Patent · US Active

Optical displacement detection mechanism and surface information measurement device using the same

US7973942B2 · kind B2 · utility

6Cited by
9References
14Claims
0Family size

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Key dates

Filing dateAug 20, 2007
Grant dateJul 5, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateOct 11, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01Q20/02
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

There is provided an optical displacement detection mechanism in which, even if a measurement object changes, a detection sensitivity and a ratio of a noise are adjustable without depending on optical characteristics such as reflectivity, or a shape and mechanical characteristics of a measurement object, an influence of a thermal deformation of the measurement object by an irradiated light to the measurement object can be made small, and a measurement accuracy can be ensured under optimum conditions. In an optical displacement detection mechanism comprising a light source irradiating a light to a cantilever becoming the measurement object, a light source drive circuit driving the light source, a photodetector receiving the light after irradiated to the cantilever from the light source to thereby detect an intensity of the light, and an amplifier amplifying a detection signal of the photodetector at a predetermined amplification rate, there is made such that, by providing a light intensity regulator and an amplification rate regulator, an irradiated light intensity to the cantilever and an amplification rate of the photodetector can be made variable.

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