Multi-axis interferometer
First Claim
1. An apparatus comprising:
- a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in a position of a measurement object, the interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point on the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, wherein each angle-measuring beam makes only a single pass to the measurement object before being combined to form the angle-measuring output beam, and the interferometer is further configured to direct another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths and then combine them to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object.
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Abstract
An apparatus includes a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in a position of a measurement object. The interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point on the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, wherein each angle-measuring beam makes only a single pass to the measurement object before being combined to form the angle-measuring output beam. The interferometer is further configured to direct another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths and then combine them to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object.
25 Citations
62 Claims
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1. An apparatus comprising:
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a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in a position of a measurement object, the interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point on the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, wherein each angle-measuring beam makes only a single pass to the measurement object before being combined to form the angle-measuring output beam, and the interferometer is further configured to direct another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths and then combine them to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object. - 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, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 51, 52, 53, 60, 61)
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45. An apparatus comprising:
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a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in an angular orientation of, and distance to, a measurement object, the interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point oil the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, and the interferometer is further configured to direct another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths and then combine them to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object, wherein the interferometer comprises a non-polarizing beam-splitter positioned to receive the progenitor input beam and separate it into an angle-measuring input beam and another input beam, wherein the first and second angle-measuring beams are derived from the angle-measuring input beam and the other set of beams are derived from the other input beam.
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46. An apparatus comprising:
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a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in a position of a measurement object;
the interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point on the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, and the interferometer is further configured to direct another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths and then combine them to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object, wherein during operation the first angle-measuring beam overlaps with a first one of the other set of beams during its first pass to the measurement object.
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47. An apparatus comprising:
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a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in a position of a measurement object;
the interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point on the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, and the interferometer is further configured to direct a first distance-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make first and second passes to the measurement object and then combine the first distance-measuring beam with a second-distance measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to produce a distance-measuring output beam, wherein the interferometer comprises a non-polarizing beam-splitter positioned to receive the angle-measuring output beam and separate a portion of it to define a distance-measuring input beam, wherein the distance-measuring beams are derived from the distance-measuring input beam. - View Dependent Claims (48)
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49. An apparatus comprising:
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a multi-axis interferometer for measuring changes in a position of a measurement object;
the interferometer is configured to receive a progenitor input beam, direct a first angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a first point on the measurement object, direct a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object, and then combine the angle-measuring beams to produce an angle-measuring output beam, and the interferometer is further configured to direct another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths and then combine them to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object, wherein the interferometer comprises a polarizing beam-splitter positioned to combine the first angle-measuring beam with the second angle-measuring beam after the first angle-measuring beam makes its pass to the measurement object but before the second angle-measuring beam makes its pass to the measurement object, the combined beams defining an intermediate beam, and wherein the interferometer further comprises a return optical assembly positioned to receive the intermediate beam and direct it back to the polarizing beam-splitter, the return optical assembly comprises a set of reflective surfaces positioned to reflect the intermediate beam an odd number of times in a plane defined by the incidence of the angle-measuring beams on the measurement object, and wherein the return optical assembly further comprise a half-wave plate configured rotate the polarization of each angle-measuring beam in the intermediate beam.
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50. A method comprising:
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directing a first angle-measuring changes in a position of a measurement object;
directing a second angle-measuring beam derived from the progenitor input beam to make a pass to a second point on the measurement object;
combining the angle-measuring beams after their passes to the measurement object to produce an angle-measuring output beam, wherein each angle-measuring beam makes only a single pass to the measurement object;
directing another set of beams derived from the progenitor input beam along different paths; and
combining the other set of beams to produce another output beam comprising information about changes in the position of the measurement object. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 62)
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Specification