# US 2017/0254641 A1 · Optical profilometer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0254641 A1 - Document ID: US20170254641A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/448,701 - Filed: 2017-03-03 - Published: 2017-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2016-03-04 - Assignees: Filmetrics, Inc. - Inventors: Scott A. CHALMERS; Randall S. GEELS; Matthew F. ROSS - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170254641A1 ## CPC - G01J 3/10: Arrangements of light sources specially adapted for spectrometry or colorimetry - G01B 11/0625: {with measurement of absorption or reflection} - G01J 3/26: using multiple reflection, e.g. Fabry-Perot interferometer, variable interference filters - G01N 21/255: {Details, e.g. use of specially adapted sources, lighting or optical systems} - G01N 21/45: using interferometric methods; using Schlieren methods - G01N 21/8422: {Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method} - G01J 2003/123: {Indexed discrete filters} - G01J 2003/1243: {Pivoting IF or other position variation} - G01J 2003/2866: {Markers; Calibrating of scan} - G01N 2021/8427: {Coatings} - 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) - G01B: MEASURING LENGTH, THICKNESS OR SIMILAR LINEAR DIMENSIONS; MEASURING ANGLES; MEASURING AREAS; MEASURING IRREGULARITIES OF SURFACES OR CONTOURS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract A system comprising a light source, and a retention device configured to receive and retain a sample for measurement. The system includes a detector. An optical path couples light between the light source, the sample when present, and the detector. An optical objective is configured to couple light from the light source to the sample when present, and couple reflected light to the detector. A controller is configured to automatically control focus and/or beam path of the light directed by the optical objective to the sample when present. The system includes a spatially variable filter (SVF) positioned in the optical path. The SVF is configured to have spectral properties that vary as a function of illuminated position on the SVF. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a light source; a retention device configured to receive and retain a sample for measurement; a detector, wherein an optical path couples light between the light source, the sample when present, and the detector; an optical objective configured to couple light from the light source to the sample when present, and couple reflected light to the detector; a controller configured to automatically control at least one of focus and beam path of the light directed by the optical objective to the sample when present; and a spatially variable filter (SVF) positioned in the optical path, wherein the SVF is configured to have spectral properties that vary as a function of illuminated position on the SVF. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a spectrometer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the detector comprises a processing device configured to generate data representing a surface of the sample when present. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The system of claim 3, wherein the detector is configured to output data representing at least one of a film thickness and a surface profile of the sample. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the optical objective and configured to control focus of the optical objective by controlling a vertical position of the optical objective relative to the retention device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to automatically control differences in the focus to determine a surface profile of the sample. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system of claim 6, wherein the detector is configured to output data representing the surface profile. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the controller is coupled to the retention device and configured to control focus of the light directed from the optical objective by controlling a vertical position of the retention device relative to the optical objective. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising an optical director positioned in the optical path, wherein the optical director is configured to at least one of couple light from the light source to the optical objective and couple reflected light from the sample when present to the detector. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the optical director comprises at least one of a plurality of mirrors, a beamsplitter, a reflector, and an off-axis reflector. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, comprising a condensing device positioned in the optical path between the light source and the SVF. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, comprising an aperture in the optical path between the SVF and the optical director. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, comprising a second condensing device positioned in the optical path between the SVF and the aperture. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, comprising a collimator device positioned in the optical path between the aperture and the optical director. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, comprising a third condensing device positioned in the optical path between the optical director and the detector. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the optical objective includes an interference objective configured for non-contact optical measurements of the sample when present. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the optical objective includes a beam-splitter and a reference mirror. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The system of claim 16, wherein the interference objective includes at least one of a Mirau objective and a Michelson objective. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the SVF includes a linear variable filter (LVF), wherein the LVF is configured to have spectral properties that vary linearly with position along a direction of the LVF. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein output illumination of the LVF includes a wavelength that varies as a linear function of a position of input illumination on the LVF. ### Claim 21 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the LVF is configured so a spatial position illuminated on the LVF selects an output wavelength of the LVF. ### Claim 22 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the LVF comprises a substrate including an interference coating that is graduated along a direction of the LVF. ### Claim 23 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein a position of the LVF relative to the light source is configured as variable, wherein the LVF is scanned with the light source. ### Claim 24 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein an output of the LVF includes a series of collimated monochromatic light beams. ### Claim 25 (depends on 24) The system of claim 24, wherein the output of the LVF includes light having a wavelength approximately in a range of 300 nanometers (nm) to 850 nm. ### Claim 26 (depends on 19) The system of claim 19, wherein the LVF is tunable. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The system of claim 26, wherein the LVF includes a variable pass band filter comprising a short wave pass component and a long wave pass component. ### Claim 28 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the short wave pass component includes a first LVF and the long wave pass component includes a second LVF. ### Claim 29 (depends on 27) The system of claim 27, wherein the short wave pass component is positioned adjacent the long wave pass component. ### Claim 30 (depends on 29) The system of claim 29, wherein a first position of at least one of the short wave pass component and the long wave pass component is adjusted relative to a second position of the other of the short wave pass component and the long wave pass component, wherein a pass band of the LVF is determined by the first position and the second position. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The system of claim 30, comprising a translation stage configured to control at least one of the first position and the second position. ### Claim 32 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the SVF includes a circularly variable filter (CVF), wherein the CVF is configured to have spectral properties that vary with position along an arc of the CVF. ### Claim 33 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the SVF is tunable. ### Claim 34 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a position of the SVF in the optical path includes a first region between the light source and the retention device. ### Claim 35 (depends on 34) The system of claim 34, comprising a dichroic filter in the first region. ### Claim 36 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a position of the SVF in the optical path includes a second region between the detector and the retention device. ### Claim 37 (depends on 36) The system of claim 36, comprising a dichroic filter in the second region. ### Claim 38 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the SVF includes a first SVF component and a second SVF component. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein the first SVF component includes a short wave pass component and the second SVF component includes a long wave pass component. ### Claim 40 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein the first SVF component includes a long wave pass component and the second SVF component includes a short wave pass component. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein a position of the first SVF component includes a first region of the optical path between the light source and the retention device, and a position of the second SVF component includes the first region. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein a position of the first SVF component includes a second region of the optical path between the detector and the retention device, and a position of the second SVF component includes the second region. ### Claim 43 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, wherein a position of the first SVF component includes a first region of the optical path between the light source and the retention device. ### Claim 44 (depends on 43) The system of claim 43, wherein a position of the second SVF component includes a second region of the optical path between the detector and the retention device. ### Claim 45 (depends on 38) The system of claim 38, comprising a dichroic filter adjacent at least one of the first SVF component and the second SVF component. ### Claim 46 A method comprising: configuring an optical path to couple light between a light source, a sample when present, and a detector; configuring an optical objective to couple light from the light source to the sample when present, and couple reflected light to the detector; controlling at least one of focus and beam path of the light directed by the optical objective to the sample when present; configuring the optical path to include a spatially variable filter (SVF) to control properties of at least one of the light and the reflected light, wherein the SVF is configured to pass light having spectral properties that vary as a function of a position of illumination on the SVF; configuring the detector to receive reflected light from the optical objective and to generate from the reflected light an output representing a film thickness and a surface profile of the sample when present. ### Claim 47 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, comprising configuring the optical path to include an optical director, and configuring the optical director to at least one of couple light from the light source to the optical objective and couple reflected light from the sample when present to the detector. ### Claim 48 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, comprising configuring the optical path to include a condensing device between the light source and the SVF. ### Claim 49 (depends on 48) The method of claim 48, comprising configuring the optical path to include an aperture between the SVF and the optical director. ### Claim 50 (depends on 49) The method of claim 49, comprising configuring the optical path to include a second condensing device between the SVF and the aperture. ### Claim 51 (depends on 49) The method of claim 49, comprising configuring the optical path to include a collimator device between the aperture and the optical director. ### Claim 52 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, comprising configuring the optical objective to include an interference objective configured for non-contact optical measurements of the sample when present, wherein the interference objective includes at least one of a Mirau objective and a Michelson objective. ### Claim 53 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, comprising configuring the optical objective to include a reference mirror. ### Claim 54 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, comprising configuring the SVF to include a linear variable filter (LVF), wherein the LVF is configured to have spectral properties that vary linearly with the position along a direction of the LVF. ### Claim 55 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, comprising configuring the LVF as tunable, wherein output illumination of the LVF includes a wavelength that varies as a linear function of the position of input illumination on the LVF. ### Claim 56 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, comprising configuring the LVF so a spatial position illuminated on the LVF determines an output wavelength of the LVF. ### Claim 57 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, comprising configuring as variable a position of the LVF relative to the light source, wherein the LVF is scanned with the light source. ### Claim 58 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, comprising configuring the output of the LVF to include light having a wavelength approximately in a range of 300 nanometers (nm) to 850 nm. ### Claim 59 (depends on 54) The method of claim 54, comprising configuring the LVF to include a variable pass band filter including a short wave pass component and a long wave pass component. ### Claim 60 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59, wherein the short wave pass component includes a first LVF and the long wave pass component includes a second LVF. ### Claim 61 (depends on 59) The method of claim 59, wherein the short wave pass component is positioned adjacent the long wave pass component. ### Claim 62 (depends on 61) The method of claim 61, comprising adjusting a first position of at least one of the short wave pass component and the long wave pass component relative to a second position of the other of the short wave pass component and the long wave pass component, wherein a pass band of the LVF is determined by the first position and the second position. ### Claim 63 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, wherein a position of the SVF in the optical path includes a first region between the light source and the sample. ### Claim 64 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, wherein a position of the SVF in the optical path includes a second region between the detector and the sample. ### Claim 65 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, wherein the SVF includes a first SVF component and a second SVF component. ### Claim 66 (depends on 65) The method of claim 65, wherein the first SVF component includes a short wave pass component and the second SVF component includes a long wave pass component. ### Claim 67 (depends on 65) The method of claim 65, wherein the first SVF component includes a long wave pass component and the second SVF component includes a short wave pass component. ### Claim 68 (depends on 65) The method of claim 65, wherein a position of the first SVF component includes a first region of the optical path between the light source and the retention device, and a position of the second SVF component includes the first region. ### Claim 69 (depends on 65) The method of claim 65, wherein a position of the first SVF component includes a second region of the optical path between the detector and the retention device, and a position of the second SVF component includes the second region. ### Claim 70 (depends on 65) The method of claim 65, wherein a position of the first SVF component includes a first region of the optical path between the light source and the retention device, and a position of the second SVF component includes a second region of the optical path between the detector and the retention device. ### Claim 71 (depends on 46) The method of claim 46, comprising generating at the detector reflectance data representing a surface of the sample when present.