Patent · US Expired

Beam masking to reduce cyclic error in beam launcher of interferometer

US6922249B1 · kind B1 · utility

4Cited by
7References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateNov 12, 2002
Grant dateJul 26, 2005
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 11, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B2290/15
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to reducing cyclic error in the beam launcher of an interferometer. In one embodiment, an interferometry apparatus comprises a reference beam directed along a reference path, and a measurement beam spatially separated from the reference beam and being directed along a measurement path contacting a measurement object. The reference beam and the measurement beam have a single frequency. At least a portion of the reference beam and at least a portion of the measurement beam overlapping along a common path. One or more masks are disposed in the common path or in the reference path and the measurement path to spatially isolate the reference beam and the measurement beam from one another.

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