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US 9,541,381 B2Granted
Surface topography interferometer with surface color
AssigneeZygo Corporation
InventorXavier Colonna de Lega
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Systems and methods for generating 3D representations of shape and color texture of a test surface are described. In one aspect, surface topography interferometers are equipped with a multi-element detector and an illumination system to produce a true-color image of the measured object surface. Color information can be presented as a true-color two-dimensional image or combined with topography information to form a three-dimensional representation of the shape and color texture of the object, effectively creating for a human observer the impression of looking at the actual part.
Claims35
An interferometry system of comprising:
- an illumination module configured to generate multiple different spectral light distributions;
- a multi-element detector;
- an imaging module configured to
- image, on the multi-element detector, a surface of a test object using test light, and
- combine the test light, on the multi-element detector, with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from the illumination module;
- and
- an electronic control module communicatively coupled with at least the illumination module and the multi-element detector, wherein, during operation, the electronic control module
- causes the illumination module to sequentially illuminate the surface of the test object with the multiple different spectral light distributions while the multi-element detector correspondingly records interference patterns and images of the surface of the test object,
- determines information about (i) a shape of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from the interference patterns recorded for one or more of the multiple different spectral light distributions, and (ii) a color of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from images recorded for two or more of the multiple spectral distributions, wherein the information about the color of the surface of the test object is determined by the electronic control module as a true-color image, such that each pixel of the true-color image comprises an average of corresponding pixels of the images of the surface of the test object respectively illuminated with the two or more of the multiple spectral distributions, wherein fringes of interference patterns in the images of the surface of the test object illuminated with respective two or more of the multiple spectral distributions are removed by the electronic control module prior to generation of the average associated with the true-color image, and
- generates a representation of the shape and the color of the surface of the test object from the determined information.
7 more elements
An interferometry system comprising:
- an illumination module configured to generate multiple different spectral light distributions;
- a multi-element detector;
- an imaging module configured to
- image, on the multi-element detector, a surface of a test object using test light, and
- combine the test light, on the multi-element detector, with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from the illumination module, wherein the illumination module and the imaging module include respective beam stops with matching apertures configured and arranged to allow only non-specularly reflected light to reach the multi-element detector;
- and
- an electronic control module communicatively coupled with at least the illumination module and the multi-element detector, wherein, during operation, the electronic control module
- causes the illumination module to sequentially illuminate the surface of the test object with the multiple different spectral light distributions while the multi-element detector correspondingly records interference patterns and images of the surface of the test object, wherein the electronic control module disengages the beam stops when the multi-element detector records the interference patterns, and engages the beam stops when the multi-element detector obtains the images of the surface of the test object respectively illuminated with two or more of the multiple spectral distributions,
- determines information about (i) a shape of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from the interference patterns recorded for one or more of the multiple different spectral light distributions, and (ii) a color of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from images recorded for two or more of the multiple spectral distributions, and
- generates a representation of the shape and the color of the surface of the test object from the determined information.
7 more elements
An interferometry system comprising:
- an illumination module configured to generate multiple different spectral light distributions;
- a multi-element detector;
- an imaging module configured to
- image, on the multi-element detector, a surface of a test object using test light, and
- combine the test light, on the multi-element detector, with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from the illumination module;
- and
- an electronic control module communicatively coupled with at least the illumination module and the multi-element detector, wherein, during operation, the electronic control module
- causes the illumination module to sequentially illuminate the surface of the test object with the multiple different spectral light distributions while the multi-element detector correspondingly records interference patterns and images of the surface of the test object, wherein the illumination module is configured and arranged to provide the respective two or more of the multiple spectral distributions used for the recorded images at angles of incidence with respect to the surface of the test object, such that only non-specularly reflected light enters the imaging module
- determines information about (i) a shape of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from the interference patterns recorded for one or more of the multiple different spectral light distributions, and (ii) a color of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from images recorded for two or more of the multiple spectral distributions, and
- generates a representation of the shape and the color of the surface of the test object from the determined information.
7 more elements
An interferometry method comprising:
- imaging, by imaging optics on a multi-element detector, a surface of a test object using test light;
- combining, by the imaging optics on the multi-element detector, the test light with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from a light source that emits multiple different spectral light distributions;
- sequentially illuminating the surface of the test object with the multiple different spectral light distributions while correspondingly recording, by the multi-element detector, interference patterns and images of the surface of the test object;
- determining, by a controller module, information about (i) a shape of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from the interference patterns recorded for one or more of the multiple different spectral light distributions, and (ii) a color of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from images recorded for two or more of the multiple different spectral distributions, wherein the determining of the information about the color of the surface of the test object comprises
- generating a true-color image, such that each pixel of the true-color image comprises an average of corresponding pixels of the images of the surface of the test object respectively illuminated with the two or more of the multiple different spectral distributions, and
- removing fringes of the interference patterns in the images of the surface of the test object respectively illuminated with the two or more of the multiple different spectral distributions prior to the generating of the average associated with the true-color image;
- and
- generating, by the controller module, a representation of the shape and the color of the surface of the test object from the determined information.
5 more elements
An interferometry method comprising;
- imaging, by imaging optics on a multi-element detector, a surface of a test object using test light;
- combining, by the imaging optics on the multi-element detector, the test light with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from a light source that emits multiple different spectral light distributions;
- sequentially illuminating the surface of the test object with the multiple different spectral light distributions while correspondingly recording, by the multi-element detector, interference patterns and images of the surface of the test object;
- engaging, by a controller module, matching beam stops respectively disposed in the light source and the imaging optics to allow only non-specularly reflected light to reach the multi-element detector, when the multi-element detector obtains the images of the surface of the test object respectively illuminated with two or more of the multiple spectral distributions;
- disengaging, by the controller module, the matching beam stops when the multi-element detector records the interference patterns;
- determining, by the controller module, information about (i) a shape of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from the interference patterns recorded for one or more of the multiple different spectral light distributions, and (ii) a color of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from images recorded for two or more of the multiple spectral distributions;
- and
- generating, by the controller module, a representation of the shape and the color of the surface of the test object from the determined information.
5 more elements
An interferometry method comprising:
- imaging, by imaging optics on a multi-element detector, a surface of a test object using test light;
- combining, by the imaging optics on the multi-element detector, the test light with reference light to form an interference pattern, the test and reference light being derived from a light source that emits multiple different spectral light distributions;
- providing, by the light source, the two or more of the multiple spectral distributions, used to respectively form the images, at angles of incidence with respect to the surface of the test object, such that only non-specularly reflected light enters the imaging optics;
- sequentially illuminating the surface of the test object with the multiple different spectral light distributions while correspondingly recording, by the multi-element detector, interference patterns and images of the surface of the test object;
- determining, by a controller module, information about (i) a shape of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from the interference patterns recorded for one or more of the multiple different spectral light distributions, and (ii) a color of the surface of the test object, at least in part, from images recorded for two or more of the multiple spectral distributions;
- and
- generating, by the controller module, a representation of the shape and the color of the surface of the test object from the determined information.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.