Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for measuring thickness of object transparent to light utilizing interferometric method

US4660980A · kind A · utility

96Cited by
5References
11Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 10, 1984
Grant dateApr 28, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateDec 10, 2004

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/06
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring a thickness of an object transparent to light utilizing an interferometric method includes a light source for generating a coherent light beam to which an object to be measured is transparent, an illumination unit for radiating onto the object the incident light beam as scanned over a range of angle of incidence varying from a predetermined angle of incidence .theta..sub.A to another predetermined angle of incidence .theta..sub.B, and a photosensor unit for detecting light intensity changes resulting from changing of the optical path difference between two light beams reflected by the upper and lower surfaces of the object. A count circuit receives an output signal from the photosensor unit and counts the difference between an order of interference fringes obtained for one scan of incident light beam having the predetermined angle of incidence .theta..sub.A to that having the other predetermined angle of incidence .theta..sub.B, and a calculating circuit converts the output from the count circuit into a value corresponding to the thickness of the object.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.