US 12,229,933 B2
Method for grain size analysis
Sha Zhu, Fremont, CA (US); Maissarath Nassirou, Fremont, CA (US); Cindy Ng, Fremont, CA (US); and Caiyan Lu, Campbell, CA (US)
Assigned to SEAGATE TECHNOLOGY LLC, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed by Seagate Technology LLC, Fremont, CA (US)
Filed on Dec. 1, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/539,964.
Prior Publication US 2023/0169637 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
Int. Cl. G06T 7/00 (2017.01); G06T 5/77 (2024.01); G06T 7/11 (2017.01)
CPC G06T 7/0004 (2013.01) [G06T 5/77 (2024.01); G06T 7/11 (2017.01); G06T 2207/10061 (2013.01); G06T 2207/20132 (2013.01); G06T 2207/30128 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method for automated grain size analysis, comprising:
obtaining a scanning electron microscope (SEM) electronic image of a magnetic material composed of a plurality of grains; and
modifying the image to generate grain size data from the image by:
smoothing the image to provide a smoothed image;
removing high spatial and low spatial frequencies from the smoothed image to provide a filtered image;
improving contrast of the filtered image to provide an improved contrast image;
pixelating the improved contrast image to provide a pixelated image;
processing the pixelated image to a binary image; and
clearing outer edges of the binary image to remove incomplete grains.