Traceable radius of curvature measurements on a micro-interferometer

Radius of curvature is a critical parameter to measure in the manufacturing of micro-refractive elements. It defines the power of the surface and provides important information about the stability and uniformity of the manufacturing process. The radius of curvature of an optical surface can be measured using an interferometer and radius slide where the distance is measured as the surface is moved between the confocal and cat’s eye positions. However, the radius of curvature for micro-refractive elements can be on the order of a few hundred microns and the uncertainty in the measurement due to stage error motions can become a significant portion of the tolerance. Typically the radius slide is calibrated using an artifact, but the radius of the artifact must be traceable to the base unit of length and the calibration is subject to misalignment errors. Alternatively, the stage error motions can be measured with standard machine tool metrology techniques and used to correct the errors in the radius of curvature measurement. This paper details the implementation of a directly traceable radius of curvature measurement on a micro-interferometer, including alignment procedures, measurement of stage error motions, displacement gauge calibration, and data analysis strategies.