Storage apparatus and storage method for measuring probes

Abstract

This storage device allows for storage of a measurement probe for use in a shape measurement device. The measurement probe has an air bearing configured to allow a stylus, which is brought into contact with an object being measured, to be movable. The storage device comprises a storage mechanism for storing the measurement probe and an air supply mechanism configured to continuously supply air to the air bearing when the measurement probe is stored in the storage mechanism.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a storage device for a contact-type shape measurement probe used in a three-dimensional shape measurement apparatus for obtaining position information of a measurement surface such as an optical component or a mold.

Background Art

[0002] As a method for highly accurately measuring the surface shape of an aspherical shape such as an optical component or a mold, the use of a three-dimensional shape measuring machine is widely known. Generally, a three-dimensional shape measuring machine having a contact-type measurement probe moves the measurement probe along the surface of the measurement object while bringing the tip of the measurement probe into contact with the measurement object, and measures the surface shape of the measurement object from the positional relationship between the measurement probe and the reference plane. As one such measuring machine, there is a three-dimensional shape measuring machine that uses a laser length measuring instrument and a reference plane mirror.

[0003] As a conventional three-dimensional measuring machine, there was one that provided two probes side by side for shape measurement (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, in the conventional configuration, the upper surface probe and the side surface probe are installed at positions shifted in the X direction. When measuring with the upper surface probe and when measuring with the side surface probe, the X position with respect to the measurement object is shifted by the XY stage and measured. During measurement with the upper surface probe, it is necessary to retract the side surface probe from the measurement area, and during measurement with the side surface probe, it is necessary to retract the upper surface probe from the measurement area. As a result, when the measurement sample is large in the XY direction, there is a problem that the apparatus becomes large-sized and costly.

[0006] Therefore, by combining the probe's chuck into a single unit and making the top and side probes interchangeable, the effort required for probe replacement increases, but the overall cost of the device can be kept low.

[0007] However, if the air bearing type measuring probe is made replaceable, the following problems arise. When the measuring probe is stored, the cooling effect due to adiabatic expansion when air is released into the atmosphere at the tip does not occur compared to when it is in use and air is supplied to the air bearing. As a result, the temperature rises, thermal expansion occurs at the tip of the probe, and this causes continuous deformation of the tip during measurement, making it impossible to maintain measurement accuracy on the order of 0.1 μm.

[0008] In one aspect of the present invention, a storage device for storing measuring probes used by a shape measuring device, wherein the measuring probe has an air bearing configured to allow a stylus, which is in contact with an object to be measured, to move, and the storage device stores the measuring probes , with the shape measuring device removed from the measuring chuck provided on the shape measuring device, The device comprises a storage mechanism for storing the measuring probe and an air supply mechanism configured to continuously supply air to the air bearing when the measuring probe is stored in the storage mechanism.

[0009] In one aspect of the present invention, a storage device for storing a measuring probe used by a shape measuring device, wherein the measuring probe has an air bearing on which a stylus that contacts an object to be measured is movably configured, and the storage device comprises a storage mechanism for storing the measuring probe and an air supply mechanism configured to continuously supply air to the air bearing when the measuring probe is stored in the storage mechanism.

[0010] With this configuration, even when the measuring probe is not in use and is being stored, the air supply mechanism continuously supplies air to the air bearing. This maintains a state where air is released from the air bearing into the atmosphere, causing adiabatic expansion and cooling, just as during use. Therefore, temperature rise during storage can be prevented, the length from the micro-slider to the stylus of the measuring probe can be kept constant, and high-precision measurements can be performed.

[0011] According to the present invention, the temperature rise of the measuring probe during storage can be suppressed, enabling highly accurate measurements. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Schematic configuration of the shape measuring device according to the embodiment [Figure 2] Configuration of the Z-axis stage section in the shape measuring device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Condition of the top surface measuring probe during measurement [Figure 4] Condition of the top surface measurement probe during storage [Figure 5] Other examples of the condition of the top surface measuring probe during storage [Figure 6] Condition of the side measurement probe during measurement [Figure 7] Condition of the lateral measurement probe during storage [Figure 8] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the top surface measuring probe. [Figure 9] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the top surface measuring probe. [Figure 10] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the top surface measuring probe. [Figure 11] Diagram showing the procedure for replacing the top surface measurement probe. [Figure 12] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the lateral measurement probe. [Figure 13] (a) and (b) are diagrams showing the procedure for replacing the lateral measurement probe. [Figure 14] Figure showing the replacement procedure of the side measurement probe

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0014] (Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a shape measurement apparatus according to an embodiment. The shape measurement apparatus 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an apparatus that measures the three-dimensional shape of a measurement object using an upper surface measurement probe (appropriately abbreviated as an upper surface probe) and a side surface measurement probe (appropriately abbreviated as a side surface probe). FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the Z-axis stage unit 101.

[0015] The shape measurement apparatus 100 includes an XY stage (not shown), a Z-axis stage unit 101, and a control unit (not shown). The XY stage is arranged on a surface plate 110 so as to be movable in the XY-axis directions, and enables the measurement unit 103a to move in the XY-axis directions. The Z-axis stage unit 101 is supported by the surface plate 110 so as to be movable in the Z-axis direction, that is, in the vertical direction (the perpendicular direction), and supports a probe unit 3 that contacts the measurement surface of the measurement object at its lower end, enabling the probe unit 3 to move up and down. The control unit is connected to a focus optical system 4, the XY stage, the Z-axis stage unit 101, and a He-Ne laser 64, etc., and controls the three-dimensional shape measurement operation by performing operation control on each of them. At this time, the control unit controls the Z-axis stage unit 101 so that the contact force in the Z direction by the probe unit 3 becomes constant.

[0016] From the measurement unit 103a, X-axis length measurement laser light is irradiated onto the X-axis direction mirror 115, and Y-axis length measurement laser light is irradiated onto a Y-axis direction mirror (not shown). While moving the measurement unit 103a in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction by the XY stage, the probe unit 3 is brought into contact with the measurement object. The movement of the probe unit 3 is detected by an optical system connected to the Z-axis stage unit 101, and the three-dimensional shape of the measurement object is measured.

[0017] Therefore, the shape measuring device 100 moves the relative position of the measuring surface of the object to be measured and the probe part 3 in the XYZ directions by using an XY stage that moves the measuring surface of the probe part 3 in the XY direction and a Z-axis stage part 101 that moves the probe part 3 in the Z direction.

[0018] The Z-axis stage section 101 includes, in addition to the probe section 3 and the focus optical system 4, an air slider outer frame 1, an air slider hollow shaft 2, two support arms 5, two drive units 7, two support units 8, and the like.

[0019] The focus optical system 4 is an optical system having at least a He-Ne laser 64 and is provided on the hollow shaft 2 of the air slider. As shown in Figure 2, the focus optical system 4 is broadly composed of the He-Ne laser 64, a semiconductor laser optical system 50, a dichroic mirror 52, a collimator lens 53, and a mirror 54. The semiconductor laser optical system 50 and the dichroic mirror 52 are located at the upper end of the hollow shaft 2 of the air slider. The collimator lens 53 and the mirror 54 are located at the lower end of the hollow shaft 2 of the air slider. The mirror 54 is fixed to the upper end of a stylus 56 supported by a microslider 55 of the probe section 3.

[0020] Furthermore, the tilt optical system 10 is installed on the air slider hollow axis 2, within the space of the optical path of the focus optical system 4. The tilt optical system 10 consists of a semiconductor laser (not shown) for the tilt optical system and a mirror 54. When the microslider 55 installed inside the barrel of the probe unit 3 is tilted, the light emitted from the tilt optical system 10 is reflected by the mirror 54 on the upper surface of the microslider 55, and this change is detected to perform tilt correction.

[0021] The air slider hollow shaft 2 is a vertically elongated rectangular parallelepiped-shaped member and functions as the Z-axis drive shaft of the Z-axis stage section 101. The air slider hollow shaft 2 has a focus optical system 4 at its upper end and a probe section 3 at its lower end. There is a through hole 6 in the center of the air slider hollow shaft 2, and an optical path is formed within the through hole 6 connecting the focus optical system 4 and the mirror 54 at the upper end of the probe section 3. As an example, the air slider hollow shaft 2 is made of an insulating material such as ceramic. For example, even if heat from the coil 21 (described later) is transmitted through the support arm 5, the insulating material prevents heat from being transferred to the air slider hollow shaft 2. This prevents the air slider hollow shaft 2 from bending due to heat.

[0022] The drive unit 7 is positioned near the air slider hollow shaft 2 on each support arm 5, symmetrically with respect to the central axis of the air slider hollow shaft 2. The drive unit 7 enables the air slider hollow shaft 2 to be driven axially with respect to the air slider outer frame 1 via the two support arms 5. The pair of drive units 7 are symmetrical with respect to the central axis of the air slider hollow shaft 2. Here, each drive unit 7 is composed of a linear motor 20, which is an example of an actuator. As shown in Figure 2, an air cylinder 27 is connected to the tip of each support arm 5 via an air pad 28.

[0023] The linear motor 20 is composed of a coil 21 formed in the shape of a rectangular frame and a magnet (not shown), and is driven and controlled by a control unit. The coil 21 is positioned near the hollow shaft 2 of the air slider on each support arm 5, and the support arm 5 is connected to the axial center of the coil 21. The coil 21 is fitted to the outside of a central yoke (not shown) and is freely movable in the vertical direction. A predetermined drive current is applied to the coil 21, thereby moving the hollow shaft 2 of the air slider vertically relative to the fixed central yoke. Thus, the linear motor 20 used in this embodiment is a movable coil type in which the coil 21 is supported by the support arm 5 and the magnet is fixed to the outer frame 1 of the air slider. Therefore, by using a relatively heavy magnet on the fixed side and a relatively light coil on the movable side, the overall weight of the movable part of the linear motor 20 can be reduced. In addition, the rotational moment can be suppressed, the power consumption applied to the motor can be reduced, and thermal deformation can be suppressed.

[0024] A mirror 54 for measuring the height in the Z direction is provided on the upper side of the measurement unit 103a. The height of the probe unit 3 in the Z direction is directly measured by using a frequency-stabilized laser with a wavelength of 633 nm as a scale and measuring the position of the surface of the mirror 54. The rate of change in wavelength due to temperature changes in air, also known as the coefficient of linear expansion, of the frequency-stabilized laser is about 1 / 20 to 1 / 10 of the coefficient of linear expansion of aluminum, iron, etc., which constitute the mechanical parts of the measurement unit 103a. Therefore, even if the mechanical parts constituting the measurement unit 103a undergo thermal deformation due to temperature changes, the measurement error due to changes in the measured value due to temperature can be kept small.

[0025] Furthermore, the shape measuring device 100 includes a storage device 70 for storing the measuring probe. Although simplified in Figure 1, the storage device 70 includes a storage mechanism for storing the measuring probe and an air supply mechanism configured to continuously supply air to the air bearing when the measuring probe is stored in the storage mechanism. As shown in Figure 1, it is preferable to match the height of the tip position of the stylus of the probe stored in the storage device 70 with the height of the tip position of the stylus of the measuring probe section 3. This makes it possible to suppress temperature changes between the styluses during measurement and storage.

[0026] <Probe for top surface measurement> Figure 3 shows the state of the top probe 200 during measurement. The measuring chuck 201 provided on the main body of the device is equipped with a probe holding mechanism 113 having retaining claws 202. The retaining claws 202 are configured to open and close by an air cylinder (not shown). The top probe 200 is positioned by pressing it upward against the positioning pin 203 of the measuring chuck 201, and is held in the measuring chuck 201 when the retaining claws 202 close.

[0027] The top probe 200 is equipped with an air bearing 205 configured to allow the stylus 56 to move in the Z direction. A micro air slider 55 made of aluminum is provided inside the air bearing 205, and the stylus 56, also made of aluminum, is attached to its tip. An air coupler 223 extending downward from the measuring chuck 201 is connected to an air joint 206 of the top probe 200. This establishes an air supply path, and air is supplied from the measuring chuck 201 to the air bearing 205.

[0028] Here, the air flow rate supplied to the air bearing 205 is small, for example, 0.4 to 0.6 NL / min, and the air supplied to the device travels slowly through the air supply path. As a result, the air supplied from the air coupler 223 becomes accustomed to the temperature of the upper probe 200, and just before being released into the atmosphere via the air bearing 205, it is the same temperature as the upper probe.

[0029] The supplied air passes through a minute gap of approximately 10 μm in the air bearing 205 and is released into the atmosphere through the upper and lower circular air protrusions. In other words, the compressed air loses pressure due to the rapid release into the atmosphere, and the released air loses heat due to adiabatic expansion, causing a slight temperature drop of less than 1°C around the micro air slider 55. If the length of the micro air slider 55 and stylus 56 in the Z direction continues to change due to this temperature drop, it will result in measurement errors. However, the upper probe 200 is exposed to the ambient temperature of the area where it is installed and receives heat from the surrounding air, so its temperature does not continue to drop and maintains a constant temperature. Therefore, highly accurate measurements can be performed.

[0030] Figure 4 shows the state of the top probe 200 during storage. The top probe 200 is stored by the storage stand 221 and the storage chuck 220. In this embodiment, the storage mechanism is composed of the storage stand 221 and the storage chuck 220. The top probe 200 is biased from below upward by the storage stand 221 and pressed against the storage chuck 220, and is positioned by the positioning pin 222.

[0031] In this embodiment, the top probe 200 is provided with an air joint 401 on its side, separate from the air joint 206. As shown in Figure 4, when the top probe 200 is stored, the air coupler 403 is connected to the air joint 401. This creates an air supply path, and air is supplied from the air supply source 405 to the air bearing 205 via the heat-insulating tube 404 (an example of a heat-insulating structure) and the air coupler 403. In this embodiment, the air supply mechanism is composed of the air supply source 405, the heat-insulating tube 404, and the air coupler 403. The air supply source 405 is, for example, an air compressor. The presence of the heat-insulating tube 404 in the air supply mechanism makes it difficult for heat from the surroundings of the air supply mechanism to be transferred to the air passing through the heat-insulating tube 404.

[0032] In other words, even during storage, just as during measurement, the supplied air passes through the minute gap of the air bearing 205, causing a rapid release to the atmosphere, which reduces the pressure and removes heat through adiabatic expansion. As a result, a slight temperature drop occurs around the micro air slider 55. This configuration maintains the same temperature environment as during measurement, and the micro air slider 55 and stylus 56 are maintained and stored at a constant length without any change in length.

[0033] During measurement, a stop valve 224 provided in the air joint 401 seals the air joint 401 with an internal spring or the like to prevent air from being released into the atmosphere. During storage, a stop valve 225 provided in the air joint 206 seals the air joint 206 with an internal spring or the like to prevent air from being released into the atmosphere.

[0034] Furthermore, constructing the micro air slider 55 from a material with a low coefficient of thermal expansion, such as ceramic, would allow for more accurate measurements. However, precisely machining a cylindrical micro air slider 55 is not easy and would increase costs. Also, if the top probe 200 comes into contact with the object being measured due to an operational error, it is prone to cracking, making it difficult to handle considering repair costs and time. On the other hand, aluminum has good machinability, allows for high-precision machining, and does not pose a risk of cracking. In addition, since the stylus 56 also needs to be replaced periodically, it is desirable to construct it from aluminum to reduce running costs.

[0035] Figure 5 shows another example of the state of the top probe 200 during storage. In the example in Figure 5, the top probe 200 does not have an air joint 401 on its side. As shown in Figure 5, the storage chuck 220 is equipped with an air coupler 223A extending downward. When the top probe 200 is stored, the air coupler 223A is connected to the air joint 206. This creates an air supply path, and air is supplied from the air coupler 223A to the air bearing 205.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, air supply during storage may be provided via an air joint 206 located above the top probe 200, similar to air supply during measurement. Note that the air joint 206 is located away from the central axis of the top probe 200. Alternatively, another air joint may be provided on the top probe 200, for example, near where it contacts the positioning pin 222, and air may be supplied via this air joint during storage. In this case, the air joint is located near the center of the top probe 200, away from the central axis.

[0037] <Probe for lateral measurement> Figure 6 shows the state of the side probe 300 during measurement. The side probe 300 measures the shape of the object from the X and Y directions. The measuring chuck 201 provided on the main body of the device is equipped with retaining claws 202 configured to open and close by an air cylinder (not shown). The side probe 300 is positioned by pressing it upward against the positioning pin 203 of the measuring chuck 201, and is held in the measuring chuck 201 when the retaining claws 202 close.

[0038] The side movable part 301 is supported by a pivot point 302 in the recessed portion of the Y-direction support column 310, and is rotatable in α (around the X-axis) and β (around the Y-axis). The Y-direction support column 310 is fixed to the side probe 300. A side stylus 303 that contacts the measuring surface is set at the tip of the side movable part 301. When the side stylus 303 makes contact in the XY direction, the side movable part 301 rotates in the αβ direction with the pivot point 302 as the center of rotation.

[0039] The position of the pivot point 302 is maintained in a state that is accustomed to the surrounding temperature environment, as there are no heat sources such as air supply sources or actuators in its vicinity. Therefore, the XY position of the pivot point 302 does not change, and it is possible to perform highly accurate position measurements in the XY direction using this pivot point 302 as a reference.

[0040] The tilt optical system 10, like the top probe 200, is used for detecting the tilt of the side surface. Laser light emitted from the tilt optical system 10 passes through the tilt measurement optical path 305 and is incident on the side mirror 304 provided at the upper end of the side movable part 301. The light reflected by the side mirror 304 passes again through the tilt measurement optical path 305 and is detected by the tilt optical system 10.

[0041] A movable magnet 306 is provided at the upper end of the side movable part 301, and a fixed magnet 307 is provided on the housing of the side probe 300 at a position opposite to it. The fixed magnet 307 is movable in the XY direction by the XY position fine adjustment mechanism 308.

[0042] The XY position of the fixed magnet 307 is adjusted by the XY position fine adjustment mechanism 308, and the α and β rotations of the side movable part 301 are adjusted so that the emitted laser light tilts and returns to the center of the optical system 10. This adjustment is performed with the device powered on and the side probe 300 attached to the main body of the device. After adjustment, the XY position adjusted by the XY position fine adjustment mechanism 308 is locked.

[0043] Figure 7 shows the state of the side probe 300 during storage. The side probe 300 is placed on and held on the storage stand 320. During storage, there is no need for air supply or actuator operation, and it can be stored in a thermally stable state.

[0044] <Probe replacement procedure> (Top probe replacement) The procedure for replacing the top probe will be explained using Figures 8 to 11. Here, we will use the top probe 200 shown in Figures 3 and 4.

[0045] As shown in Figure 8(a), the top probe 200 is stored on the storage stand 221. The top probe 200 is fixed to the storage stand 221 by a storage chuck 220. At this time, the top probe 200 is connected to the air joint 401 by the air coupler 403, and the state in which air is supplied to the air bearing 205 is maintained. This makes it possible to maintain a constant decrease in the amount of heat due to the adiabatic expansion of the air released into the atmosphere.

[0046] As shown in Figure 8(b), the air coupler 403 is moved to the right in the drawing to detach it from the air joint 401. This disconnects the air supply path to the air bearing 205, and the top probe 200 becomes movable.

[0047] As shown in Figure 9(a), the storage chuck 220 is moved upward. As shown in Figure 9(b), the storage chuck 220 is moved to the right in the drawing, and the storage table 221 is raised. Then, the Z-axis stage section 101, which is attached to the XY stage (not shown), is moved to the position for removing the top probe 200.

[0048] As shown in Figure 10(a), the Z-axis stage section 101 is moved downward, and the retaining claws 202 (see Figure 3) of the probe holding mechanism 113 are hooked onto the upper probe 200. At this time, it is desirable that the XYZ position and rotational position around the XYZ axis are positioned using three positioning pins and a kinematic structure with V-shaped grooves. The air coupler 223 is connected to the air joint 206 (see Figure 3) of the upper probe 200. This creates an air supply path, and air is supplied to the air bearing 205. The stop valve 224 provided on the side of the upper probe 200 seals to prevent air from being released into the atmosphere.

[0049] As shown in Figure 10(b), the Z-axis stage unit 101 is moved upward, and the top probe 200 is lifted. Then, the storage table 221 is lowered, and the Z-axis stage unit 101 is moved to the left in the drawing. A cover (not shown) is placed over the top, and the storage table 221 is stored.

[0050] As shown in Figure 11, the surface shape of the object to be measured is measured by the upper probe 200 attached to the Z-axis stage unit 101. A linear motor 20 is used to apply servo control in the Z direction to keep the measuring force constant when the stylus 56 contacts the object to be measured (this state is called servo-on. Stopping the servo from the servo-on state is called servo-off). While servo-on, scanning is performed in the XY direction to measure the laser length of the XYZ axes. The acquired XYZ coordinate measurement data point sequence A is saved.

[0051] Furthermore, after replacing the top probe 200, the tip position of the stylus 56 is not reproducible to an accuracy of less than a micrometer, and is not in the correct position. As a result, a positional shift of the order of microns occurs in the measurement data, and the measurement accuracy deteriorates. To prevent this, before measuring the object to be measured, the fixed reference sphere 114 (see Figure 1), which is fixed on the surface plate 110, is scanned from above in the XY direction, and the center coordinates A of the fixed reference sphere 114 are calculated from the measurement data and stored in memory.

[0052] After measurement, return the top probe 200 to the storage stand 221 in the reverse order of the procedure described above. Transfer the storage chuck 220 to the top of the top probe 200. Position the air coupler 403 to the air joint 401 on the side of the top probe 200 by positioning with the positioning pin 222. Start the air supply and supply air to the air bearing 205 to maintain the same temperature environment during storage as during measurement.

[0053] Note that when using the top-mounted probe shown in Figure 5, the method of supplying air during storage differs. However, otherwise, the same procedure can be used for probe replacement.

[0054] (Side probe replacement station) The procedure for replacing the side probe will be explained using Figures 12 to 14.

[0055] As shown in Figure 12(a), the side probe 300 is installed on the storage table 320. As shown in Figure 12(b), the storage table 320 is raised. Then, the Z-axis stage unit 101, which is attached to the XY stage (not shown), is moved to the position where the side probe 300 can be removed.

[0056] As shown in Figure 13(a), the Z-axis stage section 101 is moved downward, and the retaining claws 202 (see Figure 6) are hooked onto the side probe 300. At this time, it is desirable that the XYZ position and the rotational position around the XYZ axis are positioned using three positioning pins and a kinematic structure with V-shaped grooves.

[0057] As shown in Figure 13(b), the Z-axis stage 101 is moved upward and the side probe 300 is lifted. Then the storage table 320 is lowered, and the Z-axis stage 101 is moved to the left in the drawing. A cover (not shown) is placed over it from above to store the storage table 320.

[0058] As shown in Figure 14, the side shape of the object to be measured is measured by a side probe 300 attached to the Z-axis stage unit 101. A linear motor (not shown) is used to apply a servo in the XY direction to keep the measuring force constant when the side stylus 306 contacts the object in the XY direction (this state is called XY servo on. Stopping the servo from the XY servo on state is called XY servo off). While the XY servo is on, scanning is performed in the XY direction to measure the laser length of the XYZ axes. The acquired XYZ coordinate measurement data point sequence B is saved.

[0059] Furthermore, after replacing the side probe 300, the tip position of the side stylus 303 is not reproducible to an accuracy of less than a micrometer, and is not in the correct position. As a result, a positional shift of the order of microns occurs in the measurement data, and the measurement accuracy deteriorates. To prevent this, before measuring the object to be measured, the fixed reference sphere 114, which is fixed on the surface plate 110, is scanned, for example, so as to rotate in the circumferential direction in the XY plane, and the center coordinates B of the fixed reference sphere 114 are calculated from the measurement data and stored in memory.

[0060] After measurement, return the side probe 300 to the storage stand 320 in the reverse order of the procedure described above.

[0061] (Data synthesis after measurement) After measurement, the measurement data sequence A obtained using the top probe 200 and the measurement data sequence B obtained using the side probe 300 are combined to obtain the 3D shape data of the measured object. At this time, the coordinates of the measurement data sequence A and the measurement data sequence B are transformed so that the center coordinates A obtained by the top probe 200 and the center coordinates B obtained by the side probe 300 coincide, thereby generating the 3D shape data.

[0062] This type of measurement allows for the measurement of the three-dimensional shape of both the top and side surfaces of the object with ultra-high precision of 1 to 100 nanometers. [Industrial applicability]

[0063] The present invention is useful for achieving high-precision three-dimensional measurement in shape measurement using a measuring probe having an air bearing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 56 Stylus 70 Storage device 100 Shape measuring device 200 Top surface probe 220 Storage zipper 221 Storage stand 205 Air Bearing 403 Air Coupler 404 Insulated Tube 405 Air supply source

Claims

1. A storage device for storing measuring probes used by a shape measuring device, The measuring probe has an air bearing that allows the stylus, which is in contact with the object to be measured, to move. The aforementioned storage device is A storage mechanism for storing the measuring probe after it has been removed from the measuring chuck provided on the shape measuring device, The system includes an air supply mechanism configured to continuously supply air to the air bearing when the measuring probe is stored in the storage mechanism. A storage device for measuring probes.

2. A storage device for measuring probes according to claim 1, The air supply mechanism is configured to supply air from the side of the measuring probe. A storage device for measuring probes.

3. A measuring probe storage device according to claim 1, The aforementioned air supply mechanism is Insulated structure, The system includes an air supply source configured to supply air to the air bearing via the aforementioned heat insulating structure. A storage device for measuring probes.

4. A storage device for measuring probes according to Claim 1, The storage mechanism stores the measuring probe so that the height of the tip of the stylus matches the height at the time of measurement. A storage device for measuring probes.

5. A method for storing measuring probes used by a shape measuring device, The measuring probe has an air bearing that allows the stylus, which is in contact with the object to be measured, to move. The aforementioned method, The steps include: storing the measuring probe in a storage mechanism after removing it from the measuring chuck provided on the shape measuring device; The system includes the step of continuously supplying air to the air bearing of the measuring probe stored in the storage mechanism using an air supply mechanism. How to store measuring probes.

6. In the method for storing a measuring probe according to Claim 5, In the step of storing the measuring probe, the measuring probe is stored in the storage mechanism such that the height of the tip of the stylus matches that during measurement. How to store measuring probes.

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