What's it about?

This paper discusses difficulty in accurately interpreting surface form data from a phase shifting interferometer measurement of a thin film interference coated surfaces.

1. PHASE-SHIFTING INTERFEROMETRY

Phase-shifting interferometry is a metrology tool widely used in optical manufacturing to determine form errors of an optical surface. The surface under test generates a reflected wavefront that interferes with the reference wavefront produced by the interferometer1. A phase-shifting interferometer modulates phase by slightly moving the reference wavefront with respect to the reflected test wavefront2 . The phase information collected is converted into the height data which comprises the surface under test3.

Visibility of fringes in an interferometer is a function of intensity mismatch between the test and reference beams. Most commercially available interferometers are designed to optimize fringe contrast based on a 4% reflected beam intensity. If the surface under test is coated for minimum reflection near or at the test wavelength of the interferometer, the visibility of the fringe pattern can be...