METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR RAPID MEASUREMENT OF SMALL OBJECTS ON A SURFACE

摘要

A system including confocal and triangulation-based scanners provides dimensional information about microscopic targets. The targets are illuminated with a scanning beam of electromagnetic radiation such as laser light. A confocal detector is placed at a first location for receiving reflected radiation which is substantially optically collinear with the incident beam. The system includes a spatial filter for attenuating background energy. The triangulation-based subsystem includes a detector placed at a second location which is non-collinear with respect to the incident beam. This detector has a position sensitive axis. Digital data is derived from signals produced by the detectors. In this way, triangulation-based data is acquired in parallel or sequentially with at least one slice of confocal image data, there being sustantially perfect temporal and spatial registration between the two data channels.