Characterization of micro structure through hybrid interference and phase determination in broadband light interferometry.

Broadband light interferometry, which is a well-developed method for surface profiling, has been applied with great success in the past years. Conventional multi-wavelength interferometric surface profilers mostly utilize the light irradiance to locate the zero fringe order, but the accuracy and stability can be negatively influenced by intensity fluctuations and external light disturbance, which is a serious problem. In this paper we discuss a hybrid technique combining light intensity and spectral modulation to determine zero optical path difference in which the light instability can be effectively suppressed. Additionally, the phase evaluation at each pixel will provide a high vertical resolution to obtain the characterization of the micro structure. The hybrid-interference method will not only improve the sensitivity of the measurement system but also level up the robustness and stability. Both simulation and experiment on a micro-dome structure have been presented to verify the effectiveness. Furthermore, the proposed method may be promising to replace the previously intensity-based method, especially in a complex application environment.