Conventional and confocal multi-spot scanning optical microscope

An optical system for imaging and metrology of an object, comprising:

• means for generating an array of light spots focused to a first focal plane;
• means at said focal plane for truncating sidelobes of each light spot in said array;
• means for focusing each light spot in said array with truncated sidelobes to a second focal plane such that each light spot in the array is at substantially the same controlled depth position with respect to an object;
• means for scanning at least the relative lateral position between the array of spots and said object in a swath of spatial positions covering a field of said object;
• light collection and detection means, including an array detector, for collecting light from each spot on said object onto a separate detector element of said array detector;
• and
• data processing means, receiving optical detection data from said array detector, for spatially measuring at least one selected property of said object within said field.

An optical system for acquiring an image of an object, comprising:

• illumination means, including a coherent light source, for providing an array of coherent light spots focused to a focal plane at a controlled depth position with respect to an object, said illumination means having means for minimizing sidelobe intensity of said spots and minimizing crosstalk between said spots of said array on said object;
• means for scanning at least the relative lateral position between the array of spots and said object so as to cover a field of said object in a swath of pixels;
• light collection means for separately collecting light from each spot from said object, said light collection means characterized by a collection angle selected to establish a partial coherence of the collected light of each spot;
• means, including an array detector, for detecting light collected from said object in multiple parallel detection channels, one channel for each spot of said spot array;
• and
• processing means, receiving pixel data from said array detector, for constructing an image of said field of said object.

A confocal imaging system, comprising:

• illumination means for providing an array of multiple separate focused light spots to an object, said illumination means including means for minimizing sidelobes for each light spot;
• means for imaging and detecting light from said object for each said spot of said spot array, said imaging and detecting means including an array detector having a plurality of detector elements, each of said detector elements having a size smaller than a point spread function for each imaged light spot;
• means for at least laterally scanning the relative position between said object and said array of spots;
• and
• processing means for constructing an image from pixel data received from said array detector.

An optical system configured to acquire an image of an object during use, comprising:

• a bright light source configured to produce a light beam during use;
• a microlens array having multiple individual lenslets in a path of said light beam configured to separate said light beam into multiple individual beamlets focused to a first focal plane during use;
• a pinhole array located at said first focal plane of said microlens array and having apertures corresponding to said lenslets, wherein the pinhole array is configured to apodize said individual beamlets during use;
• an objective lens positioned to receive said apodized beamlets from said pinhole array, and wherein said objective lens is underfilled by said beamlets, and wherein the objective lens is configured to focus said beamlets into a two-dimensional array of multiple separate light spots at a second focal plane at a controlled depth position with respect to the object during use;
• a mechanical stage configured to support said object and to alter a lateral position of said object relative to said array of light spots during use, wherein said stage is further configured to move said object at a scan angle relative to said array of light spots so as to cover a field of said object in a swath of pixels during use;
• imaging optics disposed within a light collection path from said object;
• at least one array detector positioned to receive light from said imaging optics, wherein at least said one array detector comprises multiple individual detector elements corresponding to each of said light spots on said object, and wherein at least said one array detector is configured to detect light from said object in parallel detection channels during use;
• and
• a processor configured to receive pixel data from at least said one array detector during use, and wherein the processor comprises an image computer configured to construct an image from said pixel data during use.

A method of acquiring an image of an object, comprising:

• illuminating the object with a two-dimensional array of light spots focused to a focal plane such that each light spot in the array is at substantially the same controlled depth position with respect to the object;
• scanning a relative lateral position between the array of spots and the object at a scan angle such that a field of said object is covered with a swath of pixels;
• detecting light from the illuminated object in parallel detection channels for each spot of the array of light spots;
• and
• processing the detected light to construct an image of the field of the object.

An optical system configured to acquire an image of an object during use, comprising:

• an illumination system configured to generate an array of light spots focused to a focal plane such that each light spot in the array is at substantially the same controlled depth position with respect to an object during use;
• a scanning device configured to alter at least a relative lateral position between the object and the array of light spots such that the array of light spots is scanned over a field of the object in a swath of pixels during use;
• an array detector configured to collect and detect light from the object during use, wherein the array detector comprises a parallel detection channel for each light spot of the array of light spots;
• and
• a processor configured to process pixel data received from the array detector and to construct an image of the field of the object from the processed pixel data during use.

An optical system configured to produce an image of an object and to determine at least one property of the object during use, comprising:

• an illumination system configured to generate an array of light spots focused to a first focal plane during use;
• a pinhole aperture array configured to truncate sidelobes of each light spot in the array of light spots during use;
• an objective lens configured to focus the array of light spots having truncated sidelobes to a second focal plane such that each light spot in the array is at substantially the same controlled depth position with respect to the object during use;
• a scanning device configured to alter at least a relative lateral position between the object and the array of light spots such that the array of light spots is scanned over a field of the object in a swath of pixels during use;
• an array detector comprising an array of detector elements, wherein each detector element is configured to collect and detect light from one light spot on the object during use;
• and
• a processor configured to receive detected light from the array detector and to determine at least one property of the object within the field during use.

An optical system configured to produce an image of an object during use, comprising:

• an illumination system configured to provide an array of coherent light spots focused to a focal plane at a controlled depth position with respect to the object during use, to minimize sidelobe intensity of each light spot of the array of coherent light spots during use, and to minimize crosstalk between each spot of the array of coherent light spots on the object during use;
• a scanning device configured to alter at least a relative lateral position between the array of coherent light spots and the object such that the array of coherent light spots is scanned over a field of the object in a swath of pixels during use;
• a light collection device configured to collect light from each spot on the object during use, and wherein the light collection device is positioned at a collection angle such that the light collected from each spot has a partial coherence;
• an array detector configured to detect the collected light in multiple parallel detection channels, wherein each channel is configured to detect light collected from one spot on the object;
• and
• a processor configured to receive pixel data from the array detector and to construct an image of the field of the object from the received pixel data during use.

A confocal imaging system, comprising:

• an illumination system configured to provide an array of focused light spots to an object and to minimize sidelobes for each light spot of the array during use;
• an array detector configured to collect and detect light from the object for each light spot of the array during use, wherein the array detector comprises a plurality of detector elements, and wherein each of the plurality of detector elements has a size smaller than a point spread function for each collected light spot;
• a scanning device configured to alter a relative position between the object and the array of light spots;
• and
• a processor configured to construct an image of the object from pixel data received from the array detector.