SBIR Phase I: Nanometrology using Low-Cost, High Performance and Long Working Range Super-Homodyne Interferometer

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to investigate the feasibility of an innovative, super-homodyne interferometer for high-precision distance measurement with long dynamic range (more than two orders larger than the fundamental wavelength) and high resolution (less than one half-wavelength). If successful, this would represent the longest working distance of any reported homodyne-based interferometer design. The new device is referred to as a super-homodyne interferometer (SHI). The innovation represents a fundamental yet simple modification of existing systems, with the same basic structure as a homodyne interferometer, but exhibiting the superior performance of heterodyne interferometers. In Phase 1, we will focus on the design, prototyping, testing, and measurement of the super-homodyne interferometer.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project will extend to a number of markets and applications. The interferometer is one of the most fundamental tools in measurement science and nanotechnology. Interferometers set the standard for precise distance measurement and are extensively used in the areas of semiconductor fabrication, robotics, precision sensing, machine tools, vibrometry, laser-Doppler velocimetry, and laser microscopy. The successful introduction of SHI products will represent a major engineering advance with a huge impact on measurement science and basic and applied research and development.