US 7,023,560 B2 · Method and apparatus for dark field interferometric confocal microscopy

Abstract

A differential interferometric confocal microscope for measuring an object, the microscope including: a source-side pinhole array; a detector-side pinhole array; and an interferometer that images the array of pinholes of the source-side pinhole array onto a first array of spots located in front of an object plane located near where the object is positioned and onto a second array of spots behind the object plane, wherein the first and second arrays of spots are displaced relative to each other in a direction that is normal to the object plane, the interferometer also (1) imaging the first arrays of spots onto a first image plane that is behind the detector-side pinhole array, (2) imaging the first array of spots onto a plane defined by the detector-side pinhole array, (3) imaging the second array of spots onto a second image plane that is in front of the detector-side pinhole array, and (4) imaging the second array of spots onto the plane defined by the detector-side pinhole array, wherein each spot of the imaged first array of spots in the first image plane is aligned with a corresponding different spot of the imaged second array of spots in the second image plane and a corresponding different pinhole of the detector-side pinhole array, and wherein each spot of the imaged first array of spots in the plane defined by the detector-side array coincides with a corresponding different spot of the imaged second array of spots in the plane defined by the detector-side array and coincides with a corresponding different pinhole of the detector-side pinhole array.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An interferometric confocal microscope for measuring an object, said microscope comprising:

a source-side pinhole array;
a detector-side pinhole array;
and
an interferometer that images the array of pinholes of the source-side pinhole array onto a first array of spots located in front of an object plane located near where the object is positioned and onto a second array of spots behind the object plane, wherein the first and second arrays of spots are displaced relative to each other in a direction that is normal to the object plane, said interferometer also (1) imaging the first arrays of spots onto a first image plane that is behind the detector-side pinhole array, (2) imaging the first array of spots onto a second image plane, (3) imaging the second array of spots onto the second image plane, and (4) imaging the second array of spots onto a third image plane that is in front of the plane defined by the detector-side pinhole array,
wherein each spot of the imaged first array of spots in the first image plane is aligned with a corresponding different spot of the imaged second array of spots in the third image plane and a corresponding different pinhole of the detector-side pinhole array, and
wherein each spot of the imaged first array of spots in the second image plane coincides with a corresponding different spot of the imaged second array of spots in the second image plane and is aligned with a corresponding different pinhole of the detector-side pinhole array.

3 more elements

An interferometric confocal microscope for measuring an object, said microscope comprising:

a source-side pinhole array for producing an array of input beams;
and
a detector-side pinhole array;
and
an interferometer including:
a first optical element providing a first reflecting surface;
a second optical element providing a second reflecting surface;
and
a beam splitter positioned between the first and second optical elements,
wherein the beam splitter produces from the array of input beams a first array of measurement beams and a second array of measurement beams,
wherein the first reflecting surface participates in focusing the first array of measurement beams onto a first array of locations on a first object plane in object space and the second reflecting surface participates in focusing the second array of measurement beams onto a second array of locations on a second object plane in object space, said first and second object planes being parallel to and displaced from each other,
wherein the first array of measurement beams generates a first array of return beams from the object and the second array of measurement beams generates a second array of return beams from the object,
wherein the first and second reflecting elements participate in producing from the first array of return beams (1) a first array of converging beams that converge to a first array of spots on a first image plane and (2) a second array of converging beams that converge onto a second array of spots on a second image plane,
wherein the first and second reflecting elements participate in producing from the second array of return beams (1) a third array of converging beams that converge onto the second array of spots on the second image plane and (2) a fourth array of converging beams that converge onto a third array of spots on a third image plane,
wherein said first and third image planes are adjacent to and on opposite sides of the detector-side pinhole array, and the second image plane lies between the first and third image planes, and
wherein the detector-side pinhole array combines the first, second, third, and fourth arrays of converging beams to form an array of output beams.

13 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Method and apparatus for dark field interferometric confocal microscopy

Life of this patent

Method and apparatus for dark field interferometric confocal microscopy

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20