Calibration of optical 3D-measuring instruments

For the inspection and measurement of microstructures small accurate three-dimensional coordinate measuring machines are needed. Typical measurement volumes are 10 mm by 10 mm by 3 mm and the desired 3D-measurement uncertainty is 0.1 micrometer. Up to now only optical coordinate measuring machines (CMM) offer the necessary lateral measurement ranges. But optical CMMs are restricted to two-dimensional measurements and moreover the aimed uncertainty has not been achieved yet. Since a few years new optical techniques are available which are able to measure nearly three-dimensionally (scanning white light, fringe projection, confocal microscopy, photogrammetry). In order to use these instruments and to specify their measurement uncertainty, calibration of these instruments is necessary. The calibration of the three measurement axes is divided into calibration of the lateral axes and calibration of the vertical axis. The contribution focuses on the development of new depth setting standards (1 micrometer - 1 milimeter) and their traceability.