| Patent application number | Description | Published |
|---|
| 20080259348 | Multiple Channel Interferometric Surface Contour Measurement System - Described are a multiple channel interferometric surface contour measurement system and methods of determining surface contour data for the same. The measurement system includes a multiple channel interferometer projector, a digital camera and a processor. Fringe patterns generated by spatially separate channels in the projector are projected onto an object surface to be measured. The digital camera acquires images of the fringe patterns and the processor determines surface contour data from the fringe patterns. More specifically, fringe numbers arc determined for points on the object surface based on image data. The fringe numbers are modified according to collinear adjustment values so that the modified fringe numbers correspond to a common, collinear axis for the interferometer projector. After unwrapping the modified fringe numbers, the unwrapped values are modified by the collinear adjustment values to obtain accurate fringe numbers for the pixels in each interferometer channel. | 10-23-2008 |
| 20090324212 | MULTIPLE CHANNEL INTERFEROMETRIC SURFACE CONTOUR MEASUREMENT SYSTEM - Described is a multiple channel interferometric surface contour measurement system. The measurement system includes a multiple channel interferometer projector, a digital camera and a processor. The projector includes two or more interferometer channels. Each channel has an optical axis spatially separate from the optical axes of the other channels. Each channel projects a fringe pattern onto the surface of an object to be measured. Image data for the fringe patterns projected on the object surface are acquired by the digital camera. The processor controls the projection of the fringe patterns of different spatial frequencies, adjusts the phase of each fringe pattern and generates surface contour data in response to the camera image data. The multiple channel interferometric surface contour measurement system provides numerous advantages over conventional single channel interferometric systems, including reduced sensitivity to optical noise, improved stability and increased measurement accuracy. | 12-31-2009 |
| 20100110419 | Front Quartersphere Scattered Light Analysis - A surface inspection system, as well as related components and methods, are provided. The surface inspection system includes a beam source subsystem, a beam scanning subsystem, a workpiece movement subsystem, an optical collection and detection subsystem, and a processing subsystem. The optical collection and detection system features, in the front quartersphere, a light channel assembly for collecting light reflected from the surface of the workpiece, and a front collector and wing collectors for collecting light scattered from the surface, to greatly improve the measurement capabilities of the system. The light channel assembly has a switchable edge exclusion mask and a reflected light detection system for improved detection of the reflected light. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100110420 | Inspecting a Workpiece Using Polarization of Scattered Light - A surface inspection system, as well as related components and methods, are provided. The surface inspection system includes a beam source subsystem, a beam scanning subsystem, a workpiece movement subsystem, an optical collection and detection subsystem, and a processing subsystem. The system features a variable polarization a polarizing relay assembly arranged to selectively permit the scattered light having a selected polarization orientation to pass along a detector optical axis to a light detection unit in the detection subsystem. They system also features a collector output width varying subsystem for varying the width of an output slit in response to changes in the location of the location scanned on the workpiece. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100265518 | Back Quartersphere Scattered Light Analysis - A surface inspection system includes a beam source subsystem, a beam scanning subsystem, a workpiece movement subsystem, an optical collection and detection subsystem, and a processing subsystem. The optical collection and detection system features back collectors disposed in the back quartersphere, outside the incident plane, for collecting light scattered from the surface of the workpiece. The back collectors are disposed at a relative minimum in the portion of scattered light attributable to haze relative to the portion of scattered light attributable to defect scatter portion, or, alternatively, at a relative minimum in the Rayleigh scatter. | 10-21-2010 |
