Dynamic surface roughness profiler

Abstract

A dynamic profiler is presented that is capable of precision measurement of surface roughness in the presence of significant vibration or motion. Utilizing a special CCD camera incorporating a micro-polarizer array and a proprietary LED source, quantitative measurements were obtained with exposure times of <100 µsec. The polarization-based interferometer utilizes an adjustable input polarization state to optimize fringe contrast and signal to noise for measurement of optical surfaces ranging in reflectivity from 1 to 100%. A new phase calculation algorithm is presented that nearly eliminates phase-dependent errors resulting in shot noise limited performance. In addition to its vibration immunity, the system's light weight, <5 kg, compact envelope, 24 x 24 x 8 cm, integrated alignment system, and multiple mounting options facilitate use both directly resting on large optical surfaces and directly mounted to polishing equipment, stands, gantries and robots. Measurement results presented show an RMS repeatability <0.005 nm and an RMS precision < 0.1nm which are achieved without active vibration isolation.

Principles of interference microscopy for the measurement of surface topography

“…Long-range or extended scans may make use of the z stage, while in other CSI-only systems, there is a single scanning mechanism for all height ranges. Alternative platforms range from semiconductor process control systems with automated wafer handling to portable devices that can be easily carried and even mounted on a large sample such as an engine block or telescope mirror [91,92].…”

Performance evaluation of a vibration desensitized scanning white light interferometer

“…For the three-bucket algorithm, the simplest approach to PSI, rms phase errors due to offset and ripple are shown as a function of frequency in figures 2 and 3 for the case of continuous phase shifting, a technique which is becoming more practical with the availability of high-speed digital cameras. Park [4] and Kimbrough [5] demonstrate improved vibration desensitization using continuous phase shifting.…”