A chip tuneable laser developed for on-line micro–nano scale surface measurements

The demand for accuracy and precision at the micro–nano level is constantly increasing in the manufacture of high added value products. This requires control and measurement of the surface structure since surface properties at such tiny scales are the dominant functional determinant. Many commercial instruments have been used for surface measurements. However, these devices are almost always operated in an off-line environment, and are not suitable for on-line application. This paper presents a new interferometry system consisting of a chip tuneable laser for future on-line micro–nano scale surface measurements. It is simple, compact and robust as most environmental noise and disturbance can be eliminated without any servo control system due to the near common path configuration and the compact construction. The experimental results show that this system has good performance, and there is scope to improve this if the performance of the laser is enhanced.