Sophisticated light scattering techniques from the VUV to the IR regions

摘要

Light scattering based characterization techniques are well suited to meet the challenging requirements for fast andsensitive finish assessment of optical surfaces. Further advantages are the high flexibility and robustness which enablethe inspection of large geometries and freeform optics that are sometimes too complex for characterization techniqueslike atomic force microscopy or white light interferometry.In this paper, we report on the development of instruments for total and angle resolved light scattering measurements atwavelengths ranging from the vacuum ultraviolet to the infrared spectral regions. Extremely high sensitivities equivalentto surface roughness levels of below 0.1 nm and dynamic ranges of up to 15 orders of magnitude have been achieved. Inaddition to laboratory-based equipment, compact and table-top tools are discussed which enable the advantages of lightscattering metrology to be used for characterization tasks close to or even in manufacturing processes. Instructiveexamples of applications are presented ranging from the characterization of diamond-turned and polished substrates tointerference coatings, diffraction gratings, and IR window materials.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.