Confocal microscopic device

US6674572B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Carl Zeiss Jena GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Thomas Scheruebl · Jena, DE
• Norbert Czarnetzki · Jena, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 11, 1999
• Grant date: Jan 6, 2004
• Expiry date: Aug 11, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01B2210/50
• WIPO field: Optics
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An autofocus for a confocal microscope is realized by means of a confocal microscope arrangement comprising an illumination arrangement for illuminating an object in a raster pattern, first means for generating a first wavelength-selective splitting of the illumination light and second means for generating a second wavelength-selective splitting of the light coming from the object in a parallel manner for a plurality of points of the object, and detection means for detecting the light distribution generated by the second means, wherein an at least point-by-point spectral splitting and detection of an object image in a wavelength-selective manner is carried out and a control signal is generated from the determination of the frequency deviation and/or intensity deviation from a predetermined reference value corresponding to the object position in order to adjust the focal position by means of the vertical object position and/or the imaging system of the microscope. Further, a process is realized for determining deviations of at least a first height profile from at least one simultaneously or previously detected second height profile, preferably for detecting and/or monitoring defects…