Applications of super-resolution imaging in the field of surface topography measurement

Abstract

A large range of high-value manufactured parts require structures to be produced over large areas (metres squared) at high-resolution (micrometres and smaller). Such manufacturing puts demands on the metrology that is required to assure product quality. High-speed, in-line metrology solutions are required to operate over large ranges with high-resolution. In this review, the use of optical super-resolution techniques to enhance the dynamic range of surface topography measuring instruments to allow them to be used in high dynamic range manufacturing scenarios will be highlighted. A brief discussion of optical super-resolution will be given, followed by a presentation of applications that may be able to benefit from optical super-resolution techniques, from the fields of microelectronics, structured surfaces and roll-to-roll manufacturing.

Metrological characterization of 3D imaging systems: progress report on standards developments

“…The ISO 10360-8 discusses structural resolution influence quantities in more detail, a test method and provides some examples of material standards. An optical transfer function analysis may give us a more realistic picture of the system's resolution [52]. As it is proposed in surface metrology using areal instruments, a star pattern can help determine the lateral resolution [31].…”

“…There are other patterns like gratings, steps or spheres but the star pattern seems to appear often in many experiments from the nano/micro range to the mid-to-large range systems [1,4,11,40,41]. Some authors are exploring superresolution techniques which allow the acquisition of images with a higher resolution than the diffraction limit [52].…”

Towards Superresolution Surface Metrology: Quantum Estimation of Angular and Axial Separations

“…Our analysis, combined with the one in [12], yields a quantum enhanced toolbox for full 3D sub-wavelength localization. This paves the way to further experimental demonstrations and innovative metrology solutions in scientific, industrial and biomedical domains, such as sub-nanometre depth mapping in rough surfaces, and dynamical interaction analysis of heterogeneous molecules in a cellular environment [4,5,27,63].…”

“…In traditional direct imaging based on classical wave optics, two incoherent point sources with angular separation smaller than the wavelength of the emitted light cannot be resolved due to fundamental diffraction effects [1], a phenomenon recently dubbed "Rayleigh's curse" [2]. Several techniques, including most prominently fluorescence microscopy [3], have been introduced in recent years to overcome this limitation and achieve sub-wavelength imaging [4,5]. Nevertheless, to determine the ultimate limits of optical resolution one needs to resort to a full quantum mechanical description of the imaging process [6].…”

Large Area Concrete Surface Topography Measurements Using Optical 3D Scanner

“…In [21−22] the authors attempted to carry out a 3D analysis of the surface of concrete, but the methodology used made it possible to measure only a very small part of the analysed surface. Therefore, a methodology for measuring and analysing the surface topography of a large area of concrete at high resolution needs to be developed [23]. It is also important to determine which 3D parameters best describe the topography of concrete.…”