Uncertainties of displacement measurement of nanometrology coordinate measurement machines caused by laser source fluctuations

Abstract

One of considerable sources of displacement measurement uncertainty in nanometrology systems such as multidimensional interferometric positioning for local probe microscopy is the influence of amplitude and especially frequency noise of a laser source which powers the interferometers. We investigated the noise properties of several laser sources suitable for interferometry for micro- and nano-CMMs (coordinate measurement machines) and compared the results with the aim to find the best option. The influences of amplitude and frequency fluctuations were compared together with the noise and uncertainty contributions of other components of the whole measuring system. Frequency noise of investigated laser sources was measured by two approaches - at first with the help of frequency discriminator (Fabry-Perot resonator) converting the frequency (phase) noise into amplitude one and then directly through the measurement of displacement noise at the output of the interferometer fringe detection and position evaluation. Both frequency noise measurements and amplitude noise measurements were done simultaneously through fast and high dynamic range synchronous sampling to have the possibility to separate the frequency noise and to compare the recorded results.