The quality of a precision product, in general, relies on the accuracy and precision of its manufacturing and inspection process. Confocal scanning microscopes are used popularly in inspection process due to the optical sectioning ability by using pinhole and fast scanning("in vivo" inspection, total product inspection). Also CSM(confocal scanning microscopy) has been used in biomedical application, materials science, semiconductor quality control and forensic application.
Optical interferometry has been used for noncontact measurement for 3D surface profile with high resolution. But optical interfereometry has a shortcoming, 2 pi ambiguity. In this paper, we proposed a new 3D surface profile measurement method by using confocal microscopy and optical interferometry. Using both of them, the short coming of optical interferometry, 2 pi ambiguity can be overcome. Also by using the high sensitivity of intensity to height, very high accurate fast measurement is possible. So we designed an optical measurement equipment as proposed measurement method. The designed optical meaurement equipment can measure about several μm height depth with about several nm resolution.
