Performance improvement in white light interferometry

In white light interferometry (WLI), for precise measurements, the sample must remain still. However, the sample stage can often pick up vibrations, which can significantly affect the accuracy of reconstructed heightmaps. Also, to reconstruct a large area 3D topography, several heightmaps are needed to be stitched together. Vibration alone or/and stitching of heightmaps affects the overall accuracy, reliability, and repeatability of the results. In the manuscript a novel stitching method will be discussed with difficult stitching cases. Usually for vibration issues in WLI, additional measures are necessary, such as using vibration dampers, but this increases the overall cost and has a limited effect. To address this issue, we have developed a new algorithm for Mitutoyo WLI system. This new algorithm is robust against the vibration of the sample stage under specified conditions.