Adaptive Edge-Response-Based Subpixel Localization Method for Microscopic Vision-Based Alignment Measurement

Microscopic vision-based alignment measurement is a key procedure in micro-/nanoscale positioning, and its measurement repeatability mainly depends on the stability of subpixel edge–center estimation. However, in practical microscopic imaging, defocus and contamination can cause edge broadening and pseudo-gradient peaks, making it difficult for conventional methods to accurately estimate the edge center of alignment marks. To address this problem, this paper proposes an adaptive edge-response modeling method. First, an amplitude function is constructed by combining the gradient peak and the slope of the edge-transition region, enabling adaptive adjustment of the response amplitude and suppressing its coupling with other parameters. On this basis, the proposed model overcomes the limitation that the Sigmoid model is only suitable for single-edge fitting and enables unified modeling of practical multi-edge hybrid bonding marks. It also suppresses the interference caused by edge pseudo-peaks and abrupt gradient variations, thereby improving the accuracy of subpixel fitting and localization. Experimental results show that, compared with conventional methods, the proposed method improves the repeatability of subpixel edge localization under degraded microscopic imaging conditions by approximately 52%, meeting the requirements of high-precision microscopic vision-based alignment.