White light optical profilometer for measuring complex surfaces

1. A measurement head for a profilometer, for connection to a profilometer base unit via a fiber optic bundle that transmits light reflected from a surface of interest from the measurement head to the base unit, comprising:

a housing having an upper end and a lower end, the lower end having a transparent window for allowing the light from the surface to enter the housing;

wherein the housing is attached only to the fiber optic bundle;

wherein the housing encloses the measurement head;

a lens at the upper end of the housing for directing the light to an endface of the fiber optic bundle;

an objective for producing an image of the surface for relay to the fiber optic bundle;

a beam splitter for dividing the light between a first optical path and a second optical path, both optical paths being internal to the measurement head;

wherein the first optical path comprises a tilting mirror;

wherein the beam splitter passes light along a straight optical axis of the first optical path to the tilting mirror;

wherein the tilting mirror is operable to direct light along the first optical path to the surface via the window and to direct light reflected from the surface back to the objective;

wherein the second optical path comprises a fold mirror and a reference mirror;

wherein the beam splitter directs light orthogonally along the second optical path to the fold mirror;

wherein the fold mirror is operable to direct light orthogonally to the reference mirror and to reflect light from the reference mirror back to the beam splitter and the objective; and

an actuator for tilting the tilting mirror to a desired angle.

2. The measurement head of claim 1 , further comprising a rotatable connector for attaching the rest of the measurement head to the fiber optic bundle.

3. The measurement head of claim 2 , wherein the combined range of motion of the rotatable connector and the tilting mirror allows a range of scan that is at least ninety degrees.

4. The measurement head of claim 2 , wherein the rotatable connector and the tilting mirror are adjustable in the same plane.

5. The measurement head of claim 1 , wherein the objective is an interferometric objective.

6. The measurement head of claim 1 , further comprising an actuator for moving the objective.

7. A profilometer for acquiring light reflected from a surface of interest, comprising:

a base unit;

a measurement head;

a fiber optic bundle that transmits the light reflected from the surface of interest from the measurement head to the base unit:

wherein the measurement head comprises: a housing having an upper end and a lower end the lower end having a transparent window for allowing the light from the surface to enter the housing; wherein the housing is attached only to the fiber optic bundle; wherein the housing encloses the measurement head; a lens at the upper end of the housing for directing the light to an endface of the fiber optic bundle; an objective for producing an image of the surface for relay to the fiber optic bundle; a beam splitter for dividing the light between a first optical path and a second optical path, both optical paths being internal to the measurement head; wherein the first optical path comprises a tilting mirror; wherein the beam splitter passes light along a straight optical axis of the first optical path to the tilting mirror; wherein the tilting mirror is operable to direct light along the first optical path to the surface via the window and to direct light reflected from the surface back to the objective; wherein the second optical path comprises a fold mirror and a reference mirror; wherein the beam splitter directs light orthogonally along the second optical path to the fold mirror; wherein the fold mirror is operable to direct light orthogonally to the reference mirror and to reflect light from the reference mirror back to the beam splitter and the objective; and an actuator for tilting the tilting mirror to a desired angle; and

wherein the base unit comprises: an image detector for receiving light from the fiber optic bundle and for providing image data from the light; an illuminator for providing light to be transmitted by the fiber optic bundle from the base unit and reflected from the surface of interest.

8. The profilometer of claim 7 , wherein the objective is configured as an interferometric objective.

9. The profilometer of claim 8 , wherein the base unit further comprises an optical rangefinder that shares the fiber optic bundle and is configured to provide a coarse surface measurement of the surface of interest.

10. The profilometer of claim 8 , wherein the image detector is a CCD camera.

11. The profilometer of claim 8 , wherein the base unit further comprises a processing unit for controlling the motion of the measurement head.

12. A method of using a profilometer to perform profile measurements of a surface of interest, comprising:

separating a measurement head from a base unit by means of a fiber optic bundle;

placing the measurement head at a desired location near the surface;

wherein the measurement head comprises: a housing having an upper end and a lower end the lower end having a transparent window for allowing the light from the surface to enter the housing; wherein the housing is attached only to the fiber optic bundle; wherein the housing encloses the measurement head; a lens at the upper end of the housing for directing the light to an endface of the fiber optic bundle; an objective for producing an image of the surface for relay to the fiber optic bundle; a beam splitter for dividing the light between a first optical path and a second optical path, both optical paths being internal to the measurement head; wherein the first optical path comprises a tilting mirror; wherein the beam splitter passes light along a straight optical axis of the first optical path to the tilting mirror; wherein the tilting mirror is operable to direct light along the first optical path to the surface via the window and to direct light reflected from the surface back to the objective; wherein the second optical path comprises a fold mirror and a reference mirror; wherein the beam splitter directs light orthogonally along the second optical path to the fold mirror; wherein the fold mirror is operable to direct light orthogonally to the reference mirror and to reflect light from the reference mirror back to the beam splitter and the objective; and an actuator for tilting the tilting mirror to a desired angle;

positioning the tilting mirror in the measurement head to a desired position to receive light from the surface of interest and to direct the light to an objective;

using the objective in the measurement head to focus light from the tilting mirror to the endface of the fiber optic cable;

transmitting the light to the base unit via the fiber optic cable; and

using an image detector in the base unit to detect the light as interferometric images of the surface.

13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising attaching the fiber optic bundle to the measurement head with a rotatable connector.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising the step of using an optical rangefinder in the base unit to perform a coarse scan of an area of the surface of interest.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the rangefinder has an optical path that uses the fiber optic bundle, and further comprising using a light switch to switch between an optical path to the rangefinder and an optical path to the image detector.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the rangefinder is a time-of-flight laser rangefinder.

17. The method of claim 14 , wherein data acquired by the rangefinder is used to control the motion of the measurement head.