Infrared (IR) optical systems are at the core of many military, civilian and manufacturing applications and perform mission critical functions. To reliably fulfill the demanding requirements imposed on today’s high performance IR optics, highly accurate, reproducible and fast lens testing is of crucial importance. Testing the optical performance within different temperature ranges becomes key in many military applications.
Due to highly complex IR-Applications in the fields of aerospace, military and automotive industries, MTF Measurement under realistic environmental conditions become more and more relevant. A Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) test bench with an integrated thermal chamber allows measuring several sample sizes in a temperature range from -40 °C to +120°C. To reach reliable measurement results under these difficult conditions, a specially developed temperature stable design including an insulating vacuum are used.
The main function of this instrument is the measurement of the MTF both on- and off-axis at up to +/-70° field angle, as well as measurement of effective focal length, flange focal length and distortion.
The vertical configuration of the system guarantees a small overall footprint. By integrating a high-resolution IR camera with focal plane array (FPA) in the detection unit, time consuming measurement procedures such as scanning slit with liquid nitrogen cooled detectors can be avoided.
The specified absolute accuracy of +/- 3% MTF is validated using internationally traceable reference optics. Together with a complete and intuitive software solution, this makes the instrument a turn-key device for today’s state-of- the-art optical testing.
The imaging quality of assembled optical systems is strongly influenced by the alignment errors of the individual lenses in the assembly. Although instrumentation for characterizing centering errors for the visual spectral range existed for some time, the technology to include the LWIR (8-12µm) and the MWIR (3-5µm) spectral ranges was only recently developed. Here, we report on the development and performance of such a measurement system that is capable of fully characterizing the alignment of all individual elements of an IR lens assembly in a non-contact and non-destructive fashion.
The main component of the new instrument is an autocollimator working in the LWIR that determines the position of the center of curvature of each individual IR lens surface with respect to the instruments reference axis. This position data are used to calculate the shift and tilt of the individual lenses with respect to each other or a user-defined reference axis like e.g. the assembly housing. Finally, to complete the whole picture, the thicknesses and air gaps between individual lenses are measured with a low coherence interferometer built into the instrument. In order to obtain precise data, the instrument software takes the measured real centering error into account and directs the user to optimally align the assembly with respect of the interferometer reference axis, which then determines the position of the vertex positions along the optical axis and from these the center thicknesses of each lens and the air gaps between lenses with an accuracy below one micrometer.
The image quality of today's state-of-the-art IR objective lenses is constantly improving while at the same time the market for thermography and vision grows strongly. Because of increasing demands on the quality of IR optics and increasing production volumes, the standards for image quality testing increase and tests need to be performed in shorter time. Most high-precision MTF testing equipment for the IR spectral bands in use today relies on the scanning slit method that scans a 1D detector over a pattern in the image generated by the lens under test, followed by image analysis to extract performance parameters. The disadvantages of this approach are that it is relatively slow, it requires highly trained operators for aligning the sample and the number of parameters that can be extracted is limited. In this paper we present lessons learned from the R and D process on using focal plane array (FPA) sensors for testing of long-wave IR (LWIR, 8-12 m) optics. Factors that need to be taken into account when switching from scanning slit to FPAs are e.g.: the thermal background from the environment, the low scene contrast in the LWIR, the need for advanced image processing algorithms to pre-process camera images for analysis and camera artifacts. Finally, we discuss 2 measurement systems for LWIR lens characterization that we recently developed with different target applications: 1) A fully automated system suitable for production testing and metrology that uses uncooled microbolometer cameras to automatically measure MTF (on-axis and at several o-axis positions) and parameters like EFL, FFL, autofocus curves, image plane tilt, etc. for LWIR objectives with an EFL between 1 and 12mm. The measurement cycle time for one sample is typically between 6 and 8s. 2) A high-precision research-grade system using again an uncooled LWIR camera as detector, that is very simple to align and operate. A wide range of lens parameters (MTF, EFL, astigmatism, distortion, etc.) can be easily and accurately measured with this system.
Miniaturized optical systems like endoscopy or cell phone lenses systems comprise several optical elements like lenses,
doublets and plane optics. To receive a good imaging quality the distances and angles between the different optical
elements have to be as accurate as possible. In the first step we will describe how the distances and angles between
different elements can be monitored and finally we will describe a technique to actively align small optics (diameter
approx. 1mm and smaller) with respect to each other. For the measurement electronic autocollimators combined with
white-light-interferometers are used. The electronic autocollimator reveals the exact centration errors between optical
elements and the low coherence interferometer reveals the distances between surfaces. The accuracy of the centration
error measurement is in the range of 0.1μm and the accuracy of the distance measurement is 1μm. Both methods can be
applied to assembled multi-element optics. That means geometrical positions of all single surfaces of the final optical
system can be analysed without loss of information. Both measurement techniques complement one another.
Once the exact x,y,z - Position of each optical surface and element is known computer controlled actuators will be used
to improve the alignment of the optics. For this purpose we use piezo-electric-actuators. This method had been applied
to cement e.g. doublets for endoscope optics. In this case the optical axis of one lens has been aligned with respect to the
optical axis of a second reference lens. Traditional techniques usually rely on an uncertain mechanical reference.
For any kind of optical compound systems the precise geometric alignment of every single element according to the
optical design is essential to obtain the desired imaging properties. In this contribution we present a measurement system
for the determination of the complete set of geometric alignment parameters in assembled systems. The deviation of
each center or curvature with respect to a reference axis is measured with an autocollimator system. These data are
further processed in order to provide the shift and tilt of an individual lens or group of lenses with respect to a defined
reference axis. Previously it was shown that such an instrument can measure the centering errors of up to 40 surfaces
within a system under test with accuracies in the range of an arc second. In addition, the relative distances of the
optical surfaces (center thicknesses of lens elements, air gaps in between) are optically determined in the same
measurement system by means of low coherent interferometry. Subsequently, the acquired results can be applied for the
compensation of the detected geometric alignment errors before the assembly is finally bonded (e.g., glued).
The presented applications mainly include measurements of miniaturized lens systems like mobile phone optics.
However, any type of objective lens from endoscope imaging systems up to very complex objective lenses used in
microlithography can be analyzed with the presented measurement system.
With the recently emerged large volume production of miniature aspheric lenses for a wide range of applications, a new
fast fully automatic high resolution wavefront measurement instrument has been developed.
The Shack-Hartmann based system with reproducibility better than 0.05 waves is able to measure highly aspheric optics
and allows for real time comparison with design data.
Integrated advanced analysis tools such as calculation of Zernike coefficients, 2D-Modulation Transfer Function (MTF), Point Spread Function (PSF), Strehl-Ratio and the measurement of effective focal length (EFL) as well as flange focal length (FFL) allow for the direct verification of lens properties and can be used in a development as well as in a production environment.
We present an automatic bonding station which is able to center and bond individual lenses or doublets to a barrel with
sub micron centring accuracy. The complete manufacturing cycle includes the glue dispensing and UV curing. During
the process the state of centring is continuously controlled by the vision software, and the final result is recorded to a file
for process statistics. Simple pass or fail results are displayed to the operator at the end of the process.
The optical imaging quality of objectives is mainly influenced by the errors of the mechanical alignment of the single
elements. TRIOPTICS has developed a new technology called MultiLens® in order to measure the centering error of
single lenses as well as complete objectives. It is possible to measure the tilt of each single optical surface inside of a
mounted objective with highest precision. We achieve accuracies in the range of an arc second. During the measurement
the deviation of each centre of curvature with respect to a reference axis is measured. These data are further processed in
order to provide the shift and tilt of an individual lens or group of lenses with respect to a given reference axis. The
knowledge of the centering error can be used to align actively single optical elements.
Applications mainly include the measurement of cell phone and digital camera lenses. However, any type of objective
lens from endoscope up to very complex objective lenses used in microlithography can be measured with highest
accuracy.
The measurement of the Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) has become the most accepted test in the range of quality
control of optics. Years ago only high quality optics like e.g. satellite or professional camera objectives have been MTFtested.
Nowadays even simple optical systems like cell phone cameras objectives are 100% tested. But not only single
objectives have to be tested. If a perfect objective is badly aligned with respect to the sensor the result will be a bad MTF
too. Therefore it is also recommended for the final camera inspection to measure the total MTF of the system objective
plus sensor (CMOS or CCD). TRIOPTICS developed a MTF equipment to measure the MTF on 9 different field
positions and different object distances of a complete camera in a few seconds. The system comprises a special target
generator with slanted crosses as targets and new developed software to grab images and to calculate the MTF of the
complete camera in realtime.
The size and the focal length of camera objectives (e.g. cell phones or digital cameras) are becoming smaller and smaller.
At the same time the quality requirements are increasing. Besides surface accuracy, the imaging quality of the complete
optics is mainly influenced by the alignment errors of the single elements. TRIOPTICS has developed a new technology
called MultiLens in order to measure the centering errors of all single surfaces within an objective lens with up to 40
surfaces or more. We achieve accuracies in the range of an arc second. During the measurement the deviation of each
center or curvature with respect to a reference axis is measured. These data are further processed in order to provide the
shift and tilt of an individual lens or group of lenses in respect to a given reference axis (Patent pending Ref. 1).
Applications mainly include the measurement of cell phone and digital camera lenses. However, any type of objective
lens from endoscope up to very complex objective lenses used in microlithography can be measured with highest
accuracy. The method has been extended to measure also the aspherical axis of lenses.
The measurement of the topography or the nanotopography of large wafers up to 450 mm in diameter with satisfactory lateral resolution and nanometer uncertainty is still an unsolved problem. The topography of wafers covers a relatively large measurement range as wafers have surfaces with a so-called "slightly unflat" topography which mostly exceeds the measurement capabilities of interferometers. For the ultraprecise and traceable measurement of the slope and topography of slightly unflat optical surfaces, a novel scanning deflectometry principle has been developed. An uncertainty of the topography in the nanometer range will be achieved, as this principle minimizes error influences and allows a highly precise calibration of the angle measuring device. The main goal is to use this principle for the ultraprecise measurement of the nanotopography of large wafers.
The measurement principle is based on the analysis of differences of reflection angles obtained at surface points which are separated by large lateral shears. It does not rely on external reference surfaces of matched topography and in first and second order is independent of any stage errors and the whole-body motion of the specimen. The measurands are directly traced back to the base units of angle and length. The specific idea of wafer measurement is to combine rotational and linear scanning with the measurement of slope difference vectors and to arrive at an unambiguous solution for the topography and nanotopography. The equations with the slope difference vectors are solved to reconstruct the slope vectors, as newly developed mathematical algorithms allow the surface slope to be reconstructed from slope differences for two different shears. This is reached by applying natural extensions and shearing transfer functions by a mathematically exact method over the whole surface area. Further the differential equations for the slope vectors are solved to unambiguously reconstruct the topography. With this method it is possible to achieve nanometer uncertainty and at the same time a high lateral resolution, short measurement times and the possibility of mastering the large measurement range necessary for slightly unflat wafer surfaces.
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