Importance

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Abstract

A method of combining height profiles of adjacent sections of a test surface to produce a composite profile of the surface consists of taking successive measurements of adjacent sections of the surface of the test sample by sequentially placing them within the field of view of the instrument and profiling them by phase shifting or vertical scanning. The x-y translation of the microscope between successive measurements from one section to the next adjacent section of the surface being profiled is carried out by overlapping such sections, so that spatial continuity is maintained between measurements. The height data generated for each section are then combined to form a larger image corresponding to the entire surface tested and discontinuities and/or errors introduced by the x-y translation process are corrected by normalizing the overlapping portions to a common reference plane. A plane is fitted through each set of measured heights in the overlapping regions and the tip, tilt and offset of each fitted plane are corrected to produce matching overlapping height data in adjacent sections. The measured height data for the balance of each section are then also corrected by the same difference in tip, tilt and offset to obtain a continuous normalized image.

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First Claim