Method and apparatus utilizing an optical stage for topographic surface analysis
First Claim
1. Apparatus for topographic analysis of a surface comprising at least one light source for radiating divergent light, a first light-distributing surface of a first diffraction grating for receiving light from the at least one light source and for reflecting a first bundle of light under normal optical conditions and a second bundle of light formed by diffraction of the first order, a first optical stage for projecting the first and second bundles from the first light-distributing surface in an optically conjugated form onto an object surface to be analyzed of a sample, light representing the object surface being sharply projected via the first optical stage onto a second light-distributing surface of a second diffraction grating, and a detector for receiving diffracted bundles of light from the second light-distributing surface projected by a second optical stage for detecting radiation enabling topographic analysis of the object surface.
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for topographic surface analysis including at leastne light source for radiating light, a first light-distributing surface of a first diffraction grating for receiving light from the at least one light source and for reflecting a first bundle of light under normal optical conditions and a second bundle of light formed by diffraction of the first order. A first optical stage is provided for projecting the first and second bundles from the first light-distributing surface in an optically conjugated form onto an object surface to be analyzed of a sample. Light representing the object surface is sharply projected via the first optical stage onto a second light-distributing surface of a second diffraction grating. A second optical stage projects diffracted bundles of light from the second light-distributing surface onto a detector which detects radiation and enables topographic analysis of the object surface.
49 Citations
29 Claims
- 1. Apparatus for topographic analysis of a surface comprising at least one light source for radiating divergent light, a first light-distributing surface of a first diffraction grating for receiving light from the at least one light source and for reflecting a first bundle of light under normal optical conditions and a second bundle of light formed by diffraction of the first order, a first optical stage for projecting the first and second bundles from the first light-distributing surface in an optically conjugated form onto an object surface to be analyzed of a sample, light representing the object surface being sharply projected via the first optical stage onto a second light-distributing surface of a second diffraction grating, and a detector for receiving diffracted bundles of light from the second light-distributing surface projected by a second optical stage for detecting radiation enabling topographic analysis of the object surface.
- 16. Apparatus for analyzing a topography of a surface by strip projection comprising at least one light source for radiating light, at least one light-distributing surface for receiving light irradiated from the at least one light source, at least one optical stage, an object surface to be analyzed of a sample, and a detector for detecting radiation of the object surface to be analyzed, the at least one light-distributing surface being disposed obliquely relative to an optical axis of the at least one optical stage, and the object surface being disposed equally obliquely relative to the optical axis of the at least one optical stage so that light radiated from the at least one light source onto the at least one light-distributing surface arrives obliquely on the object surface via the at least one optical stage, and the at least one light-distributing surface and the object surface are optically conjugate.
- 21. A dual beam interferometer comprising a light source, a beam splitter surface at which a reference beam and object beams of an object beam bundle are generated, an object surface, at least one optical path-folding stage and at least one optical stage for projecting a course of the object and reference beams, at least one interference means having an interference pattern recordable via a further optical stage by a CCD camera connected to a computer, the at least one optical path-folding stage being provided with a computer-controlled adjusting element so that an optical path difference in the course of the object and reference beams, following the object surface between the reference beam and the object beams of the object beam bundle, is set approximately to zero.
- 26. Apparatus for analyzing a shape of a surface comprising at least one light source for providing a light beam, a beam splitter system for splitting the light beam at least once to create two sub-beams and for generating a lateral shear in one of the two sub-beams relative to the other of the two sub-beams, and means for focusing the two sub-beams onto a sample so as to generate two sub-beams by reflection, and a beam recombination system for recombining the sub-beams and for at least one of reducing or eliminating lateral shear between the sub-beams.
- 28. A method of analyzing the shape of a surface, comprising the steps of splitting a light beam bundle at least once so as to create two sub-beams, one of the two sub-beams having a lateral shear relative to the other of the two sub-beams and the two sub-beams being focused at least once for arrival at a sample in the form of sub-beams so as to generate two sub-beams by reflection, recombining the sub-beams so as to at least one of reduce or eliminate the lateral shear between the sub-beams, and focusing the sub-beams by projection so as to interfere with each other.
Specification