A new form measurement system based on subaperture stitching with a line-scanning interferometer
AbstractA new optical form measurement system for almost rotational symmetric surfaces has been set up. It is based on an interferometric line sensor applying sinusoidal path length modulation in combination with a movement system. With this system, ring-shaped subapertures of the specimens are measured. The system is especially suitable for measuring spheres and aspheres with a broad range of radii (r>50 mm). The individual subapertures are stitched together to yield the full 3D topography. Because the rotation of the specimen by more than 360° has to yield the same results, inherent consistency tests are possible. Example measurements of a sphere are shown and discussed. Reproducibility measurements for one ring scan performed with the system show a standard deviation of 14 nm. The system can be set up at a moderate price as off-the-shelf mechanical and optoelectronic devices can be used. Future improvements of the system are discussed.