Method and apparatus for correcting shifts between a reference focal point and a reference surface as a result of thermal effects in an interferometric optical objective
US5978086A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 11, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 2, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 11, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01B9/02058
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
Structural components are added to an interferometric objective to offset the effects of temperature variations. The components are mounted between the sleeve housing the optics of the objective and the collar housing the optics of the interferometer. Each component is coupled sequentially, such that the thermal response of the assembly is substantially the linear combination of the response of each component and is designed to cause a shift in the opposite direction to the shift produced by a temperature change in the unmodified device. The thermal characteristics and dimensions of the components are chosen empirically to provide a minimum shift between the reference mirror and focal point in the interferometric objective as a function of temperature.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.