Optical profiler using improved phase shifting interferometry
US4639139A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 27, 1985 |
| Grant date | Jan 27, 1987 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Sep 27, 2005 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B11/2441
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
An optical profiler includes a two-beam interferometer. An interference pattern produced thereby is focused onto an array of photocells. Phase shift in a reference beam of the interferometer is produced by accelerating a piezoelectric transducer supporting the interferometer mirror to a constant velocity. The velocity is maintained constant for at least 360.degree. of phase shift, during which four integrated buckets are obtained from each photocell. The outputs of the photodetector array are continuously integrated and effectively read out every 90.degree. of phase shift of the reference beam by a computer that computes a first value of phase corresponding to each photocell output from the first, second, and third integrated buckets produced by that photocell and a second phase value from the second, third, and fourth integrated bucket values obtained from that photocell. The two phase values are averaged, eliminating the effects of sinusoidal noise produced by inaccuracies in the reference beam phase at which integrated buckets are initiated and terminated. Data points at which intensity modulation produced by the reference beam phase variation is less than a noise threshold are …
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.