# US 10,371,501 B2 · Method for determining height information of a sample, and scanning microscope > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,501 B2 - Document ID: US10371501B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/419,166 - Filed: 2017-01-30 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-07 - Assignees: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH - Applicants: Carl Zeiss Microscopy GmbH - Inventors: Thomas Kalkbrenner; Helmut Lippert - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371501B2 ## CPC - G01B 11/0608: {Height gauges} - G01B 11/2518: {Projection by scanning of the object} - G01J 1/44: Electric circuits {(for command of an exposure part G03B7/02)} - G02B 21/0016: {Technical microscopes, e.g. for inspection or measuring in industrial production processes} - G02B 21/0028: {specially adapted for specific applications, e.g. for endoscopes, ophthalmoscopes, attachments to conventional microscopes} - G02B 21/0032: {Optical details of illumination, e.g. light-sources, pinholes, beam splitters, slits, fibers (G02B21/0036 - G02B21/008; means for illumination of specimens in general G02B21/06)} - G02B 21/0056: {based on optical coherence, e.g. phase-contrast arrangements, interference arrangements} - G02B 21/006: {focusing arrangements; selection of the plane to be imaged} - G02B 21/008: {Details of detection or image processing, including general computer control} - G02B 27/0927: {Systems for changing the beam intensity distribution, e.g. Gaussian to top-hat} - G01J 2001/446: {Photodiode} - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01J: MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRARED, VISIBLE OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS ## Abstract The invention relates to a method for determining height information of a sample, and to a scanning microscope. The method comprises the following steps: generating an illumination spot; illuminating the sample with the illumination spot; capturing an image of a reflection of the illumination spot at the sample; evaluating the lateral distribution of the image; determining the height information from the lateral distribution; wherein the illumination spot has a three dimensional illumination pattern and/or the image in a detection beam path has a three dimensional detection pattern. The scanning microscope is characterized in that an illumination device (07) and/or a detector device comprise(s) a means for generating a three dimensional pattern with a change in the lateral intensity distribution that is asymmetrical along the optical axis, and an evaluation device is configured to determine height information from the detector signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for determining height information of a sample, the method comprising: generating an illumination spot; illuminating the sample with the illumination spot; capturing an image of a reflection of the illumination spot at the sample; evaluating the lateral distribution of the image; determining the height information from the lateral distribution; wherein the illumination spot has a three dimensional illumination pattern and/or the image in a detection beam path has a three dimensional detection pattern. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the illumination pattern and the detection pattern have a change in the lateral intensity distribution which is asymmetrical along the optical axis, wherein the optical axis runs parallel to a plane normal of a sample plane in which the sample is positioned. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a phase profile is used for generating at least one of the illumination pattern and the detection pattern. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, wherein the phase profile is linear. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein intensity information of the image is furthermore determined. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the illumination pattern is generated by the use of a laser beam with a rotating intensity distribution. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a plurality of illumination spots is scanned simultaneously over the sample plane. ### Claim 8 A scanning microscope, comprising an illumination device for illuminating a sample with an illumination spot; a scanning apparatus for scanning the illumination spot over the sample; a detector device for the spatially resolved detection of the illumination spot reflected by the sample; an evaluation device for evaluating the signal of the detector device; characterized in that wherein at least one of the illumination device and the detector device is configured to generate a three dimensional pattern with a change in the lateral intensity distribution that is asymmetrical along the optical axis; and the evaluation device is configured to determine height information from the detector signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The scanning microscope of claim 8, wherein at least one of the illumination device and the detector device comprises a phase element configured to generate the three dimensional pattern. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The scanning microscope of claim 9, wherein the phase element comprises a glass wedge which is arranged in a pupil plane of the scanning microscope, and covers at least part of the illumination spot and/or of the image. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The scanning microscope of claim 10, wherein the glass wedge is a first glass wedge and the phase element comprises a second glass wedge, wherein the first glass wedge and the second glass wedge are arranged in opposite directions and each cover half of the illumination pattern. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The scanning microscope of claim 8, wherein at least one of the illumination device and the detector device comprises a laser beam with a rotating intensity distribution that is configured to generate the illumination pattern is. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The scanning microscope of claim 8, wherein the detector device is a quadrant photodiode.