An optical system for measuring the topography of an object (3) includes an interferometer (1) with a multiple-color or white-light source (4), a mechanical scanning apparatus (13) for varying the optical path difference between the object and a reference surface, a two-dimensional detector array (9), and digital signal processing apparatus (2) for determining surface height from interference data. Interferograms for each of the detector image points in the field of view are generated simultaneously by scanning the object in a direction approximately perpendicular to the illuminated object surface while recording detector data in digital memory. These recorded interferograms for each image point are then transformed into the spatial frequency domain by Fourier analysis, and the surface height for each corresponding object surface point is obtained by examination of the complex phase as a function of spatial frequency. A complete three-dimensional image of the object surface is then constructed from the height data and corresponding image plane coordinates.

Method and apparatus for surface topography measurement by spatial-frequency analysis of interferograms

A method including comparing information derivable from a scanning interferometry signal for a first surface location of a test object to information corresponding to multiple models of the test object, wherein the multiple models are parametrized by a series of characteristics for the test object. The derivable information being compared may relate to a shape of the scanning interferometry signal for the first surface location of the test object.

Profiling complex surface structures using scanning interferometry

A method of analyzing an optical image of a scene to determine the spectral intensity of each pixel of the scene, which includes collecting incident light from the scene; (b) passing the light through an interferometer which outputs modulated light corresponding to a predetermined set of linear combinations of the spectral intensity of the light emitted from each pixel; focusing the light outputted from the interferometer on a detector array; and processing the output of the detector array to determine the spectral intensity of each pixel thereof. If the interferometer is of the moving type scanning in one dimension is required where the detector array is one dimensional, and no scanning when the detector array is two-dimensional. If the interferometer is of the non-moving type scanning is required in one dimension when the detector array is two-dimensional, and in two dimensions when the detector array is one-dimensional.

Method for simultaneously measuring the spectral intensity as a function of wavelength of all the pixels of a two dimensional scene

Disclosed is an interferometry analysis method that includes comparing information derivable from multiple interferometry signals corresponding to different surface locations of a test object to information corresponding to multiple models of the test object, wherein the multiple models are parameterized by a series of characteristics that relate to one or more under-resolved lateral features of the test object; and outputting information about the under-resolved surface feature based on the comparison.

Interferometer and method for measuring characteristics of optically unresolved surface features

In general, in one aspect, the disclosure features a method that includes directing measurement light to reflect from a measurement surface and combining the reflected measurement light with reference light, where the measurement light and reference light are derived from a common source, and there is a non-zero optical path length difference between the measurement light and reference light that is greater than a coherence length of the measurement light. The method further includes spectrally dispersing the combined light onto a multi-element detector to detect a spatially-varying intensity pattern, determining spatial information about the measurement surface based on the spatially-varying intensity pattern, and outputting the spatial information.

Interferometry method and system including spectral decomposition

State of the art Fourier transform spectrometers are useful scientific tools. But, they are very complex precision electro-optical-mechanical instruments. To simplify the instrument, the need for a mechanical slide mechanism to create a path difference has been eliminated by the use of retro-reflecting mirrors (16, 18) in a monolithic interferometer assembly (11) wherein the mirrors (16, 18) are not at 90 degrees to the propagation vector (29, 43) of the radiation (27), but rather at a small angle (49). The resulting interference fringes (51, 53) create a double-sided interferogram (33) of the source irradiance distribution which is detected by a charge-coupled device (CCD) array (23). The position of each CCD pixel (25) in the array is an indication of the path difference between the two retro-reflecting mirrors (16, 18) in the monolithic optical structure. The Fourier transform of the signals generated by the CCD array (23) provide the spectral irradiance distribution of the source. For imaging, the interferometer assembly (11) scans the source of irradiation by moving the entire instrument, such as would occur if it was fixedly mounted to a moving platform, e.g., a spacecraft. During scanning, the entrance slot (21) to the monolithic optical structure send different pixels to corresponding interferograms detected by adjacent columns of pixels at the CCD array (23).

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Fred G. O'Callaghan

Papers

Integrated optics in an electrically scanned imaging Fourier transform spectrometer