Light interference measuring device and program therefor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9726473-B2
Application number	US-201414570376-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 20, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A light interference measuring device comprises: a light source 20 that outputs light; a beam splitter 222 that causes the light output from the light source to diverge into a reference optical path and a measurement optical path and that outputs a combined wave in which reflection light that has passed through the reference optical path and reflection light that has passed through a measuring object arranged in the measurement optical path are combined; a reference mirror 231 that is arranged in the reference optical path and that reflects light which is diverged into the reference optical path by the beam splitter 222 ; a stage 12 that is arranged in the measurement optical path and that has the work W placed thereon; an imaging part 25 that images an image in which the combined wave is formed; a reference mirror adjustment mechanism ( 234, 238, 239 ) that adjusts a posture of the reference mirror 231 ; and a control part that controls the reference mirror adjustment mechanism such that a reflecting surface of the reference mirror 231 corresponds to a measurement surface of the work W, based on an image imaged in a condition where a work W is placed on the stage.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A light interference measuring device comprising:
a light source that outputs light;
a beam splitter that causes the light output from the light source to diverge into a reference optical path and a measurement optical path and that outputs a combined wave in which reflection light that has passed through the reference optical path and reflection light that has passed through a measuring object arranged in the measurement optical path are combined;
a reference mirror that is arranged in the reference optical path and that reflects light which is diverged into the reference optical path by the beam splitter;
a stage that is arranged in the measurement optical path and that has the measuring object placed thereon;
an imaging part that is disposed at a position where the combined wave is converged and that images an image in which the combined wave is formed;
a reference mirror adjustment mechanism coupled directly or indirectly to the reference mirror that adjusts a posture of the reference mirror; and
a computer that controls the reference mirror adjustment mechanism such that a reflecting surface of the reference mirror corresponds to a measurement surface of the measuring object, based on an image imaged by the imaging part in a condition where a measuring object for adjustment is placed on the stage,
wherein the computer determines whether or not a number of interference fringes in the image is within a predetermined value;
when the number of the interference fringes exceeds the predetermined values, the computer controls the reference mirror adjustment mechanism to adjust the posture of the reference mirror such that the number of interference fringes is within the predetermined value;
the computer determines again whether or not the number of the interference fringes is within the predetermined value; and
the reference mirror adjustment mechanism comprises:
a first storage tube and a second storage tube, the first storage tube comprising two openings at both ends and a side wall extending between the two openings along an axis of the first storage tube, the second storage tube comprising an opening at one end, a bottom wall at other end opposite to the one end, and a side wall extending between the opening of the second storage tube and the bottom wall along an axis of the second storage tube, the axis of the first storage tube being parallel to the axis of the second storage tube, and the axis of the first storage tube and the axis of the second storage tube being parallel to an optical axis direction of the reference mirror;
a piezo actuator positioned between the first storage tube and the second storage tube so that the piezo actuator couples the first storage tube and the second storage tube, the piezo actuator driving, in a microscopic manner, the second storage tube in the optical axis direction;
a retention member in the second storage tube, the retention member retaining the reference mirror; and
a first motor that rotates the second storage tube and a second motor that rotates the retention member to adjust an angle of the reference mirror.

2. The light interference measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein
the computer controls the piezo actuator so as to control a position in the optical axis direction of the reference mirror such that the interference fringes are present in the image imaged by the imaging part, and
the computer controls the first and second motors so as to adjust the angle of the reference mirror such that the number of the interference fringes present in the image imaged by the imaging part is within the predetermined value.

3. The light interference measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source, the beam splitter, the reference mirror, the imaging part and the reference mirror adjustment mechanism configure an interference optical system which is detachable from the light interference measuring device, and
prior to the adjustment of the posture of the reference mirror performed by the computer controlling the reference mirror adjustment mechanism, an angle relative to the measuring object is adjusted based on focused positions at a plurality of positions in an image of the measuring object imaged by the imaging part in a condition where the interference fringes are not generated.

4. The light interference measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the light source is configured to be capable of selectively outputting white light and monochromatic light in a switching manner.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer executable program to perform functions of the computer in the light interference measuring device according to claim 1 .

6. The light interference measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the second motor rotates the retention member independently from the rotation of the second storage tube by the first motor.

7. The light interference measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the retention member swingably retains the reference mirror about a swinging axis; and
the first motor rotates the second storage tube about the optical axis and the second motor rotates the retention member around the swinging axis to adjust the angle of the reference mirror, the optical axis and the swinging axis being different from each other.

8. The light interference measuring device according to claim 1 , wherein the retention member swingably retains the reference mirror about a swinging axis; and
the first motor rotates the second storage tube about the optical axis and the second motor rotates the retention member around the swinging axis to adjust the angle of the reference mirror, the optical axis being generally perpendicular to the swinging axis.

9. A light interference measuring device comprising:
a light source that outputs light;
an objective lens part comprising a beam splitter that causes the light output from the light source to diverge into a reference optical path and a measurement optical path and that outputs a combined wave in which reflection light that has passed through the reference optical path and reflection light that has passed through a measuring object arranged in the measurement optical path are combined;
a reference mirror that is arranged in the reference optical path and that reflects light which is diverged into the reference optical path by the beam splitter;
a stage that is arranged in the measurement optical path and that has the measuring object placed thereon;
an imaging device that images an image in which the combined wave is formed;
a reference mirror adjustment mechanism comprises:
a first storage tube and a second storage tube, the first storage tube being rotatably attached to the objective lens part and comprising two openings at both ends and a side wall extending between the two openings along an axis of the first storage tube, the second storage tube comprising an opening at one end, a bottom wall at other end opposite to the one end, and a side wall extending between the opening of the second storage tube and the bottom wall along an axis of the second storage tube, the axis of the first storage tube being parallel to the axis of the second storage tube, and the axis of the first storage tube and the axis of the second storage tube being parallel to an optical axis direction of the reference mirror;
a piezo actuator positioned between the first storage tube and the second storage tube so that the piezo actuator couples the first storage tube and the second storage tube, the piezo actuator driving, in a microscopic manner, the second storage tube in the ftfl optical axis direction;
a retention member in the second storage tube, the retention m

Assignees

• Mitutoyo Corp

Inventors

• Okabe Kenji
• Cho Gyokubu
• Nagahama Tatsuya

Classifications

• G01B9/02077 Primary

  of the object · CPC title

• G01B9/0209

  Low-coherence interferometers · CPC title

• G01B11/2441

  using interferometry · CPC title