Tilting Adjustable Surface Profilometer for Large Gradient Samples
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current surface profilometers struggle to obtain precise surface profiles of samples with large surface gradients, often requiring interpolation that results in distorted measurements, and are not suitable for both micro-structured and macro surfaces, especially when the sample is large or difficult to rotate and tilt, such as roller molds for LCD brightness enhancement films.
Innovation Solution
A tilting adjustable surface profilometer with a rack and surface detecting unit, equipped with first and second tilting adjustment devices that allow the surface detecting unit to tilt and rotate 360 degrees, enabling omni-directional angle surface profiling, and utilizing image stitching software to reconstruct the original surface profile.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If the sample is fixed perpendicular to the optic axis for measurement, then the measurement setup is simple, but the reflected light cannot return to the optical microscope when surface gradient is large, making surface profiling impossible
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a tilting adjustment mechanism that allows the sample stage to dynamically change its angle relative to the optic axis. Instead of fixing the sample perpendicular to the optic axis, the system enables continuous adjustment of the sample tilt angle, allowing the reflected light to return to the optical microscope even when the surface gradient is large, thus resolving the contradiction between simple setup and measurement capability
2Adaptability or versatility
If image interpolation is used to obtain surface profile, then measurement can be performed on samples with large surface gradient, but the acquired result is distorted and far from satisfactory compared to actual surface profile
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs dynamic tilting adjustment of the sample stage to physically align the sample surface with the detection optical path, enabling direct optical measurement without interpolation. By adjusting the sample angle to match the surface gradient, the system captures accurate surface profiles directly, eliminating the need for image interpolation and its associated distortions
3Measurement precision
If conventional VSI or PSI is used to continuously scan the sample surface, then surface profile can be obtained without image interpolation, but surface profile with omni-directional angle cannot be obtained when surface gradient is large
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines continuous scanning with dynamic tilting adjustment of the sample stage. The sample stage can be tilted to various angles to match different surface gradients, and the scanning mechanism can operate at these tilted angles. This enables the system to acquire surface profiles with omni-directional angles by adjusting the sample orientation to follow the surface topology, maintaining measurement precision while gaining versatility
4Measurement precision
If the sample is tilted and rotated to obtain surface profile with omni-directional angle, then accurate measurement of large-area samples with large surface gradient is possible, but the method can only be used to detect small-size samples that can be rotated and tilted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a large-area tilting adjustment mechanism that allows the entire sample stage to be tilted while maintaining the ability to scan large areas. The dynamic tilting capability is combined with a scanning system that can cover extended areas on the tilted sample stage, enabling measurement of large samples like roller molds that cannot be rotated or tilted in conventional setups
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds the dimension of sample stage tilting to the conventional scanning mechanism. Instead of limiting the sample to a fixed orientation or small rotations, the system introduces continuous tilting adjustment as an additional degree of freedom, allowing the optical path to adapt to large surface gradients across large sample areas, thus expanding the measurable sample size beyond what conventional methods allow
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a tilting adjustable surface profilometer, comprising an apparatus capable of adjusting an image acquiring angle. The apparatus includes two types of frameworks. One is a translation-stage-type tilting adjustable surface profilometer, which is enabled by the translations of two translation stage with the rotation of a rotary rack, a surface profile with an omni-directional angle of a sample can be obtained. The other framework is a surface profilometer with an arc-trajectory tilting apparatus, which is enabled by guiding the surface profilometer to slide along the arc rails with the rotations of the rotary rack, a surface profile with an omni-directional angle of a sample can be obtained.