Vibration resistant interferometry

• US 7,277,183 B2
• Filed: 04/22/2005
• Issued: 10/02/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 04/22/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Zygo Corporation (Ametek Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zygo Corporation (Ametek Incorporated)
• Inventors: Deck, Leslie L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lyons; Michael A.
• Application Number:
  US11/112,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20050237534A1
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 356/496, 356/497, 356/511, 356/512, 356/513, 356/514
• US Class Current: 356/497
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/2441 using interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 2290/70 Using polarization in the interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02003 using beat frequencies
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02007 Two or more frequencies or sources used for interferometric measurement using only beat G01B9/02003
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/0207 Error reduction by correction of the measurement signal based on independently determined error sources, e.g. using a reference interferometer
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02076 Caused by motion
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02078 Caused by ambiguity
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02083 characterised by particular signal processing and presentation
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/02084 Processing in the Fourier or frequency domain when not imaged in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 9/0209 Low-coherence interferometers

Abstract

A method includes providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data including intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position. The method includes providing a scan value for each scan position, wherein increments between the scan values are non-uniform, transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values, and determining information about the test object based on the transformed interference signals.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position;

providing a scan value for each scan position, wherein increments between the scan values are non-uniform, the scan values being determined based on the scanning interferometry data and an initial estimate of values for the scan positions;

transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values;

determining information about the test object based on the transformed interference signals; and

outputting a value based on the information about the test object.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values comprises transforming the at least some interference signals over a range of scan positions greater than a coherence length of a light source used to generate the scanning interferometry data.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning interferometry data were acquired using a light source having a center frequency and the light source has a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning interferometry data are obtained by a method comprising using an optic to receive light reflected from the test object and the determining the scan positions comprises determining the scan positions based on a property of light that has passed through the optic.

5. The method of claim 4, determining the scan positions comprises using an in-line sensor to measure the scan positions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the scanning interferometry data are obtained by a method comprising using an optic to receive light reflected from the test object and the determining the scan positions comprises determining the scan positions based on a property of light that has not passed through the optic.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein determining the scan positions comprises using an external displacement sensor to measure the scan positions.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the external displacement sensor comprises a displacement measuring interferometer.

9. A method comprising:

providing scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position;

determining information about the test object by transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to initial values for the scan positions;

determining, based on the scanning interferometry data and the information about the test object, a scan value for each of at least some of the scan positions; and

outputting a value based on the scan value.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the scan values are scan value increments between pairs of scan positions.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising determining information about the test object based on the scanning interferometry data and the scan values for the scan positions.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein determining information about the test object comprises transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan values.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein scan value increments between the scan values are non-uniform.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein transforming at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to the scan positions comprises transforming the at least some interference signals over a range of scan positions greater than a coherence length of a light source used to generate the scanning interferometry data.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the scanning interferometry data were acquired using a light source having a center frequency and the light source has a spectral width greater than 2% of the center frequency.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein increments between the scan values are non-uniform.

17. A system, comprising:

an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position;

a processor configured to;

transform at least some of the interference signals into a frequency domain with respect to initial values for the scan positions; and

determine, based on at least some of the transformed interference signals, a respective scan value for each of at least some of the scan positions.

18. A system, comprising:

an interferometer configured to provide scanning interferometry data for a test object, the data comprising intensity values for each of multiple scan positions for each of different spatial locations of the test object, the intensity values for each spatial location defining an interference signal for the spatial location, the intensity values for a common scan position defining a data set for that scan position; and

a processor configured to;

determine scan values based on the scanning interferometry data and an initial estimate of values for the scan positions, each scan value corresponding to a scan position;

transform the interference signals for each of different spatial locations into a spatial frequency domain with respect to scan values;

wherein increments between the scan values are non-uniform.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a sensor, wherein the processor is configured to determine the scan values based on data received from the sensor.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to determine the scan values based on at least some of the intensity values.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein the processor is configured to determine information about the test object based on the intensity values transformed with respect to the scan values.