A scanning imaging method includes splitting an optical beam into a reference beam and a scanning beam, generating an interference map, and processing the interference map to produce a reconstructed image of a sample. Generating the interference map includes, for each of a plurality of sections of the sample, generating a respective interference-map element of the interference map by: (i) illuminating the section with the scanning beam to generate a plurality of scattered beams, each scattered beam corresponding to a respective spatial frequency of the scanning beam, (ii) attenuating the reference beam, (iii) generating a plurality of interference signals at least in part by interferometrically combining the plurality of scattered beams and the attenuated reference beam while modulating a phase difference between the reference beam and the plurality of scattered beams, and (iv) detecting the plurality of interference signals to yield the respective interference-map element.

A confocal microscope for determination of a layer thickness comprises: a focus adjusting device configured to adjust a relative displacement between a focus position of the illumination light and a specimen position along an optical axis, wherein measurement signals belonging to different settings of the focus adjusting device can be recorded; an evaluation device for determining a specimen layer thickness as follows: determine intensity band positions of two intensity bands in a measurement graph recorded by a light measuring device, the measurement graph indicating a light intensity in dependence of the focus position; determine a layer thickness on the basis of a positional difference between the intensity band positions; and determine the layer thickness using a mathematical model which describes for overlapping intensity bands a dependence of the intensity band positions on a light wavelength and the layer thickness, considering interference of the illumination light at the layer.

The optical measuring device includes a light source that outputs light of a plurality of wavelengths; a sensor head including a conversion lens that converts light incident via a light guide part, which includes a plurality of cores, into parallel light, and an objective lens that irradiates the light in which chromatic aberration is generated to a measurement object; and a spectroscope that acquires reflected light reflected by the measurement object and condensed by the sensor head via the light guide part and measures a spectrum of the reflected light. In the sensor head, a shield that shields light is arranged between the conversion lens and the objective lens to inhibit light emitted from one core among the plurality of cores included in the light guide part from entering cores other than the one core as the reflected light.

A sample shape measuring method includes a step of preparing illumination light passing through a predetermined illumination region, a step of applying the illumination light to a sample, and a predetermined processing step. The predetermined illumination region is set so as to include an optical axis at a pupil position of an illumination optical system. Light transmitted through the sample is incident on the observation optical system. The predetermined processing step includes a step of receiving light emerged from the observation optical system, a step of obtaining a quantity of light of the received light, a step of calculating a difference or a ratio between the quantity of light and a reference quantity of light, and a step of calculating an amount of tilt in a surface of the sample from the difference or the ratio.

An interference observation apparatus includes a light source which outputs incoherent light, a beam splitter, a sample holding table, an objective lens, a reference mirror, a lens, an aberration correction plate, a piezo element, a tube lens, a beam splitter, an imaging unit, a photodetector, an image acquisition unit, and a control unit. The control unit obtains an interference intensity of combined light on the basis of a detection signal output from the photodetector, and adjusts an interference optical system to increase the interference intensity.

An optical metrology device, such as an interferometer, detects sub-resolution defects on a sample, i.e., defects that are smaller than a pixel in the detector array of the interferometer. The optical metrology device obtains optical metrology data at each pixel in at least one detector array and determines parameter values of a signal model for a pixel of interest using the optical metrology data received by a plurality of pixels neighboring a pixel of interest. A residual for the pixel of interest is determined using the optical metrology data received by the pixel of interest and determined parameter values for the signal model for the pixel of interest. A defect, which may be smaller than the pixel of interest can then be detected based on the residual for the pixel of interest.

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging systems are provided including a source of broadband optical radiation coupled to a sample arm of the OCT imaging system; a beam shaping optical assembly in the sample arm, the beam shaping optical assembly being configured to receive optical radiation from the source as a beam of optical radiation and to shape the spatial profile of the beam of optical radiation; a scan mirror assembly coupled to the beam shaping optical assembly; and objective lens assembly coupled to the beam shaping optical assembly. The beam shaping optical assembly includes a lens assembly configured to change a NA of the OCT system without changing a focus; to change a focus of the OCT system without changing a NA of the system; or to change both the NA and the focus of the OCT system responsive to a control input.

The invention relates to a light microscope comprising a polychromatic light source for emitting illumination light in the direction of a sample, focussing means for focussing illumination light onto the sample, wherein the focussing means, for generating a depth resolution, have a longitudinal chromatic aberration, and a detection device, which comprises a two-dimensional array of detector elements, for detecting sample light coming from the sample. According to the invention, the light microscope is characterized in that, for detecting both confocal portions and non-confocal portions of the sample light, a beam path from the sample to the detection device is free of elements for completely masking out non-confocal portions. In addition, the invention relates to a method for image recording using a light microscope.

An optical measurement apparatus (100) combining confocal measurement and low-coherence interferometric measurement comprising: a Fourier domain interferometric measurement subsystem (104) comprising a spectrometer (110) operably coupled to a reference arm (136), a measurement arm (138) and a source of electromagnetic radiation (106) via an optical coupler (108), the spectrometer (110) comprising a spectral signal generator (146) responsive to received reflected electromagnetic radiation. A confocal measurement subsystem (102) is also provided comprising an optical scanner (120) having a predetermined scan range for longitudinally scanning, when in use, a beam along a region (128) to be measured. A processing resource (142, 144) is operably coupled to the Fourier domain interferometric measurement subsystem (104) and the confocal measurement subsystem (102) and the confocal measurement subsystem (102) shares the measurement arm (138) with the Fourier domain interferometric measurement subsystem (104), the shared measurement arm (138) comprising the optical scanner (120) of the confocal measurement subsystem (102). The reference arm (136) comprises a reference optical reflector element (130, 132, 134), and the processing resource (142, 144) is configured to provide an accumulator (148) operably coupled to the spectral signal generator (146).

An optical measurement apparatus (100) combines confocal measurement and low coherence interferometric measurement. The apparatus (100) comprises a confocal measurement subsystem (102) and an interferometric measurement subsystem (104) disposed within a housing (138). An optical combiner (126) is configured to provide the confocal measurement subsystem (102) and the interferometric measurement subsystem (104) with irradiative access to a region to be measured (134) located at a substantially static target location. An optical path internal to the housing (138) extends from the optical combiner (126) towards the region to be measured (134), and the internal optical path is common to the confocal measurement subsystem (102) and the interferometric measurement subsystem (104). The confocal measurement subsystem (102) and the interferometric measurement subsystem (104) are configured to image longitudinally. and a length of the internal optical path is fixed.