A method of assessing tissue health comprises the steps of obtaining depth-resolved spectra of a selected area of in vivo tissue, and assessing the health of the selected area based on the depth-resolved structural information of the scatterers. Obtaining depth-resolved spectra of the selected area comprises directing a sample beam towards the selected area at an angle, and receiving an angle-resolved scattered sample beam. The angle-resolved scattered sample beam is cross-correlated with the reference beam to produce an angle-resolved cross-correlated signal about the selected area, which is spectrally dispersed to yield an angle-resolved, spectrally-resolved cross-correlation profile having depth-resolved information about the selected area. The angle-resolved, spectrally-resolved cross-correlation profile is processed to obtain depth-resolved information about scatterers in the selected area.

Embodiments of systems and methods for measuring a surface topography of a semiconductor chip are disclosed. In an example, a method for measuring a surface topography of a semiconductor chip is disclosed. A plurality of interference signals and a plurality of spectrum signals are received by at least one processor. Each of the interference signals and spectrum signals corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of positions on a surface of the semiconductor chip. The spectrum signals are classified by the at least one processor into a plurality of categories using a model. Each of the categories corresponds to a region having a same material on the surface of the semiconductor chip. A surface height offset between a surface baseline and at least one of the categories is determined by the at least one processor based, at least in part, on a calibration signal associated with the region corresponding to the at least one of the categories. The surface topography of the semiconductor chip is characterized by the at least one processor based, at least in part, on the surface height offset and the interference signals.

A method for full-field measurement using Doppler imaging, comprising the following steps: turning on a laser and adjusting the laser; adjusting a spatial filter to obtain circular laser spots having uniform intensity distribution; adjusting a quarter-wave plate and a whole polarizer in a system, and requiring two beams in a reference object and a measured object having different frequencies and perpendicular polarization directions; applying slight pressure to the measured object, setting a charge coupled device (CCD) camera into a continuous acquisition mode, observing interference fringes, and adjusting a light path so that the fringes are clear and visible; setting the sampling frequency, sampling time, captured image format and resolution size of the CCD camera; turning on a lithium niobate crystal drive power switch to produce a heterodyne carrier frequency; applying continuous equal pushing force to the measured object by means of piezoelectric ceramics (PZT) so as to make the measured object produce continuous bending deformation; controlling the CCD camera to sample using a computer, and collecting a set of time series light interference images along with the continuous deformation of the measured object; and processing the time series light intensity interference image to obtain a three-dimensional data module comprising continuous deformation of the measured objects distributed in time and space.

A homodyne encoder system has adaptive matching of path lengths. Primary apertures receive light from a target. An optical spreader spreads apart the light passing through the primary apertures by at least a factor of two times a baseline separation of the primary apertures. The optical spreader includes a plurality of actuators for modifying the path lengths within the homodyne encoder system through the primary apertures to a detector. A focusing optic focuses the light from the optical spreader at the detector. The detector detects an image of the target with the light from the focusing optic.

A method for operating an optical tomographic imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes: an initial setting step of setting initial positions of a reference mirror and a distal end of an optical part; an imaging step of imaging a biological tubular element after the initial setting step; a reference mirror adjustment step of, after the imaging step, moving the reference mirror to enlarge the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube while reducing an image portion of an artifact caused by reflected light from the optical part, and adjusting the image portion of the artifact to an inside of the image portion of the reflected light from the tube; a magnification adjustment step of, after the reference mirror adjustment step, resetting the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube to a state before the enlargement; and a display step of, after the magnification adjustment step, causing an image display unit to display the image portion of the reflected light from the biological tubular element and the image portion of the reflected light from the tube reset to the state before enlargement.

A method of improving axial resolution of interferometric measurements of a 3D feature of a sample may comprise illuminating the feature using a first limited number of successively different wavelengths of light at a time; generating an image of at least the 3D feature based on intensities of light reflected from the feature at each of the successively different wavelengths of light; measuring a fringe pattern of intensity values for each corresponding pixel of the generated images; resampling the measured fringe patterns as k-space interferograms; estimating interference fringe patterns for a spectral range that is longer than available from the generated images using the k-space interferograms; appending the estimated interference fringe patterns to the respective measured fringe patterns; and measuring the height or depth of the 3D feature using the measured interference fringe patterns and appended estimated fringe patterns.

A 3-D imaging system including a computer determining a plurality of coherence factors measuring an intensity contrast between a first intensity of a first region of an interference comprising constructive interference between a sample wavefront and a reference wavefront, and a second intensity of a second region of the interference comprising destructive interference between the sample wavefront and the reference wavefront, wherein the interference between a reference wavefront and a reflection from different locations on a surface of an object. From the coherence factors, the computer determines height data comprising heights of the surface with respect to an x-y plane perpendicular to the heights and as a function of the locations in the x-y plane. The height data is useful for generating a three dimensional topological image of the surface.

A measurement device, for measuring the shape of an interface to be measured of an optical element having a plurality of interfaces, the device including: measurement apparatus with at least one interferometric sensor illuminated by a low-coherence source, for directing a measurement beam towards the optical element to pass through the plurality of interfaces, and to detect an interference signal resulting from interferences between the measured measurement beam reflected by the interface and a reference beam; positioning apparatus configured for relative positioning of a coherence area of the interferometric sensor at the level of the interface to be measured; digital processor for producing, based on the interference signal, an item of shape information of the interface to be measured according to a field of view.

A measurement method, for measuring the shape of an interface of an optical element having a plurality of interfaces is also provided.

A laser interferometer includes a laser light source configured to emit first laser light; an optical modulator that includes a resonator element and is configured to generate second laser light including a modulation signal; a light receiving element configured to receive the second laser light and third laser light including a sample signal; and a calculation unit configured to calculate a displacement of an object to be measured from a light reception signal based on a reference signal, in which the calculation unit includes a preprocessing unit configured to execute a preprocessing of extracting a frequency modulation component from the light reception signal and output a preprocessing signal, a demodulation processing unit configured to mix the preprocessing signal with orthogonal signals to obtain a mixed signal and then execute a demodulation processing of extracting the sample signal from the mixed signal, and an orthogonal signal generation unit configured to generate the orthogonal signals based on a phase of the reference signal and an amplitude of the preprocessing signal.

The invention relates to a free-beam interferometric method for illuminating a sequence of sectional areas in the interior of the light-scattering object. The method makes it possible for the user to select a larger image field and/or a higher image resolution than previously possible with the occurrence of self-interference of the specimen light from a scattering specimen.