Interferometer using integrated imaging array and high-density phase-shifting array

Claim 2

An interferometer for analyzing a dimension of an object based on interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference information, comprising: a transmitting portion that directs first and second differently polarized lights from a coherent light beam to a reference element and an object, respectively, combines the first and second differently polarized lights returned from the reference element and the object into a combined wavefront, and outputs the combined wavefront; and a multiple phase shift image generating portion arranged to input the combined wavefront, the multiple phase shift image generating portion comprising: at least a first relative retardation array arranged along at least a first optical path, the first relative retardation array comprising at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions comprising relative retardation portions of a single respective type that produces a respective amount of relative phase shift when transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights, the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions arranged in an interleaved pattern within the first relative retardation array, and a first polarizer element arranged along the first optical path; and a detector portion comprising at least a first detector array arranged along the first optical path; wherein: the first relative retardation array receives at least a sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights; each of the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions transmits the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront through the first polarizer element, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions in combination with the first polarizer element producing at least one respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path, each of the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the first optical path comprising interference light having a single respective relative phase shift; and the multiple phase shift image generating portion outputs interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path, the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the first optical path comprising the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the first optical path, mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in the first relative retardation array.

Claim 3

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from the first optical path is output to form an interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array.

Claim 4

The interferometer of claim 2 , wherein each of the individual respective interference portions produced along the first optical path has nominal extents in the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array, and the nominal extents are nominally aligned to coincide with the boundaries of a coextensive set of pixels of the first detector array.

Claim 5

The interferometer of claim 3 , wherein the coextensive set of pixels on the first detector array is N pixels wide and M pixels high, where M and N are integers.

Claim 6

The interferometer of claim 4 , wherein M is at most equal to 16 and N is at most equal to 16.

Claim 7

The interferometer of claim 5 , wherein M is at most equal to 8 and N is at most equal to 8.

Claim 8

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the respective relative phase shift of a first respective plurality of interference portions produced along the first optical path differs from the respective relative phase shift of a second respective plurality of interference portions produced along the first optical path by one of (360N)+90 degrees, (360N)+120 degrees, (360N)+180 degrees, (360N)+240 degrees and (360N)+270 degrees, where N is an integer.

Claim 9

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions comprise at least three respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, at least three respective pluralities of interference portions are produced along the first optical path, and the at least three respective pluralities of interference portions comprise respective interference lights having respective relative phase shifts of (360N) degrees, (360N)+120 degrees, and (360N)+240 degrees.

Claim 10

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions comprise at least four respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, at least four respective pluralities of interference portions are produced along the first optical path, and the at least four respective pluralities of interference portions comprise respective interference lights having respective relative phase shifts of (360N) degrees, (360N)+90 degrees, (360N)+180 degrees and (360N)+270 degrees.

Claim 11

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein a structure of the first relative retardation array that at least partially determines the interleaved pattern of the first relative retardation array is positioned proximate to a detector surface of the first detector array, within a distance that is smaller than a depth of focus of the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the first-optical path.

Claim 12

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the first polarizer element is fabricated on a surface of the first relative retardation array that faces the first detector array and the first polarizer element is positioned proximate to a detector surface of the first detector array.

Claim 13

The interferometer of claim 11 , wherein the first polarizer element comprises a wire-grid polarizer element.

Claim 14

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein at least the first relative retardation array, the first polarizer element, and the first detector array form an integrated monolithic phase-shift imaging element.

Claim 15

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein: the first polarizer element comprises a first polarizer array including a plurality of first polarizing portions having a first polarization direction and a plurality of second polarizing portions having a second polarization direction, the first and second polarizing portions arranged in a pattern within the first polarizer array; the first polarizer array is aligned relative to the first relative retardation array along the first optical path such that: for the first polarizing portions that are aligned with a relative retardation portion of a first respective type, the first polarizing portions transmit the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront to produce a first respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a first respective relative phase shift; for the second polarizing portions that are aligned with a relative retardation portion of the first respective type, the second polarizing portions transmit the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront to produce a second respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a second respective relative phase shift; for the first polarizing portions that are aligned with a relative retardation portion of a second respective type, the first polarizing portions transmit the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront to produce a third respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a third respective relative phase shift; for the second polarizing portions that are aligned with a relative retardation portion of the second respective type, the second polarizing portions transmit the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront to produce a fourth respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a fourth respective relative phase shift; and the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the first optical path comprises at least the first, second, third and fourth respective pluralities of interference portions along the first optical path mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the pattern of the first polarizing portions and the second polarizing portions in the first polarizer array in combination with the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in the first relative retardation array.

Claim 16

The interferometer of claim 14 , wherein the first respective relative phase shift differs from the second respective relative phase shift by 180 degrees and the third respective relative phase shift differs from the fourth respective relative phase shift by 180 degrees.

Claim 17

The interferometer of claim 14 , wherein the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from the first optical path is output to form an interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array, each of the individual respective interference portions produced along the first optical path has nominal extents in the interleaved image on the first detector array, and the nominal extents are nominally aligned to coincide with the boundaries of a coextensive set of pixels of the first detector array.

Claim 18

The interferometer of claim 14 , wherein: the pattern of the plurality of first polarizing portions and the plurality of second polarizing portions in the first polarizer array comprises a striped polarization pattern, the interleaved pattern of the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions of the first and second respective types in the first relative retardation array comprises a striped relative retardation pattern; and the striped relative retardation pattern is nominally orthogonal to the striped polarization pattern.

Claim 19

The interferometer of claim 14 , wherein: the pattern of the plurality of first polarizing portions and the plurality of second polarizing portions in the first polarizer array comprises a checkerboard polarization pattern, the interleaved pattern of the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions of the first and second respective types in the first relative retardation array comprises a striped relative retardation pattern; and an individual stripe of the relative retardation pattern is nominally aligned with one of an individual row and an individual column of the checkerboard polarization pattern.

Claim 20

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein: the multiple phase shift image generating portion further comprises: a beam-splitting surface, a second relative retardation array arranged along at least a second optical path, the second relative retardation array comprising at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions comprising relative retardation portions of a single respective type that produces a respective amount of relative phase shift when transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights, the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions arranged in an interleaved pattern within the second relative retardation array, and a second polarizer element arranged along the second optical path; and the detector portion further comprises a second detector array arranged along the second optical path; wherein: the beam-splitting surface is arranged to receive the combined wavefront and to transmit a first sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights along the first optical path and a second sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights along the second optical path; the second relative retardation array receives the second sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights; each of the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions of the second relative retardation array transmits the first and second differently polarized lights of the second sub-wavefront through the second polarizer element, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions, in combination with the second polarizer element, producing at least one respective plurality of interference portions along the second optical path, each of the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the second optical path comprising interference light having a single respective relative phase shift; the first relative retardation array receives the first sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront and, in combination with the first polarizer array, transmits the first and second differently polarized lights of the first sub-wavefront to produce the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the first optical path based on the first sub-wavefront; the multiple phase shift image generating portion outputs the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from the first optical path comprising the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the first optical path based on the first sub-wavefront; and the multiple phase shift image generating portion further outputs interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from the second optical path, the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the second optical path comprising the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the second optical path, mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in the second relative retardation array.

Claim 21

The interferometer of claim 19 , wherein: the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from the first optical path is output to form a first interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array; the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from the second optical path is output to form a second interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the second detector array; and the second interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image corresponds to the first multiple phase-shifted interference interleaved image.

Claim 22

The interferometer of claim 20 , wherein each of the individual respective interference portions produced along the first optical path and the second optical path has nominal extents in the corresponding interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference images on the corresponding detector arrays, and the nominal extents are nominally aligned to coincide with the boundaries of coextensive sets of pixels of the corresponding detector arrays, and the coextensive set of pixels are each N pixels wide and M pixels high, where M and N are integers at most equal to 16.

Claim 23

The interferometer of claim 19 , wherein the respective relative phase shift of at least one respective plurality of interference portions produced along the first optical path differs from the respective relative phase shift of at least one respective plurality of interference portions produced along the second optical path by one of (360N)+90 degrees, (360N)+120 degrees, (360N)+180 degrees, (360N)+240 degrees and (360N)+270 degrees, where N is an integer.

Claim 24

The interferometer of claim 19 , wherein: the multiple phase shift image generating portion further comprises a first reflective surface and a second reflective surface; the first reflective surface is arranged to receive the first sub-wavefront from the beam splitting surface and reflect the first sub-wavefront along a portion of the first optical path that extends along a first direction; the second reflective surface is arranged to receive the second sub-wavefront from the beam splitting surface and reflect the second sub-wavefront along a portion of the second optical path that is parallel to the first direction; the first relative retardation array and the second relative retardation array are nominally coplanar; the first polarizer element and the second polarizer element arc nominally coplanar; and the first detector array and the second detector array are nominally coplanar.

Claim 25

The interferometer of claim 23 , wherein at least one of a) the set of the relative retardation array and the second relative retardation array, b) the set of the first polarizer clement and the second polarizer element, and c) the set of the first detector array and the second detector array comprise first and second portions of the same element.

Claim 26

The interferometer of claim 19 , wherein at least the elements of the multiple phase shift image generating portion and the first detector array form an integrated phase-shift imaging element.

Claim 27

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the first relative retardation array comprises a birefringent material formed such that each respective plurality of relative retardation portions has a corresponding respective thickness in the birefringent material along the direction of the first optical path.

Claim 28

The interferometer of claim 26 , wherein the birefringent material comprises at least one of a substrate and a material layer of the first relative retardation array.

Claim 29

The interferometer of claim 1 , wherein the first relative retardation array comprises a birefringent material that can be processed to vary the fast axis direction within the birefringent material, and each respective plurality of relative retardation portions has a corresponding respective fast axis alignment direction in the birefringent material.

Claim 30

The interferometer of claim 28 , wherein the birefringent material that can be processed to vary the fast axis direction has a substantially constant nominal thickness throughout the first relative retardation array.

Claim 31

The interferometer of claim 28 , wherein the birefringent material that can be processed to vary the fast axis direction is formed with a pattern of at least two thicknesses, such that the respective amount of relative phase shift produced by each respective plurality of relative retardation portions depends on a respective combination of the respective thickness and the respective fast axis alignment direction corresponding to that respective plurality of relative retardation portions.

Claim 32

An interferometer for analyzing a dimension of an object based on interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference information, comprising: a transmitting portion that directs first and second differently polarized lights from a coherent light beam to a reference element and an object, respectively, combines the first and second differently polarized lights returned from the reference element and object into a combined wavefront, and outputs the combined wavefront; a multiple phase shift image generating portion arranged to input the combined wave front, the multiple phase shift image generating portion comprising: at least a first relative retardation array arranged along at least a first optical path, the first relative retardation array comprising at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions comprising relative retardation portions of a single respective type that produces a respective amount of relative phase shift when transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights, the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions arranged in an interleaved pattern within the first relative retardation array, and a first polarizer element arranged along the first optical path; and a detector portion comprising at least a first detector array arranged along the first optical path, wherein: the multiple phase shift image generating portion generates and outputs interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path, the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the first optical path comprising respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the first optical path, the respective pluralities of interference portions mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in at least the first relative retardation array.

Claim 33

An interferometer for analyzing a dimension of an object based on interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference information, comprising: a transmitting portion that directs first and second differently polarized lights from a coherent light beam to a reference element and an object, respectively, combines the first and second differently polarized lights returned from the reference element and object into a combined wavefront, and outputs the combined wavefront; a multiple phase shift image generating portion arranged to input the combined wave front, the multiple phase shift image generating portion comprising: at least a first relative retardation array arranged along at least a first optical path, the first relative retardation array comprising at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions comprising relative retardation portions of a single respective type that produces a respective amount of relative phase shift when transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights, the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions arranged in an interleaved pattern within the first relative retardation array, and a first polarizer element arranged along the first optical path; and a detector portion comprising at least a first detector array arranged along the first optical path, wherein: the multiple phase shift image generating portion generates and outputs interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path, the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the first optical path comprising respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the first optical path, the respective pluralities of interference portions mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in at least the first relative retardation array.

Claim 36

The method of claim 32 , wherein outputting the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path to a detector portion comprises forming an interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array.

Claim 37

The method of claim 33 , wherein each of the individual respective interference portions produced along the first optical path has nominal extents in the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array; and forming the interleaved image on the first detector array comprises projecting the individual respective interference portions produced along the first optical path onto the first detector array such that the nominal extents nominally coincide with the boundaries of a coextensive set of pixels of the first detector array.

Claim 38

The method of claim 34 , wherein the coextensive set of pixels on the first detector array is N pixels wide and M pixels high, where M and N are integers and M is at most equal to 16 and N is at most equal to 16.

Claim 39

The method of claim 32 , wherein the first polarizer element comprises a first polarizer array including a plurality of first polarizing portions having a first polarization direction and a plurality of second polarizing portions having a second polarization direction, the first and second polarizing portions arranged in a pattern within the first polarizer array; the pattern within the first polarizer array and the interleaved pattern within the first relative retardation array are in a nominal alignment along the direction of the first optical path; and transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront received by the first relative retardation array through each of the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions and through the first polarizer element arranged along the first optical path comprises: transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront received by the first relative retardation array through relative retardation portions of a first respective type and through the first polarizing portions that are aligned with the relative retardation portions of the first respective type to produce a first respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a first respective relative phase shift; transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront received by the first relative retardation array through relative retardation portions of the first respective type and through the second polarizing portions that are aligned with the relative retardation portions of the first respective type to produce a second respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a second respective relative phase shift; transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront received by the first relative retardation array through relative retardation portions of a second respective type and through the first polarizing portions that are aligned with the relative retardation portions of the second respective type to produce a third respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a third respective relative phase shift; transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront received by the first relative retardation array through relative retardation portions of the second respective type and through the second polarizing portions that arc aligned with the relative retardation portions of the second respective type to produce a fourth respective plurality of interference portions along the first optical path comprising interference light having a fourth respective relative phase shift; and outputting the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path to a detector portion comprises outputting at least the first, second, third and fourth respective pluralities of interference portions along the first optical path mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the pattern of the first polarizing portions and the second polarizing portions in the first polarizer array in combination with the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in the first relative retardation array.

Claim 40

The method of claim 36 , wherein the first respective relative phase shift differs from the second respective relative phase shift by 180 degrees and the third respective relative phase shift differs from the fourth respective relative phase shift by 180 degrees.

Claim 41

The method of claim 32 , further comprising: directing at least a second sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights to be received by at least a second relative retardation array arranged along at least a second optical path, the second relative retardation array comprising: at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions, each respective plurality of relative retardation portions comprising relative retardation portions of a single respective type that produces a respective amount of relative phase shift when transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights, the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions arranged in an interleaved pattern within the second relative retardation array; transmitting the first and second differently polarized lights of the sub-wavefront received by the second relative retardation array through each of the at least two respective pluralities of relative retardation portions and through a second polarizer element arranged along the second optical path such that each respective plurality of relative retardation portions produces at least one respective plurality of interference portions along the second optical path, each of the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the second optical path comprising interference light having a single respective relative phase shift; wherein outputting the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path to a detector portion further comprises outputting interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the second optical path to a detector portion comprising at least a second detector array arranged along the second optical path; and the interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information output from the second optical path comprises the respective pluralities of interference portions produced along the second optical path mutually interleaved in a pattern determined at least partially by the interleaved pattern of the respective pluralities of relative retardation portions in the second relative retardation array.

Claim 42

The method of claim 38 , wherein: outputting interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the first optical path to the first detector array comprises forming a first interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the first detector array; outputting interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image information from at least the second optical path to the second detector array comprises forming a second interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image on the second detector array; and the second interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image corresponds to the first interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference image.

Claim 43

The method of claim 38 , wherein: each of the individual respective interference portions produced along the first optical path and the second optical path has nominal extents in the corresponding interleaved multiple phase-shifted interference images on the corresponding detector arrays; the nominal extents are nominally aligned to coincide with the boundaries of coextensive sets of pixels of the corresponding detector arrays; and the coextensive set of pixels are each N pixels wide and M pixels high, where M and N are integers at most equal to 16.

Claim 44

The method of claim 38 , wherein the respective relative phase shift of at least one respective plurality of interference portions produced along the first optical path differs from the respective relative phase shift of at least one respective plurality of interference portions produced along the second optical path by one of (360N)+90 degrees, (360N)+120 degrees, (360N)+180 degrees, (360N)+240 degrees and (360N)+270 degrees, where N is an integer.

Claim 45

The method of claim 38 , wherein: directing at least a sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights to be received by at least a first relative retardation array arranged along at least a first optical path comprises: directing the first sub-wavefront to a first reflective surface, and directing the first sub-wavefront from the first reflective surface to the first relative retardation array along a portion of the first optical path that extends along a first direction; and directing at least a second sub-wavefront of the combined wavefront including the first and second differently polarized lights to be received by at least a second relative retardation array arranged along at least a second optical path comprises: directing the second sub-wavefront to a second reflective surface, and directing the second sub-wavefront from the second reflective surface to the second relative retardation array along a portion of the second optical path that that is parallel to the first direction; wherein: the first relative retardation array and the second relative retardation array are nominally coplanar; the first polarizer element and the second polarizer element are nominally coplanar; and the first detector array and the second detector array are nominally coplanar.