamental questions: Will traces be visually prominent in reconstructed images of internal layers? Can novel image processing techniques extract trace geometries in a usable engineering format? Can a system with the required performance be produced for a reasonable cost? The project will determine the image quality necessary to efficiently extract printed board patterns, and its implications for system design and operating parameters. A number of image processing algorithms will be tested and their relative merits and weaknesses will be outlined.