IP Library › Granted Patent US 10,663,288
Granted Patent B2
US 10,663,288 · App. 16/274,345 · Granted May 26, 2020

Shape measuring apparatus and shape measuring method using matched frequency measuring light

Inventor: Kazuhiko Tahara (Kobe, JP)
Assignee: KOBELCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
G01B11/0675G01B9/02002G01B9/02021G01B9/02027G01B11/2441G02B27/283H04B10/64G01B2290/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,663,288
App. No.
16/274,345
Granted
May 26, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A shape measuring apparatus of the present invention measures a variation in a thickness of an object to be measured WA based on an A surface reference interference light and an A surface measuring interference light obtained by performing optical heterodyne interference on a first A surface measuring light and a second A surface measuring light and a B surface reference interference light and a B surface measuring interference light obtained by performing the optical heterodyne interference on a first B surface measuring light and a second B surface measuring light. When the optical heterodyne interference is performed, the shape measuring apparatus makes the first A surface measuring light and the second B surface measuring light equal in frequency and makes the first B surface measuring light and the second A surface measuring light equal in frequency.

Claims (24)

1. A shape measuring apparatus comprising:

a light source unit that generates a measuring light;

an optical branching device that branches the measuring light generated by the light source unit into an A surface measuring light and a B surface measuring light;

an A surface interference unit that generates an A surface measuring interference light and an A surface reference interference light, the A surface measuring interference light being generated by further branching the A surface measuring light branched by the optical branching device into a first A surface measuring light and a second A surface measuring light and by causing a post-emission A surface measuring light emitted to and reflected from a portion of a first measurement position on one surface of an object to be measured in the first A surface measuring light to interfere with the second A surface measuring light through optical heterodyne interference, the A surface reference interference light being generated by causing a pre-emission A surface measuring light before emission to the portion of the first measurement position in the first A surface measuring light to interfere with the second A surface measuring light through the optical heterodyne interference;

a B surface interference unit that generates a B surface measuring interference light and a B surface reference interference light, the B surface measuring interference light being generated by further branching the B surface measuring light branched by the optical branching device into a first B surface measuring light and a second B surface measuring light and by causing a post-emission B surface measuring light emitted to and reflected from a portion of a second measurement position opposing the portion of the first measurement position on the other surface of the object to be measured in the first B surface measuring light to interfere with the second B surface measuring light through the optical heterodyne interference, the B surface reference interference light being generated by causing a pre-emission B surface measuring light before emission to the portion of the second measurement position in the first B surface measuring light to interfere with the second B surface measuring light through the optical heterodyne interference; and

a shape measuring device that obtains a variation in a thickness of the object to be measured based on a first phase obtained by detecting phases of the A surface measuring interference light and the A surface reference interference light generated by the A surface interference unit and a second phase obtained by detecting phases of the B surface measuring interference light and the B surface reference interference light generated by the B surface interference unit,

wherein when the optical heterodyne interference is performed, the A surface interference unit and the B surface interference unit make the first A surface measuring light and the second B surface measuring light equal in frequency, and make the first B surface measuring light and the second A surface measuring light equal in frequency.

2. The shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the shape measuring device obtains the variation in the thickness of the object to be measured based on a difference between the first phase and the second phase.

3. The shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the shape measuring device includes

an A surface detector that detects light intensity signals of the A surface measuring interference light and the A surface reference interference light in the A surface interference unit,

a B surface detector that detects light intensity signals of the B surface measuring interference light and the B surface reference interference light in the B surface interference unit,

an A surface lock-in amplifier and a B surface lock-in amplifier that detect phases of a measurement signal and a reference signal, respectively, when a phase difference between the measurement signal and the reference signal is represented by θ and output two output signals of cos θ and sin θ, respectively, and

a thickness arithmetic unit that obtains a variation in the thickness of the object to be measured based on the output signals from the A surface lock-in amplifier and the B surface lock-in amplifier,

wherein the A surface lock-in amplifier receives the light intensity signal of the A surface measuring interference light and the light intensity signal of the A surface reference interference light detected by the A surface detector, as the measurement signal and the reference signal,

wherein the B surface lock-in amplifier receives the light intensity signal of the B surface measuring interference light and the light intensity signal of the B surface reference interference light detected by the B surface detector, as the measurement signal and the reference signal, and

wherein the thickness arithmetic unit obtains a variation in the thickness of the object to be measured based on addition of a phase obtained as the first phase based on a result of dividing the output signal of sin θ by the output signal of cos θ, both the signals being output from the A surface lock-in amplifier, and a phase obtained as the second phase based on a result of dividing the output signal of cos θ by the output signal of sin θ, both the signals being output from the B surface lock-in amplifier, or based on addition of a phase obtained as the first phase based on a result of dividing the output signal of cos θ by the output signal of sin θ, both the signals being output from the A surface lock-in amplifier, and a phase obtained as the second phase based on a result of dividing the output signal of sin θ by the output signal of cos θ, both the signals being output from the B surface lock-in amplifier.

4. The shape measuring apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the light source unit is a frequency stabilizing gas laser or a semiconductor laser.

5. A shape measuring method comprising:

branching a measuring light into an A surface measuring light and a B surface measuring light;

generating an A surface measuring interference light and an A surface reference interference light, the A surface measuring interference light being generated by further branching the A surface measuring light branched in the branching into a first A surface measuring light and a second A surface measuring light and by causing a first post-emission A surface measuring light emitted to and reflected from a portion of a first measurement position on one surface of an object to be measured in the first A surface measuring light to interfere with the second A surface measuring light through optical heterodyne interference, the A surface reference interference light being generated by causing a first pre-emission A surface measuring light before emission to the portion of the first measurement position in the first A surface measuring light to interfere with the second A surface measuring light through the optical heterodyne interference;

generating a B surface measuring interference light and a B surface reference interference light, the B surface measuring interference light being generated by further branching the B surface measuring light branched in the branching into a first B surface measuring light and a second B surface measuring light and by causing a first post-emission B surface measuring light emitted to and reflected from a portion of a second measurement position, opposing the portion of the first measurement position, on the other surface of the object to be measured in the first B surface measuring light to interfere with the second B surface measuring light through the optical heterodyne interference, the B surface reference interference light being generated by causing a first pre-emission B surface measuring light before emission to the portion of the second measurement position in the first B surface measuring light to interfere with the second B surface measuring light through the optical heterodyne interference; and

obtaining a variation in a thickness of the object to be measured based on a first phase obtained by detecting phases of the A surface measuring interference light and the A surface reference interference light that has been generated and a second phase obtained by detecting phases of the B surface measuring interference light and the B surface reference interference light that has been generated,

wherein in the generation of the A surface measuring interference light and the A surface reference interference light and the generation of the B surface measuring interference light and the B surface reference interference light, when the optical heterodyne interference is performed, the first A surface measuring light and the second B surface measuring light are made to be equal in frequency, and the first B surface measuring light and the second A surface measuring light are made to be equal in frequency.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 13, 2019
From: TAHARA, KAZUHIKO
To: KOBELCO RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
Reel/Frame 048316/0225 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2018-056565 · Mar 23, 2018 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190293407A1 · Sep 26, 2019