Dynamic interferometer controlling direction of input beam
First Claim
1. An interferometry system, comprising:
- an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and another beam, directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object, and overlaps the measurement beam after it reflects from the measurement object with the other beam to form an output beam;
a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and to not contact the output beam, and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer; and
a control circuit coupled to the positioning system which during operation causes the positioning system to reorient the beam steering element based on information derived from the output beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Interferometers can be configured to maintain a measurement beam substantially orthogonal to a plane measurement mirror and to minimize the lateral beam shear between the measurement and reference beam components of the output beam to a detector. These interferometers use a dynamic beam steering element to redirect the input beam in response to changes in the orientation of the measurement plane mirror. These interferometers may be further configured to measure displacement and change in orientation of the plane mirror or configured in a combination of single pass interferometers fed by the input beam for measuring displacement and change in orientation of the plane mirror.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. An interferometry system, comprising:
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an interferometer which during operation receives an input beam, separates the input beam into a measurement beam and another beam, directs the measurement beam to contact a measurement object, and overlaps the measurement beam after it reflects from the measurement object with the other beam to form an output beam;
a beam steering assembly having a beam steering element positioned to direct the input beam into the interferometer and to not contact the output beam, and an electronic positioning system to selectively orient the beam steering element relative to the interferometer; and
a control circuit coupled to the positioning system which during operation causes the positioning system to reorient the beam steering element based on information derived from the output beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method, comprising:
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directing an input beam to contact a beam steering element prior to entering an interferometer;
splitting the directed input beam into a measurement beam and at least one other beam;
directing the measurement beam to reflect from the measurement object at least once;
overlapping the reflected measurement beam and the at least one other beam to form an output beam which does not contact the beam steering element; and
electronically reorienting the beam steering element based on information derived from the output beam. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
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Specification