Patent · US Active

Linearly polarized light imaging method and device

US8447079B2 · kind B2 · utility

0Cited by
10References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateDec 18, 2007
Grant dateMay 21, 2013
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 8, 2030

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N21/21
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A device includes an incident arm, a detection arm, a sample stage, and an image processing computer. The incident arm includes a light source and a first polarizing element, and is disposed on one side of the sample stage. The detection arm includes a second polarizing element and a photoelectric detector, and is disposed on a light-detection path. The photoelectric detector is connected to the computer. The device further includes a device for adjusting polarization angles of the first and second polarizing elements. A method includes: illuminating a sample surface using linearly polarized light with a certain polarization angle; detecting outgoing polarized light by a photoelectric detector; adjusting polarization angles of the incident and detected polarized light, and repeating the above two steps to obtain a series of polarized images, each image corresponding to incident and detected polarization angles; and computer processing the obtained images to obtain sample information.

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