Chromatic confocal system
AssigneeAlign Technology, Inc.
InventorsYossef Atiya, Tal Verker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A system for determining surface topography of a three-dimensional structure is provided. The system can include an illumination unit configured to output a two-dimensional array of light beams each comprising a plurality of wavelengths. An optical assembly can focus the plurality of wavelengths of each light beam to a plurality of focal lengths so as to simultaneously illuminate the structure over a two-dimensional field of view. A detector and a processor are used to generate data representative of the surface topography of the three-dimensional structure based on the measured characteristics of the light reflected from the structure.
Claims26
A system for measuring surface topography of a three-dimensional structure, the system comprising:
- an illumination unit configured to output a two-dimensional array of light beams each comprising a plurality of wavelengths;
- an optical assembly operatively coupled to the illumination unit and configured to focus the plurality of wavelengths of each light beam to a plurality of focal lengths relative to the optical assembly so as to simultaneously illuminate the three-dimensional structure over a two-dimensional field of view, wherein the plurality of focal lengths is fixed relative to the optical assembly during the measuring of the surface topography;
- and
- a detector configured to measure a characteristic of light reflected from the three-dimensional structure for each of a plurality of locations distributed in two dimensions over the two-dimensional field of view.
The system of claim 10, wherein each sensor element of the plurality of sensor elements is configured to measure the intensity of at least one wavelength of the light reflected from the three-dimensional structure.
The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of sensor elements comprises a plurality of red sensor elements, a plurality of green sensor elements, and a plurality of blue sensor elements;
- each of the plurality of red sensor elements being configured to measure the intensity of a red light wavelength, each of the plurality of green sensor elements being configured to measure the intensity of a green light wavelength, and each of the plurality of blue sensor elements being configured to measure the intensity of a blue light wavelength.
The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of sensor elements are arranged in a Bayer pattern or in a plurality of layers.
A method for measuring surface topography of a three-dimensional structure, the method comprising:
- generating a two-dimensional array of light beams each comprising a plurality of wavelengths;
- focusing the plurality of wavelengths of each light beam to a plurality of focal lengths relative to the three-dimensional structure so as to simultaneously illuminate the three-dimensional structure over a two-dimensional field of view, wherein the plurality of focal lengths is fixed relative to the optical assembly during the measuring of the surface topography;
- and
- measuring a characteristic of light reflected from the three-dimensional structure for each of a plurality of locations distributed in two dimensions over the two-dimensional field of view.
The method of claim 15, wherein the characteristic comprises an intensity.
The method of claim 24, wherein each sensor element of the plurality of sensor elements is configured to measure the intensity of at least one wavelength of the light reflected from the three-dimensional structure.
The method of claim 25, wherein the plurality of sensor elements comprises a plurality of red sensor elements, a plurality of green sensor elements, and a plurality of blue sensor elements;
- each of the plurality of red sensor elements being configured to measure the intensity of a red light wavelength, each of the plurality of green sensor elements being configured to measure the intensity of a green light wavelength, and each of the plurality of blue sensor elements being configured to measure the intensity of a blue light wavelength.
The method of claim 26, wherein the plurality of sensor elements are arranged in a Bayer pattern or in a plurality of layers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.