Application of the Laplacian filter to high-resolution enhancement of SEM images |
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Authors: | Eisaku Oho Norio Baba Masaru Katoh Takashi Nagatani Masako Osumi Kazunobu Amako Koichi Kanaya |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Electrical Engineering, Kogakuin University, 1–24–2, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan;2. S.I.C., Nissei Sangyo Co. Ltd., Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan;3. Application Laboratory, Naka Works, Hitachi Ltd., Katsuta 312, Japan;4. Department of Biology, Japan Women's University, 2-8-1, Mejirodai, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan;5. Department of Bacteriology, School of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812, Japan |
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Abstract: | Certain digital image-processing methods, which are useful for nonperiodic structural images, have been applied to high-resolution SEM images for the improvement of resolution. Samples utilized in the present study consisted of magnetic tape coated with gold, T4 phage coated with gold-palladium, and uncoated specimens of Prolamellar body (PLB) in Cucurbita moschata. These images were blurred and otherwise disturbed by electronic noise, though the images were taken at the limit of efficiency of intrinsic instrument. The major image-processing tool was the Laplacian filter, which subtracts the Laplacian from the original image. Noise, which is a serious problem in digital processing of high-resolution SEM images, was suppressed by the nonlinear type smoothing method. Also, the noise was evaluated by an autocorrelation function and a power spectrum of the image. By using these methods of “deblurring” and noise removal, we achieved better resolution, and structural details of our biological specimens were revealed. |
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Keywords: | Digital image processing Laplacin filter Scanning electron microscopy High-resolution |
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