Method and apparatus for simultaneously interferometrically measuring optical characteristics in a noncontact manner
First Claim
1. A measuring method for measuring an optical characteristic of an optically transmissive object having a front surface and a rear surface, using an optical system including a light source for emitting light, a converging lens, a reference light mirror, a light receiving element, drive means for displacing one of (i) the object to be measured and said reference light mirror and (ii) said converging lens and said reference light mirror, said method comprising the steps of:
- simultaneously converging said light from the light source through said converging lens, and onto the object, and irradiating said light from the light source onto the reference light mirror;
synthesizing a reflected light beam from the front surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a first synthesized interference light beam, and directing the first synthesized interference light beam into the light receiving element, while synthesizing a reflected light beam from the rear surface of the object to be measured, and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a second synthesized interference light beam, and directing the second synthesized interference light beam into the light receiving element;
displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror so as to maximize an intensity of each of the first and second interference light beams; and
obtaining distances of displacement of said one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror, from a position where an intensity of each of the first and second interference light beams becomes maximum in order to simultaneously measure a refractive index and a thickness of the object to be measured.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Light from a light source is converged by a converging lens and is irradiated to an object to be measured through a converging lens, the object to be measured or the converging lens and the reference light mirror are displaced so as to maximize intensities of interference light at the reference light mirror and the front and rear surfaces of the object to be measured, and displaced distances of the object to be measured or the converging lens and the reference light mirror at a position where an intensity of interference light becomes maximum at the rear surface and a position where an intensity of interference light becomes maximum are obtained in order to simultaneously measure a refractive index and a thickness of the object to be measured. With this arrangement, simultaneous measurement of a phase index and a thickness of an object to be measured, simultaneous measurement of a birefringence and a thickness of an object to be measured, and a phase index and a group index of an object to be measured can be carried out.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A measuring method for measuring an optical characteristic of an optically transmissive object having a front surface and a rear surface, using an optical system including a light source for emitting light, a converging lens, a reference light mirror, a light receiving element, drive means for displacing one of (i) the object to be measured and said reference light mirror and (ii) said converging lens and said reference light mirror, said method comprising the steps of:
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simultaneously converging said light from the light source through said converging lens, and onto the object, and irradiating said light from the light source onto the reference light mirror;
synthesizing a reflected light beam from the front surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a first synthesized interference light beam, and directing the first synthesized interference light beam into the light receiving element, while synthesizing a reflected light beam from the rear surface of the object to be measured, and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a second synthesized interference light beam, and directing the second synthesized interference light beam into the light receiving element;
displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror so as to maximize an intensity of each of the first and second interference light beams; and
obtaining distances of displacement of said one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror, from a position where an intensity of each of the first and second interference light beams becomes maximum in order to simultaneously measure a refractive index and a thickness of the object to be measured. - View Dependent Claims (5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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2. A measuring method for measuring an optical characteristic of an optically transmissive object having a front surface and a rear surface, using an optical system including a light source for emitting light, a reference light mirror, a light receiving element, drive means for displacing one of the object to be measured and the reference light mirror, said method comprising the steps of:
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simultaneously irradiating light from the light source onto the object and onto the reference light mirror;
synthesizing a reflected light beam from the front surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a first synthesized interference light beam and directing the first synthesized interference light beam to the light receiving element;
synthesizing a reflected ordinary light beam from the rear surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a second synthesized interference light beam and directing the second synthesized interference light beam to the light receiving element;
synthesizing a reflected extraordinary light beam from the rear surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a third synthesized interference light beam and directing the third synthesized interference light to the light receiving element;
displacing one of (i) the object and (ii) the reference light mirror so as to maximize an intensity of each of the first, second and third interference light beams; and
obtaining a distance of displacement of said one of (i) the object and (ii) the reference light mirror, from a position where each of the first, second and third interference light beams becomes maximum in order to simultaneously measure a birefringence and a thickness of the object to be measured. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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3. A measuring method for measuring an optical characteristic of an optically transmissive object having a front surface and a rear surface, using an optical system including a light source for emitting light, a converging lens, a reference light mirror, a light receiving element, a drive means for displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror, said method comprising the steps of:
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simultaneously converging said light from the light source through the converging lens and onto the object, and irradiating said light from the light source onto the reference light mirror;
synthesizing a reflected light beam from the front surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a first synthesized interference light beam and directing the first synthesized interference light beam to the light receiving element;
synthesizing a reflected ordinary light beam from the rear surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a second synthesized interference light beam and directing the second synthesized interference light beam to the light receiving element;
synthesizing a reflected extraordinary light beam from the rear surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a third synthesized interference light beam and directing the third synthesized interference light beam to the light receiving element, displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror so as to maximize an intensity of each of the first, second and third interference light beams; and
obtaining distances of displacement of said one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror, from a position where each of the first, second and third interference light beams becomes maximum in order to simultaneously measure a birefringence and a thickness of the object to be measured. - View Dependent Claims (6)
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4. A measuring method for measuring an optical characteristic of an optically transmissive object having a front surface and a rear surface, using an optical system including a light source for emitting light, a converging lens, a reference light mirror, a light receiving element, drive means for displacing one of (i) the object to be measured and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror, said method comprising the steps of:
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simultaneously converging said light from the light source through said converging lens and onto the object and irradiating said light from the light source onto the reference light mirror;
synthesizing a reflected light beam from the front surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a first synthesized interference light beam, and directing the first synthesized interference light beam into the light receiving element, while synthesizing a reflected light beam from the rear surface of the object and a reflected light beam from the reference light mirror through interference therebetween into a second synthesized interference light beam, and directing the second synthesized interfering light into the light receiving element;
displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror so as to maximize an intensity of each of the first and second interference light beams; and
obtaining distances of displacement of said one of (i) the object and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror, from a position where an intensity of each of the interference light beams becomes maximum in order to simultaneously measure a phase refractive index and a group index of the object to be measured.
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25. An apparatus for measuring optical characteristics including refractive index and thickness of a light transmissive object, said apparatus comprising:
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a light source for emitting light;
means for splitting said light from the light source into first light and second light;
a reference light mirror for receiving and reflecting one of said first light and said second light;
a converging lens;
means for passing the other one of said first light and said second light through said converging lens onto said object;
means for displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror;
a light receiving element for synthesizing reflected light from the object and reference light from the reference light mirror for interference so as to deliver an interference light signal; and
means for applying arithmetic formulae in consideration with a wavelength dispersion of the refractive index of the object for simultaneous measurement of the refractive index and the thickness, so as to simultaneously derive the phase index and the thickness of the object to be measured.
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26. An apparatus for measuring birefringence and thickness of an object to be measured, said apparatus comprising:
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a light source for emitting light;
means for splitting light from the light source into first light and second light;
a reference light mirror for receiving and reflecting one of said first light and said second light;
a converging lens;
means for passing the other one of said first light and said second light through said converging lens onto said object;
means for displacing one of (i) the object and the reference light mirror and (ii) the converging lens and the reference light mirror;
a light receiving element for synthesizing reflected light from the object and reference light from the reference light mirror for interference so as to deliver an interference light signal; and
means for applying arithmetic formulae in consideration with a wavelength dispersion of the object for simultaneous measurement of the birefringence and the thickness, so as to simultaneously derive the phase index and the thickness of the object to be measured.
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Specification