Abstract:
Apparatus and method of measuring surface irregularities by means of the interference field occurring behind a diffraction grid. Light bars are generated which are reflected from the surface to be tested back onto the grid. If the surface includes irregularities down to 1 micron and under, moire patterns which are a function of the height and width of the irregularities become visible on the opposite side of the grid. By suitably selecting the direction of observation, the moire patterns are superimposed by interference fringes which permit the moire patterns to be accurately gauged.
Abstract:
The gaussian energy distribution common to all laser beams is a serious handicap in most laser beam applications for machining material, such as for drilling, welding and the like. This is especially true in welding extremely thin metal sheets, as in the manufacture and assembly of the transducers of modern magnetic disk files. According to the subject invention, a laser beam is directed to a glass cone or axicon which converts the gaussian energy distribution of the laser beam to one more uniform in cross-section. Depending on the distance of the workpiece from the exit side of the axicon, the energy distribution of the radiation impinging onto the workpiece will be either uniform, saddle shaped or annular cross-section. It has been discovered that saddle shaped or annular energy distributions are optimal for welding very thin metal sheets by a laser beam since the heat dissipation in the center of a welding spot is a minimum and that at the periphery of the laser beam depends on the material, size and shape of the workpiece, which parameters can be matched by adjusting the distance between the axicon and the workpiece.
Abstract:
In an interferometric measuring system, a collimated monochromatic and coherent beam of light (1, I1-In)impinges on a grating 1 disposed parallel to the test surface 2. It has been found that in the above arrangement, a diffraction order (preferably the first diffraction order S1-S4) of the light reflected from the face of the grating opposite to the test surface is always parallel to three diffraction orders of the radiation which after being first diffracted upon its first passage through the grating and reflected from the test surface is again diffracted upon its second passage through the grating. These four radiations (S1 to S4) generate two interference fields, the combination of which generates a beat pattern. According to the invention, the angle of incidence of the radiation impinging onto the face of the grating opposite to the test surface is chosen in such a way (preferably from 0.5 DEG to 5 DEG ) that the areas in which the beat patterns generate an additional field of interference fringes, related to lambda /4 distances, from the test surface are a maximum. When properly selecting pairs of angles of incidence and of distances between test surface and grating the resolution of the resulting fringe pattern (interference fringes symmetrically interleaved by beat fringes) is improved by the factor of 2, i.e. the distance between two fringes is related to a lambda /4 distance from the test surface, as opposed to the interferometric methods known heretofore where the maximum resolution is defined by fringe distances related to lambda /2 distances from the test surface.
Abstract:
Two radiation components differing from each other with regard to their state of polarization or their wavelength are directed onto closely adjacent points of the object to be measured. The reflected components are recombined and are fed to a polarization- or wavelength-dependent phase shifter periodically shifting the phase positions of the two components by lambda /2 against each other. A phase shift of one of the components caused by the object to be measured is fully compensated for by periodically shifting the phase position of the other component at particular points in time, which can be determined, for example, by means of a connected analyzer and a photodetector. The values of the control voltage effecting the periodical phase shift in the phase shifter are measured at those points in time at which the phase difference between the two components equals zero. These values are proportional to the difference in height between the points of incidence of the two radiation components on the object surface or the slope of the object surface.
Abstract:
Two radiation components differing from each other with regard to their state of polarization or their wavelength are directed onto closely adjacent points of the object to be measured. The reflected components are recombined and are fed to a polarization- or wavelength-dependent phase shifter periodically shifting the phase positions of the two components by lambda /2 against each other. A phase shift of one of the components caused by the object to be measured is fully compensated for by periodically shifting the phase position of the other component at particular points in time, which can be determined, for example, by means of a connected analyzer and a photodetector. The values of the control voltage effecting the periodical phase shift in the phase shifter are measured at those points in time at which the phase difference between the two components equals zero. These values are proportional to the difference in height between the points of incidence of the two radiation components on the object surface or the slope of the object surface.
Abstract:
Two optical gratings in conjugate planes of an imaging system are aligned by illuminating one grating (3a) with a laser beam (2) so that the first symmetrical diffraction orders are selected and focused by an imaging system (7) to coincide on a second grating (8a) to be further diffracted thus obtaining second diffraction orders. The phase relationship between the diffracted beams is modulated periodically because the pattern from the second grating is colinear to the optical axis of the imaging system. The relative phase of the second diffraction orders is evaluated. The gratings are linear and parallel to each other alignment in a direction perpendicular of the grating bars.