Method for operating a dual beam chromatic point sensor system for simultaneously measuring two surface regions

• US 8,194,251 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2010
• Issued: 06/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitutoyo Corporation
• Inventors: Emtman, Casey Edward, Xie, Yong
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): ALLI, IYABO
• Application Number:
  US12/946,747
• Publication Number:
  US 20120050723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 568 Days
• Field of Search: 356/3, 356/445, 356602-608, 356/612, 362/84, 362/551
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/026 by measuring distance between sensor and object G01B11/0608 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/14 for measuring distance or clearance between spaced objects or spaced apertures G01B11/26 takes precedence; rangefinders G01C3/00

Abstract

A system and method provide a dual beam chromatic point sensor (CPS) system operable to simultaneously measure two surface regions. In one embodiment, a single beam CPS optical pen may have a dual beam assembly attached. First and second measurement beams of the system may be positioned on respective first and second surface regions, and both reflect light through a confocal aperture of the dual beam CPS. At least one set of measurements is determined, comprising a first and second measurement arising from the first and second measurement beams, respectively. At least the first surface region may be moved to acquire sets of measurements at various positions. Each measurement may be determined with extremely fine resolution (e.g., at least as fine as 10 nm). The system and method satisfy applications that require such resolution and accuracy without the use of an interferometer or other costly and complex elements.

Claims

1. A method for operating a multi-beam chromatic confocal point sensor system for simultaneously measuring two surface regions, the method comprising:

providing a multi-beam chromatic confocal point sensor system configured to simultaneously measure two surface regions, the system comprising an optical pen having a confocal aperture and providing two measurement beams simultaneously along different measuring paths;

positioning a first measurement beam from the system on a first surface region and a second measurement beam from the system on a second surface region, wherein at least the first surface region is located on a workpiece;

receiving workpiece measurement light arising from the first and second measurement beams back through the system and the confocal aperture;

determining at least one set of measurements comprising first and second distance measurements arising from the first and second measurement beams, respectively; and

determining at least one of a workpiece feature measurement and a change in position of a workpiece feature, based on the at least one set of measurements.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first surface region and the chromatic confocal point sensor system are moved relative to one another for acquiring a plurality of the sets of measurements.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the movement is linear.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the optical pen is mounted in a machine vision inspection system and the movement is provided by a motion system of the machine vision inspection system.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the movement is rotational.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the optical pen is mounted in a roundness tester and the movement is provided by the roundness tester.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the movement causes the first and second measurement beams to scan along the first and second surface regions for acquiring the plurality of the sets of measurements.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first and second measurement beams are oriented in parallel, and the first surface region is at least one of a groove seat or lower step surface region of a groove or step and the second surface region is at least one of a groove shoulder or upper step surface region of the groove or step, and the plurality of the sets of measurements are indicative of at least one of a height or a height variation of the groove or step at a plurality of positions along the groove or step.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the chromatic confocal point sensor system is configured such that a Z offset between a first measurement range corresponding to the first measurement beam and a second measurement range corresponding to the second measurement beam minus a value corresponding to a nominal dimension of the height of the groove or step is less than a measuring range R of the chromatic confocal point sensor system and at least 5% of the measurement range R.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second measurement beams are oriented in opposite directions, and the first surface region is on a first side surface of a groove or gap and the second surface region on an opposite second side surface of the groove or gap, and the plurality of the sets of measurements are indicative of at least one of a width or a width variation of the groove or gap at a plurality of positions along the groove or gap.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second measurement beams are oriented in parallel, and the first surface region is a runout surface region with a runout surface and the second surface region is a reference surface region with a reference surface that is fixed relative to the chromatic confocal point sensor system, and the plurality of the sets of measurements are indicative of at least one of a height or a height variation of the runout surface relative to the reference surface, at a plurality of positions along the runout surface.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the chromatic confocal point sensor system is configured such that a Z offset between a first measurement range corresponding to the first measurement beam and a second measurement range corresponding to the second measurement beam minus a value corresponding to a nominal height difference between the runout surface and the reference surface is less than a measuring range R of the chromatic confocal point sensor system and at least 5% of the measurement range R of the chromatic confocal point sensor system.

13. The method of claim 2, wherein the first and second measurement beams are oriented in parallel, the first and second surface regions are located on the workpiece, and measurement axes of the first and second measurement beams have a separation that defines at least one of a separation distance SEPPROLL perpendicular to a motion direction and a separation distance SEPPPITCH parallel to the motion direction, during the acquisition of the plurality of the sets of measurements.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the separation is less than a measurement range R of the chromatic confocal point sensor system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of the sets of measurements are used in combination with a value of the separation distance SEPPROLL to determine an angular roll of the workpiece about an axis parallel to the direction of motion.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the plurality of the sets of measurements are used in combination with a value of the separation distance SEPPPITCH to determine an angular pitch of the workpiece about an axis parallel to the direction of motion.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first and second distance measurements is determined with a resolution at least as fine as 10 nm.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the chromatic confocal point sensor system is configured such that a Z offset between a first measurement range corresponding to the first measurement beam and a second measurement range corresponding to the second measurement beam is greater than 5% of a measuring range R of the chromatic confocal point sensor system.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the chromatic confocal point sensor system is configured such that a Z offset between a first measurement range corresponding to the first measurement beam and a second measurement range corresponding to the second measurement beam is less than a measuring range R of the chromatic confocal point sensor system.