JP2019074665A - Magnifying observation device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a magnifying observation device capable of providing highly reliable three-dimensional data when enabling observation of a target object by means of a plurality of measurement methods that are based on different principles.SOLUTION: A magnifying observation device of the present invention has a non-confocal observation optical system and a confocal observation optical system, and is configured to compute a first reliability indicator representing reliability of a focus search result associated with the non-confocal observation optical system and a second reliability indicator representing reliability of a focus search result associated with the confocal observation optical system.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 25

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a magnifying observation apparatus that magnifies an observation object and enables observation.

  Conventionally, as a magnifying observation apparatus, a confocal microscope using the principle of laser confocal, a three-dimensional measurement apparatus using the principle of so-called focus synthesis, and the like are known. For example, as disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 and the like, a confocal microscope includes a laser output unit that constitutes a point light source, a confocal observation optical system, and a light receiving element, in addition to an objective lens. In the confocal observation optical system, a pinhole is disposed at a position which is conjugate to the observation surface between the light receiving element and the observation surface, and when the observation surface is in focus (at the time of focusing), the observation surface Light from the lens passes through the pinhole and enters the light receiving element, and when the observation surface is not in focus (when out of focus), the reflected light from the observation surface is blocked by the periphery of the pinhole and received almost It is configured not to enter the element. In this confocal observation optical system, when the relative distance between the objective lens and the observation surface is changed, the amount of light detected by the light reception element changes largely according to the degree of focusing on the observation surface. It can be determined that the position at which the amount of light received by the lens is maximum is the height of a point on the observation surface. Further, by scanning the laser light output from the laser output unit in the X direction and the Y direction, it is possible to obtain height information of a predetermined range of the observation surface.

  On the other hand, as a three-dimensional measurement apparatus using the principle of focus synthesis, as disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 3 and 4, the observation surface is an image sensor while changing the relative distance between the objective lens and the observation surface. There is an apparatus configured to be capable of taking the relative distance at which an image in focus is captured at each point on the observation surface as the height of each point.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-14907 Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2001-82935 JP-A-9-97332 Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 2000-162504

  By the way, the confocal microscopes disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are capable of highly accurate measurement in the height direction, and thus are suitable when high-accuracy measurement of an observation object having a minute shape is required. However, confocal microscopes have fundamental weaknesses, because the observation surface is illuminated with light through the objective lens, which limits the angle of tilt that can be measured by the numerical aperture (NA) of the objective lens. is there. That is, when the objective lens and the observation surface are correctly opposed, the light irradiated to the observation surface through the objective lens is reflected and returns to the objective lens, but the observation surface is inclined with respect to the optical axis of the objective lens In this case, light reflected from the observation surface is irradiated to the outside of the objective lens, and does not return to the objective lens. This phenomenon is more pronounced as the NA of the objective lens decreases. Generally, a high magnification objective lens has a large NA, and a low magnification objective lens has a small NA. Therefore, the tilt angle that can be measured is large on the high magnification side, and there are few observation objects that can not be measured. High-accuracy measurement becomes difficult due to lack of data at the slope and severe noise (false shape).

  On the other hand, in the three-dimensional measurement apparatus using the principle of focus combination disclosed in Patent Documents 3 and 4, the observation surface can be illuminated from the outside of the objective lens using ring illumination or the like, so the NA of the objective lens described above Even if the slope is steeper than the measurement limit determined by.

  However, in the case of using the principle of focus composition, it is difficult to measure the observation object of the transparent body or the mirror surface which is in focus but can not be understood because it is regarded as the height of the point. However, since such an observation object is an observation object that a confocal microscope is good at, it is an apparatus combining the measurement method by the principle of laser confocal and the measurement method by the principle of focus synthesis. The number of measurable observation objects can be increased, and the versatility can be greatly enhanced.

  As described above, although there is an advantage to the device combining the measurement method according to the principle of laser confocal and the measurement method according to the principle of focus synthesis, from the viewpoint of the user, the measurement method according to the principle of laser confocal is The difference between the measurement accuracy and the measurement accuracy of the measurement method based on the principle of focus combination may be difficult to understand, and it may be impossible to determine which one to select when a measurement method with higher reliability is desired.

  The present invention has been made in view of these points, and the object of the present invention is to provide highly reliable three-dimensional measurement data when making it possible to observe an observation object by a plurality of types of measurement methods having different principles. In order to be able to obtain

  In order to achieve the above object, according to a first aspect of the present invention, in a magnifying observation apparatus that magnifies and enables observation of an observation object, a mounting table for mounting the observation object and light directed to the observation object Illumination for observation, non-confocal observation optical system having an objective lens, confocal observation optical system having the objective lens, and a vertical movement mechanism capable of changing the relative distance between the objective lens and the mounting table , Height information detection means for detecting height information, a first light receiving element for imaging an observation object via the non-confocal observation optical system to obtain an image of the observation object, and A second light receiving element for measuring an object to be observed via a focusing observation optical system, height information detected by the height information detecting means in correspondence with the relative distance by the vertical movement mechanism, and the first light reception Based on the image acquired by the element A focus search is performed based on first focus search means for performing a search, height information detected by the height information detection means corresponding to the relative distance by the vertical movement mechanism, and a signal acquired by the second light receiving element. First three-dimensional shape measurement for acquiring first three-dimensional shape data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the observation object based on the second focus search means for searching and the focus position searched by the first focus search means Means, and second three-dimensional shape measurement means for acquiring second three-dimensional shape data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the observation object based on the focus position searched by the second focus search means; and the first focus A first reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result by the search means, and the focus search result by the second focus search means Characterized in that it comprises a control unit for calculating at least one of the second reliability indicator of the reliability.

  According to this configuration, when the first light receiving element captures an image of the observation target through the non-confocal observation optical system, and the first focus searching unit performs the focus search based on the image acquired by the first light receiving element. The height information is detected by the height information detection means, and the focus position can be acquired. Since the first three-dimensional shape measuring means can measure the three-dimensional shape of the observation object based on the focus position searched by the first focus searching means, a measuring method using the principle of focus composition can be realized .

  Also, when the second light receiving element measures the observation object through the confocal observation optical system, and the second focus searching means performs the focus search based on the signal acquired by the second light receiving element, the height information The focus position can be acquired by being detected by the height information detection means. The second three-dimensional shape measurement means can measure the three-dimensional shape of the observation object based on the focus position searched by the second focus search means, so that a measurement method using the principle of confocal can be realized .

  Then, at least one of a first reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result by the first focus searching means, and a second reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result by the second focus searching means Because it is calculated, it becomes possible to select reliable three-dimensional measurement data.

  In a second invention, the control unit is configured to replace the first three-dimensional shape data with the second three-dimensional shape data based on the calculation result of the first reliability index and the second reliability index. It is characterized in that it comprises substitution determining means for determining necessity.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to use highly reliable data among the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data, and not to use low-reliable data. Therefore, highly reliable three-dimensional shape data can be obtained.

  In a third invention, the control unit is configured such that the first three-dimensional shape measurement unit acquires the first three-dimensional shape data, and the second three-dimensional shape measurement unit acquires the second three-dimensional shape data. When the first reliability index is equal to or more than the second reliability index, the control unit calculates both the first and second reliability indices based on the respective data. (1) While selecting and using three-dimensional shape data, when the first reliability index is less than the second reliability index, it is characterized by selecting and using the second three-dimensional shape data .

  According to this configuration, after the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data are acquired, the control unit compares the first reliability indicator with the second reliability indicator. At this time, if the first reliability index is larger than the second reliability index, it is determined that the first three-dimensional shape data is more reliable, and the first three-dimensional shape data is Execute the processing used. Thereby, observation with excellent reliability can be realized.

  In a fourth invention, when the first three-dimensional shape measurement means acquires the first three-dimensional shape data, the control unit calculates the first reliability index based on the first three-dimensional shape data. And the control unit uses the first three-dimensional shape data when the first reliability index is equal to or greater than a predetermined first threshold value, while the first reliability index indicates the first reliability index. In the case of less than the threshold value, the second three-dimensional shape data is acquired through the second three-dimensional shape measuring means, and the first three-dimensional shape data is replaced by the second three-dimensional shape data. It is characterized by using.

  In general, measurements using the focus synthesis principle are faster than measurements using the confocal principle. According to the above configuration, if it is determined that the first three-dimensional shape data should be obtained after measurement by using the principle of focus combination and it is determined that replacement should be performed, measurement using the principle of confocal is determined. To perform the replacement. As described above, by preferentially performing the measurement using the principle of focus synthesis, the time required for observation can be shortened.

  In a fifth invention, when the second search means acquires the second three-dimensional shape data, the control unit calculates the second reliability indicator based on the second three-dimensional shape data, and The control unit uses the second three-dimensional shape data when the second reliability index is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold, and the second reliability index is less than the second threshold. In this case, the first three-dimensional shape data is acquired through the first three-dimensional shape measuring means, and the second three-dimensional shape data is used by replacing it with the first three-dimensional shape data. It is characterized by

  In general, measurements using the confocal principle are more accurate than measurements using the focus combining principle. According to the above-described configuration, when it is determined that replacement is necessary after obtaining the second three-dimensional shape data by measurement using the principle of confocal, when it is determined that replacement is to be performed, measurement using the principle of focus combining To perform the replacement. As described above, by giving priority to measurement using the confocal principle, observation with high accuracy can be realized.

  A sixth invention comprises a display unit for displaying information to a user, and an operation unit for receiving an operation input by the user, the control unit comprising the first three-dimensional shape data and the second When it is determined that the replacement with the three-dimensional shape data is to be performed, the first three-dimensional data is notified based on the operation input made to the operation unit while notifying the user via the display unit. A substitution is performed between shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data.

  According to this configuration, since the user's intention can be reflected, the convenience of the magnifying observation apparatus can be improved.

  In a seventh aspect, the control unit calculates at least one of the first and second reliability indicators for each pixel, and determines whether or not replacement is necessary for each pixel via the replacement determination means. It is characterized by

  An eighth invention is characterized in that the control unit calculates the first reliability index based on the contrast value of each pixel.

  A ninth invention is characterized in that the control unit calculates the second reliability index based on the pixel value of each pixel.

  A tenth invention is characterized in that the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data include height information.

  An eleventh invention is characterized in that the first three-dimensional shape data includes color information.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to select highly reliable three-dimensional measurement data in the case where the observation object can be observed by a plurality of types of measurement methods having different principles.

It is a schematic diagram which shows the system configuration | structure of the expansion observation apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of an observation unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows the optical system and illumination system of an observation unit. It is a block diagram of a magnifying observation apparatus. It is a side view of the electric revolver in the state where a plurality of objective lenses were attached. It is a block diagram of a control part. It is a figure which shows the relationship of the position of Z direction of an observation target object, and light reception intensity | strength in one pixel. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure at the time of measurement. It is a figure which shows the user interface displayed on a display part immediately after starting. FIG. 5 is a view showing a user interface for displaying a live image acquired by a photomultiplier via a confocal observation optical system. It is a figure which shows the user interface displayed at the time of lighting selection. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the live image imaged only by coaxial epi-illumination. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the live image imaged only by ring illumination. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the live image imaged with coaxial epi-illumination illumination and ring illumination. It is a figure which shows the user interface displayed at the time of illumination light quantity adjustment. It is a figure which shows the case where magnification of observation optical system is increased by change of an objective lens. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the navigation image. It is the FIG. 17 equivalent view which shows the case where area | region is added to a navigation image. It is the FIG. 17 equivalent view which displayed the menu in the case of adding an area | region to a navigation image. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the basic measurement area | region. It is a figure which shows the user interface which carried out the division display. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the measurement result by focus synthetic | combination mode. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the measurement result by laser confocal mode. It is a figure which shows the user interface which displayed the profile measurement area | region. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure in the case of measuring in focus synthetic | combination mode and laser confocal mode, without asking a user confirmation. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure in the case of measuring in focus synthetic | combination mode and laser confocal mode by the reliability of a measurement result. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure in the case of leaving it to a user's judgment whether it measures by a focus synthetic | combination mode and a laser confocal mode.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The following description of the preferred embodiments is merely an example for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and is not intended to limit the present invention, its applications, or its applications.

(Overall configuration of the magnifying observation apparatus 1)
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a system configuration of a magnifying observation apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The magnifying observation apparatus 1 is an apparatus for magnifying the observation object SP so as to be observable, and can be called, for example, a microscope, a digital microscope, a scanning microscope, or the like. Further, as will be described later, the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP can be acquired, and hence it can be called a three-dimensional shape measuring machine.

  Although the magnifying observation apparatus 1 can be configured by the observation unit 2 and the external unit 3, the external unit 3 can be integrated into the observation unit 2. When the magnifying observation device 1 is configured by the observation unit 2 and the external unit 3, the external unit 3 can be provided with the power supply device 3 a that supplies power to the observation unit 2. The observation unit 2 and the external unit 3 are connected by a wire 2a.

  In addition, the operation terminal 4 can be connected to the magnifying observation device 1. The communication unit 3 b (shown in FIG. 4) incorporated in the external unit 3 enables connection of the operation terminal 4. The operation terminal 4 includes a display unit 5, a keyboard 6, a mouse 7 and a storage device 8. The operation terminal 4 can be integrated into the observation unit 2 or the external unit 3 and integrated to form a component of the magnifying observation apparatus 1. In this case, the operation terminal 4 may be called a control unit or the like instead of the operation terminal. Although it is possible, in this embodiment, the observation unit 2 and the external unit 3 are separated.

  The display unit 5, the keyboard 6, the mouse 7 and the storage device 8 can also be incorporated into the observation unit 2 and the external unit 3 respectively and integrated to form a component of the magnifying observation apparatus 1. That is, the operation terminal 4, the display unit 5, the keyboard 6, the mouse 7 and the storage device 8 can also be part of the magnifying observation apparatus 1, for example, the magnifying observation apparatus 1 with the display unit 5, the keyboard 6 and the mouse It can also be set as the magnifying observation apparatus 1 with 7 (operation part).

  The keyboard 6 and the mouse 7 are conventionally known devices for computer operation, and are operation units for operating the operation terminal 4. When these receive the operation input by a user, the magnifying observation apparatus 1 can be operated. By the operation of the keyboard 6 and the mouse 7, it is possible to perform input and selection operation of various information, selection operation of an image, area designation, position designation and the like. The keyboard 6 and the mouse 7 are an example as an operation unit, and in place of the keyboard 6 and the mouse 7 or in addition to the keyboard 6 and the mouse 7, for example, computer operations such as various pointing devices, voice input devices, touch operation panels Equipment can also be used.

  The display unit 5 is configured of, for example, a display device capable of color display such as a liquid crystal display panel or an organic EL panel, and is configured to display information to a user. A touch operation panel as an operation unit may be incorporated in the display unit 5.

  Moreover, each member, a means, an element, a unit etc. which are mentioned later may be provided in any of the observation unit 2, the external unit 3, and the terminal 4 for operation.

  In addition to the devices and devices described above, the magnifying observation device 1 can also be connected with devices for performing operations and controls, printers, computers for performing various other processes, storage devices, peripheral devices, and the like. The connection in this case is, for example, serial connection such as IEEE1394, RS-232x or RS-422, USB, etc., parallel connection, or electrical or magnetic via a network such as 10BASE-T, 100BASE-TX, 1000BASE-T, etc. And optical connection methods can be mentioned. In addition to wired connection, IEEE 802. A wireless LAN such as x, a radio wave such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), an infrared ray, a wireless connection using optical communication, or the like may be used. Furthermore, as a storage medium used for a storage device for exchanging data and storing various settings, for example, various memory cards, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, semiconductor memories, hard disks and the like can be used. The magnifying observation apparatus 1 can also be referred to as a magnifying observation system, a digital microscope system, etc. by combining the observation unit 2 and the external unit 3 with the above-mentioned various units, devices, and devices.

(Overall configuration of observation unit 2)
The external shape of the observation unit 2 is as shown in FIG. 2 and the like, and a base 20 placed on a workbench or the like, a support 21 extending upward from the back side of the base 20, and a support 21 And a head portion 22 provided at the top of the head. Incidentally, the labor side of the observation unit 2 is the side closer to the worker when the operator (observer) faces the observation unit 2 in the normal operation posture, and the back side of the observation unit 2 When the worker faces the observation unit 2 in the normal operation posture, the worker is far from the worker. This is only defined for the convenience of description, and does not limit the actual use state.

  The observation unit 2 includes a horizontal motorized mounting table 23 for mounting the observation object SP, and coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and a ring as observation illumination for irradiating light toward the observation object SP shown in FIG. The illumination 25, the laser output unit 26 as a point light source, the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40 as an observation optical system, the imaging device (first light receiving element) 50, the photomultiplier tube And the second light receiving element 51). The observation optical system is a telecentric optical system.

  The motorized mounting table 23 can be moved in the vertical direction by the rotation operation of the lift dial 23a shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. The user rotates the elevation dial 23a in accordance with the thickness and height of the observation object SP, as in the other optical microscopes.

(Configuration of non-confocal observation optical system 30)
The non-confocal observation optical system 30 can be configured similarly to the basic structure of an optical system conventionally used in an optical microscope, and uses the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 as light sources for observation The light reflected from the object SP is configured to be received by the imaging device 50. Specifically, the non-confocal observation optical system 30 includes an objective lens 27 disposed in order from the observation object SP side to the imaging device 50 side, an electric revolver (electric power variation mechanism) 28, and a first half mirror 31 and at least a second half mirror 32. The first half mirror 31 can be a non-polarization half mirror. The first half mirror 31 and the second half mirror 32 are disposed on the observation light path of the objective lens 27. When the observation object SP is illuminated, the light L1 reflected by the observation object SP is an objective light. The light is received by the imaging device 50 through the lens 27, the first half mirror 31 and the second half mirror 32.

  The imaging element 50 images the observation target SP via the non-confocal observation optical system 30 in order to acquire an image of the observation target SP. Specifically, the imaging device 50 may use an imaging device such as a charge-coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) that converts the intensity of light obtained through the non-confocal observation optical system 30 into an electrical signal. Image sensors can be used, but are not limited thereto. The imaging device 50 is a sensor that can also acquire color information. Further, the exposure time of the imaging device 50 can be arbitrarily adjusted.

(Configuration of coaxial epi-illumination 24)
The coaxial epi-illumination 24 is an illumination unit serving as a light source for illuminating the observation object SP via the objective lens 27. The coaxial epi-illumination 24 observes the observation object SP such that the illumination light path is positioned on the optical axis of the objective lens 27. Illuminate the surface. The coaxial epi-illumination light 24 has a light emitter 24a such as an LED, and also has a collector 24b on which the light of the light emitter 24a is incident, a relay lens 24c, a mirror 24d and a lens 24e. The light of the light emitter 24a passes through the collector 24b and the relay lens 24c, is redirected by the mirror 24d, and then enters the lens 24e. The light emitted from the lens 24 e is converted in the direction of the observation object SP by the first half mirror 31 and then irradiated on the observation light axis of the objective lens 27, and illuminates the observation object SP through the objective lens 27. The coaxial epi-illumination light 24 is controlled by the illumination control unit 72 c described later to control the amount of light when turned on / off and when it is turned on.

  The coaxial epi-illumination 24 is suitable for observing a mirror surface or a viewing surface close to the mirror surface, and has an advantage that the difference in reflectance of the viewing surface can be observed with high contrast.

(Configuration of ring light 25)
The ring illumination 25 is a non-coaxial epi-illumination disposed so as to surround the objective lens 27 as schematically shown in FIG. Light up. As shown in FIG. 5, in the motorized revolver 28, a plurality of mounting holes 28a for mounting the objective lens 27 are formed at intervals around the rotation center line, and objective lenses having different magnifications in each mounting hole 28a are formed. 27A, 27B are attached. The objective lens 27A is a lens without the ring illumination 25, and the objective lens 27B is a lens with the ring illumination 25.

  The ring illumination 25 has a ring-shaped case 25a accommodating light sources (not shown) such as a plurality of LEDs, and a light transmitting member 25b provided at the lower part of the case 25a. The case 25a is formed so as to surround the periphery of the lens of the objective lens 27B, and the plurality of light sources accommodated inside are disposed so as to surround the periphery of the lens of the objective lens 27B. The light emitted from the light source is condensed by the light transmitting member 25 b and directed toward the observation object SP mounted on the motorized mounting table 23. When the rotational position of the electric revolver 28 is at the position where the objective lens 27A is selected as the present observation objective lens, the ring illumination 25 does not function, but the objective lens 27B is selected as the present observation objective lens If so, the ring light 25 can be functional. The light quantity at the time of ON / OFF and the ON time of the ring illumination 25 is controlled by the illumination control unit 72c described later.

  In addition to the ring illumination 25, side illumination for illuminating the observation surface of the observation object SP from the periphery of the objective lens 27, and dark for illuminating the observation surface of the observation object SP from the periphery of the optical axis of the objective lens 27. Field illumination can also be used. Since these illuminations are illuminations conventionally used for a microscope, detailed explanation is omitted.

  In the case of ring illumination 25, side illumination and dark field illumination, it is suitable for observing diffusers such as paper or observation surfaces with large irregularities, and to illuminate light from around the objective lens 27 or around the optical axis. The coaxial epi-illumination 24 has the advantage of being able to brightly illuminate an inclined surface which does not return light. Dark field objectives can also be used.

  In the principle of focus composition, whether or not the observation surface of the observation object SP is in focus is used as a determination means of the height of the point, so the ring illumination 25 (side illumination and Darkfield illumination may be suitable.

(Configuration of Confocal Observation Optical System 40)
The confocal observation optical system 40 shown in FIG. 3 can be configured in the same manner as the basic structure of an optical system conventionally used in a confocal microscope, and uses the laser output unit 26 as a light source. The photomultiplier tube 51 receives the reflected light. The photomultiplier tube 51 is a component for measuring the observation object SP via the confocal observation optical system 40.

  The confocal observation optical system 40 includes the objective lens 27 and the motorized revolver 28 of the non-confocal observation optical system 30. Therefore, the objective lens 27 and the motorized revolver 28 include the confocal observation optical system 40 and the non-confocal observation optical system 40. The confocal observation optical system 30 is commonly used.

  Furthermore, the confocal observation optical system 40 includes a dichroic prism 41, a first lens 42, an XY scanner unit 43, a quarter wavelength plate 44, a polarization beam splitter 45, a pinhole lens 46, and a pinhole plate. 47 and at least a neutral density filter (ND filter) 48. The dichroic prism 41 is a conventionally known member configured to reflect light of a specific wavelength and transmit light of other wavelengths, and is disposed on the observation light axis of the objective lens 27. In this embodiment, the dichroic prism 41 is configured to reflect the light emitted from the laser output unit 26.

  A first lens 42 is disposed on the reflected light axis of the dichroic prism 41. The XY scanner unit 43 is disposed between the first lens 42 and the wave plate 44. Further, a pinhole lens 46, a pinhole plate 47, and a neutral density filter 48 are disposed between the photomultiplier tube 51 and the polarization beam splitter 45. The laser output unit 26 is disposed to emit light toward the polarization beam splitter 45. The neutral density filter 48 is used to attenuate the laser light L2 incident on the photomultiplier tube 51. Therefore, when the laser beam L2 incident on the photomultiplier tube 51 is sufficiently weak, the light reduction filter 48 may not be provided. The light reduction filter 48 is controlled by the control unit 60, and can change the light reduction rate.

  The XY scanner unit 43 has a galvano mirror 43a and a resonator 43b. The galvano mirror 43a and the resonator 43b are conventionally used when scanning light, so detailed description will be omitted. The light emitted from the laser output unit 26 passes through the polarization beam splitter 45 and the wave plate 44 and enters the XY scanner unit 43. The light incident on the XY scanner unit 43 is two-dimensionally scanned (X direction and Y direction) on the observation surface of the observation object SP by the operation of the galvano mirror 43 a and the resonance 43 b. The X direction can be the left and right direction of the observation unit 2, and the Y direction can be the depth direction of the observation unit 2. However, the X direction and the Y direction may be arbitrarily set. Can.

  The XY scanner unit 43 may be a unit configured to scan light two-dimensionally on the observation surface of the observation object SP, and is not limited to the above-described structure. For example, a galvano scanner system in which two galvano mirrors are combined, a piezoelectric element is adhered to an acoustooptic medium made of glass, an electrical signal is input to this piezoelectric element to generate an ultrasonic wave, and a laser passes through the acoustooptic medium A photoacoustic element system (resonant system) that diffracts light and deflects the light, or a disk that has one or many rows of pinholes in a spiral and rotates the light to pass through the pinhole is the observation surface of the observation object SP It may be a Nipou disc system or the like configured to scan the upper side.

  The laser beam L2 reflected by the observation object SP passes through the objective lens 27 and the first half mirror 31 and is then reflected by the second half mirror 32 to be reflected by the first lens 42, the XY scanner unit 43, and the wavelength plate The light beam is reflected by the polarization beam splitter 45 through the light 44 toward the pinhole lens 46. The laser beam L2 incident on the pinhole lens 46 is condensed by the pinhole lens 46 and travels in the direction of the pinhole formed in the pinhole plate 47, and the laser beam L2 passing through the pinhole is a light reduction filter The light beam passes through 48 and enters the photomultiplier tube 51. Instead of the photomultiplier tube 51, the above-described imaging device can be used, or a light receiving device composed of a photodiode and an amplifier can be used. Also, the exposure time of the photomultiplier tube 51 can be arbitrarily adjusted.

  In the confocal observation optical system 40, a pinhole is disposed in front of the photomultiplier tube 51 at a position conjugate with the observation surface of the observation object SP, and the pinhole is extremely small. Therefore, when the laser light L2 emitted from the laser output unit 26 is focused on the observation surface of the observation object SP, the reflected light from the observation surface is formed on the pinhole plate 47 after passing through the pinhole lens 46. The light is collected by the pinholes, and the amount of light received by the photomultiplier tube 51 becomes significantly large, and the light intensity value (luminance value) becomes large. On the other hand, if the laser light L2 does not focus on the observation surface of the observation object SP, the reflected light from the observation surface is blocked by the pinhole plate 47 and hardly passes through the pinhole. The amount of light received by the light source is significantly reduced and the luminance value is reduced.

  Therefore, in the two-dimensional scanning region (imaging region, measurement region) of the laser beam L2 by the XY scanner unit 43, the portion in focus on the observation surface of the observation object SP is bright, while the other high It becomes dark about the part of The confocal observation optical system 40 can acquire luminance information excellent in resolution because it is an optical system using a point light source.

(Configuration of laser output unit 26)
The laser output unit 26 is a device that generates and emits a laser beam for illuminating the observation object SP via the objective lens 27, and serves as a light source for the confocal observation optical system 40. The laser output unit 26 can use, for example, a He-Ne gas laser or a semiconductor laser. Further, instead of the laser output unit 26, various light sources capable of generating a point light source can be used, and for example, a combination of a high brightness lamp and a slit may be used.

(Configuration of Z-axis moving mechanism)
The observation unit 2 detects height information and a Z-axis drive unit (vertical movement mechanism) 52 (shown schematically in FIGS. 1 and 3) capable of changing the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23. And a height information detection unit (height information detection means) 53 (shown in FIG. 4). The Z-axis drive unit 52 includes, for example, a stepping motor and a motion conversion mechanism that converts rotation of an output shaft of the stepping motor into linear motion in the vertical direction, and is provided to the head unit 22. By rotating the stepping motor of the Z-axis drive unit 52, the electric revolver 28 moves in the vertical direction, whereby the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the electric mounting table 23 can be changed. The Z-axis drive unit 52 has such an accuracy that the change pitch of the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 can be set to about 1 nm at the minimum.

  The height information detection unit 53 is configured of a linear scale (linear encoder) or the like that can detect the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23. The height information detection unit 53 is configured to be able to detect even if the change in relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 is 1 nm. In this embodiment, the motorized mounting table 23 is movable in the Z-axis direction, and the objective lens 27 is also movable in the Z-axis direction. Then, at the time of focus search, the objective lens 27 is driven in the Z-axis direction with the motorized mounting table 23 fixed, so that the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 changes. The height information can be detected by detecting the position of the objective lens 27 in the Z-axis direction at that time using a linear scale. The objective lens 27 may be fixed so as not to move in the Z-axis direction, and the motorized mounting table 23 may be driven in the Z-axis direction during focus search. In this case, height information can be detected by detecting the position of the motorized mounting table 23 in the Z-axis direction with a linear scale. That is, height information can be detected by the height information detection unit 53 even if either the motorized mounting table 23 or the objective lens 27 is driven in the Z-axis direction at the time of focus search.

  The observation optical system is provided with an autofocus mechanism for focusing on the observation object SP. The autofocusing mechanism can be configured by the Z-axis drive unit 52. That is, since the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP mounted on the motorized mounting table 23 can be changed by the Z-axis drive unit 52, an algorithm similar to the known contrast AF etc. is used. The automatic focusing mechanism can be realized by moving the objective lens 27 in the vertical direction by the Z-axis drive unit 52 until the object to be observed SP is focused.

(Configuration of stage drive unit 54)
The stage drive unit 54 is a device for moving the motorized mounting table 23 in the horizontal direction (X direction and Y direction). That is, the motorized mounting table 23 is separated from the mounting table support member 23A shown in FIG. 1, and is supported movably in the horizontal direction with respect to the mounting table support member 23A. The motorized mounting table 23 includes, for example, an actuator such as a linear motor, and the actuator can move the motorized mounting table 23 in the X direction and the Y direction within a predetermined range in the mounting table support member 23A.

(Configuration of control unit 60)
The observation unit 2 has a control unit 60. The control unit 60 may be provided in the external unit 3 or may be provided in the operation terminal 4. The control unit 60 is a unit for controlling each part of the magnifying observation apparatus 1 and performing various calculations and processes, and can be configured by a CPU, an MPU, a system LSI, a DSP, a dedicated hardware, or the like. The control unit 60 incorporates various functions as described later, but these may be realized by a logic circuit or may be realized by executing software. The control unit 60 will be described in detail below.

  The control unit 60 includes a laser output unit 26, coaxial incident illumination 24, ring illumination 25, electric revolver 28, XY scanner unit 43, attenuation filter 48, image sensor 50, photomultiplier tube 51, Z-axis drive unit 52, high The height information detection unit 53 and the stage drive unit 54 are connected. By the control unit 60, the laser output unit 26, coaxial incident illumination 24, ring illumination 25, electric revolver 28, XY scanner unit 43, attenuation filter 48, image sensor 50, photomultiplier tube 51, Z axis drive unit 52, and stage drive The unit 54 is controlled, and the output signals of the imaging device 50, the photomultiplier tube 51, and the height information detection unit 53 are input to the control unit 60.

(Configuration of electric revolver control unit 61)
The control unit 60 has an electric revolver control unit (magnifying mechanism control unit) 61 that controls the electric revolver 28 in order to change the magnification of the observation optical system. The electric revolver control unit 61 rotates the electric revolver 28 to make the desired objective lens 27 the objective lens 27 of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40. When the user selects a desired objective lens 27 from the plurality of objective lenses 27 previously attached to the motorized revolver 28 by operating the switch, the keyboard 6, the mouse 7, etc., the selected objective lens 27 is not The electric revolver control unit 61 rotates the electric revolver 28 so as to be the objective lens 27 of the focus observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40, and then stops the electric revolver 28.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the objective lenses 27A and 27B having different magnifications are attached to the motorized revolver 28, and which objective lens 27A and 27B is attached to which attachment hole 28a of the motorized revolver 28 is a control unit. 60 is stored in the storage unit 73. Therefore, the electric revolver control unit 61 can control the electric revolver 28 as described above based on the information stored in the storage unit 73 and the selection information by the user. The user may input which objective lens 27A, 27B is attached to which attachment hole 28a of the electric revolver 28 from the operation terminal 4, or the objective lens 27 is automatically recognized by the sensor of the electric revolver 28. You may make it

  By controlling the motorized revolver 28, the magnifications of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40 can be changed. In addition to the electric revolver 28 or in place of the electric revolver 28, an objective lens (not shown) made of an electric zoom lens may be provided. The motorized zoom lens is a motorized zooming mechanism, and the magnification of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40 can be changed by operating the motorized zoom lens. In this case, the part that controls the electric zoom lens is the zooming mechanism control unit. The magnification change mechanism control unit controls the electric zoom lens based on the information selected by the user, whereby a desired magnification can be obtained.

  The electric revolver 28 can be operated through a user interface displayed on the display unit 5 or can be operated with a switch or the like provided in the observation unit 2. By using the electric revolver 28, there is no need for the user to turn the revolver by hand, so that dust etc. will not fall on the observation object SP when turning the revolver.

(Configuration of loading table control unit 62)
As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 60 has a mounting table control unit 62 that changes the horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23. The mounting table control unit 62 can change the horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23 by controlling the stage driving unit 54. The horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23 can be designated by, for example, the X coordinate and the Y coordinate of the central portion of the motorized mounting table 23. When the mounting table control unit 62 changes the horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23, for example, when acquiring a navigation image newly described later, acquiring a navigation image again, acquiring a navigation image additionally, etc. may be performed. However, not only in these cases, the mounting table control unit 62 can control the horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23 so that the designated range can be observed even when the user specifies the observation range or position. change.

(Configuration of focus search means)
The control unit 60 performs a first focus search based on the height information detected by the height information detection unit 53 corresponding to the relative distance by the Z-axis drive unit 52 and the image acquired by the imaging device 50. Means 63, a second focus search for performing a focus search based on the height information detected by the height information detection unit 53 corresponding to the relative distance by the Z-axis drive unit 52 and the signal acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 And means 64. Here, the relative distance is a distance obtained based on the height information detected by the height information detection unit 53. The relative distance may be the distance between the tip end surface of the objective lens 27 and the upper surface of the motorized mounting table 23, but the present invention is not limited thereto. It can be set as the vertical distance from the predetermined part.

  The first focus searching means 63 illuminates the observation object SP with at least one of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25, and executes the focus search based on the image acquired by the imaging device 50. Specifically, the Z-axis drive unit 52 is controlled to change the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23, and the observation target SP is focused based on the image acquired by the imaging device 50. The relative distance obtained based on the height information detected by the height information detection unit 53 when the subject is in focus is stored in the storage unit 73. This is the focus position (in-focus position) acquired by the first focus search means 63.

  The second focus searching means 64 illuminates the observation object SP by the laser output unit 26, and executes the focus search based on the signal acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51. Specifically, the Z-axis drive unit 52 is controlled to change the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23, while focusing on the observation object SP based on the signal acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51. . At this time, as described above, when the amount of light received by the photomultiplier tube 51 is maximized, it can be determined that the observation object SP is in focus. Details of this determination procedure will be described later. The relative distance obtained based on the height information detected by the height information detection unit 53 when the subject is in focus is stored in the storage unit 73. This is the focus position (in-focus position) acquired by the second focus search means 64.

(Configuration of three-dimensional shape measuring means)
The control unit 60 is searched by the first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65 for measuring the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP based on the focus position searched by the first focus searching means 63, and by the second focus searching means 64. And a second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 for measuring the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP based on the focus position. The three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP can also be called the surface shape or texture of the observation object SP.

  The first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65 acquires an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP using the principle of focus combination. The image acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 can also be referred to as a depth composite image. When the height difference of the measurement target portion of the observation object SP exceeds the depth of field of the objective lens 27, the depth-synthesized image is focused out of the images separately captured by the imaging device 50 with different height directions. It is the image which extracted and synthesize | combined only the part (pixel) which matched. In order to generate a depth synthesized image, depth synthesis processing may be performed. In this depth synthesis processing, a plurality of still images are moved while the objective lens 27 is moved in the Z axis direction (height direction) by the Z axis drive unit 52 The image pickup device 50 picks up an image of the image by the image pickup element 50, and synthesizes an in-focus area to synthesize an image in focus on the entire screen. In this case, several tens to several hundreds of still images are used depending on the range in the Z axis direction, the change pitch for changing the position in the Z axis direction, and the like.

  Since color information can be acquired by the imaging device 50, the first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65 can acquire a color image (first three-dimensional shape data) indicating the observation object SP.

  The second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 acquires an image (second three-dimensional shape data) which can grasp the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP using the principle of laser confocal. The second three-dimensional shape measuring means 66 generates confocal image data as follows. The confocal image data is performed for each unit region on the observation object SP. The unit area is determined by the magnification of the objective lens 27.

  First, in a state where the position of the observation object SP in the Z direction is constant, the laser beam L2 is scanned in the X direction at the end in the Y direction by the XY scanner unit 43. When scanning in the X direction is completed, the laser beam L2 is moved by the XY scanner unit 43 in the Y direction by a constant interval. In this state, the laser beam L2 is scanned in the X direction. The scanning in the X direction and the Y direction of the unit area is completed by repeating the scanning in the X direction and the movement in the Y direction of the laser beam L2 in the unit area. Next, the objective lens 27 is moved in the Z-axis direction by the Z-axis drive unit 52. As a result, the position of the objective lens 27 in the Z direction is different from the previous one, and in this state, scanning of the unit region in the X and Y directions is performed. Thereafter, the position of the objective lens 27 in the Z direction is moved at a predetermined change pitch described later, and scanning of the unit area in the X direction and Y direction is performed. This is repeated.

  The number of pixels in the X direction of the confocal image data is determined by the scanning speed in the X direction of the laser beam L2 by the XY scanner unit 43 and the sampling period. The number of samplings in one X-direction scan (one scan line) is the number of pixels in the X-direction. Further, the number of pixels in the Y direction is determined by the displacement amount of the laser light L2 in the Y direction by the XY scanner unit 43 every time scanning in the X direction is completed. The number of scanning lines in the Y direction is the number of pixels in the Y direction.

  When scanning of the unit area in the X direction and Y direction is completed, the mounting table control unit 62 controls the stage driving unit 54 to move the motorized mounting table 23 in the X direction or Y direction, and similarly X in another unit area. Scan in the direction and Y direction. This is repeated to perform scanning in the X direction and Y direction for a plurality of unit areas. The obtained confocal image data of each unit area can be connected to one confocal image data.

  FIG. 7 is a view showing the relationship between the position of the observation object SP in the Z direction and the light reception intensity (light reception amount) of the photomultiplier tube 51 in one pixel. As described above, in the confocal observation optical system 40, when the observation surface of the observation object SP is at the focal position of the objective lens 27, the laser light L2 reflected by the observation surface of the observation object SP is a pinhole plate The light is collected at a pinhole 47 formed. Thereby, most of the laser beam L2 reflected by the observation surface of the observation object SP passes through the pinhole formed in the pinhole plate 47 and enters the photomultiplier tube 51, so that the light reception of the photomultiplier tube 51 is performed. Strength is maximized. Therefore, the voltage value of the light reception signal output from the photomultiplier tube 51 is maximized.

  On the other hand, when the observation surface of the observation object SP is at a position deviated from the focal position of the objective lens 27, the laser beam L2 reflected by the observation surface of the observation object SP is formed in the pinhole plate 47. Since the light is collected before or after, the voltage value of the light reception signal output from the photomultiplier tube 51 becomes much lower.

  As described above, a sharp peak appears in the light reception intensity distribution of the photomultiplier tube 51 in a state where the observation surface of the observation object SP is at the focal position of the objective lens 27. A light reception intensity distribution in the Z direction can be obtained for each pixel from confocal image data of each unit area. Thereby, the peak position (Z coordinate) of the light reception intensity distribution and the peak light reception intensity can be obtained for each pixel.

  Data indicating the peak position in the Z direction for each pixel can be referred to as height image data (three-dimensional shape data). An image displayed based on the height image data can be called a height image. The height image is an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP.

  That is, according to the principle of laser confocal, the amount of light received by the photomultiplier tube 51 is maximized at the time of focusing by selective light blocking means such as a pinhole, and the amount of light received by the photoelectron multiplier tube 51 is Using the sharp decrease, it is determined that the peak position of the amount of light received by the photomultiplier tube 51 when the relative distance is changed for each pixel is the in-focus position.

  On the other hand, according to the principle of focus composition, a focus value indicating the degree of focusing for each pixel is calculated from the image acquired by the imaging device 50 based on the contrast, high spatial frequency components, etc. It is determined that the peak position of the focus value when changing.

  Here, "not in focus" means that the difference in luminance between adjacent pixels disappears (the luminance ratio approaches 1), and conversely, in focus means that the luminance between adjacent pixels is not The difference (brightness ratio) is larger than when the focus is not in focus.

  That is, the principle of focus composition and the principle of laser confocal only differ in the method of focus determination, and the relative distance at which the image in focus at each point on the observation plane was taken is To obtain a height image (three-dimensional shape image) to be taken as height, or to “combine an image that is most in focus at each point on the observation surface, and obtain a depth composite image that is in focus at each point” It does not change about the thing.

(Measurement procedure)
FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a procedure for measuring and observing the observation object SP using the magnifying observation apparatus 1. After the magnifying observation apparatus 1 is activated, the observation object SP is mounted on the motorized mounting table 23 in step SA1. Thereafter, in step SA2, a measurement point (observation point) of the observation object SP is searched. At step SA3, the measurement point of the observation object SP is focused. This can be done by the autofocus mechanism described above.

  After focusing, the objective lens 27 is selected in step SA4. When the objective lens 27 is selected, the motorized revolver 28 rotates and observation with the selected objective lens 27 becomes possible. Next, in step SA5, the measurement principle is selected. The measurement principle is focus synthesis and laser confocal, and one of them is selected. In step SA6, various parameters are set. Then, in step SA7, the measurement point of the observation object SP is measured.

  In each of the above steps, the user interface is displayed on the display unit 5 as necessary. Hereinafter, the user interface displayed on the display unit 5 will be described in detail.

(Configuration of UI Generation Unit 72a)
As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 60 has a control unit 72. As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 72 has a UI generation unit 72a. The UI generation unit 72 a is a portion that generates a user interface to be displayed on the display unit 5. The data of the user interface generated by the UI generation unit 72 a is sent to the operation terminal 4 and displayed on the display unit 5. The design of the user interface described later is an example, and the display form of each area, button, menu, etc. can be changed to another form having the same function. Further, the display position of each area, button, menu, etc. is not limited to the position shown in the drawing, and can be set arbitrarily.

  The UI generation unit 72a generates a post-activation user interface 80 to be displayed on the display unit 5 after activation of the magnifying observation apparatus 1 (see FIG. 9). After activation, a live image display area 80a for displaying a live image showing temporal change of the observation object SP and a navigation image display area 80b for displaying a navigation image for setting an observation range on the user interface 80. And are arranged side by side in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the live image display area 80a is larger than the navigation image display area 80b. The live image is an image displayed while sequentially updating the image of the observation object SP sequentially acquired by the imaging device 50.

  In the live image display area 80a, an image of the observation object SP placed on the motorized mounting table 23 is displayed as a moving image in substantially real time, and the imaging device 50 is operated via the non-confocal observation optical system 30. And a second live image showing temporal change of the observation object SP acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 via the confocal observation optical system 40. It is possible to select and display one with the image. Live images can also be called live views. By displaying the live image on the display unit 5, the user can view the live image and confirm the change result in substantially real time when changing various settings, thereby improving convenience. .

  Here, the first live image acquired by the imaging device 50 through the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the second live image acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 through the confocal observation optical system 40 will be described in detail. Explain to.

  The first live image acquired by the imaging device 50 via the non-confocal observation optical system 30 is a so-called ordinary microscope image before depth combination, so a wide out-of-focus area is obtained, The color and approximate appearance are identifiable images. This first live image is a generally familiar image and is sufficient as a reference image for setting various parameters. A user who is not accustomed to the second live image acquired by the photomultiplier 51 via the confocal observation optical system 40 grasps the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP by the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 Even when acquiring a possible image, it may be intuitive and preferable to determine the observation position of the observation object SP or set various parameters while referring to a normal microscope image (first live image).

  On the other hand, the second live image acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 via the confocal observation optical system 40 is a confocal image before depth combination, so the unfocused area looks completely dark and the observation object SP It is difficult to grasp the whole picture of In addition, since the second live image is only luminance information, the color can not be confirmed, and it is necessary to get used to grasp which part of the observation object SP is displayed. If an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP is acquired by the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66, the second live is for people who are familiar with the confocal image (second live image). It may be intuitive and preferable to perform observation position determination and parameter setting of the observation object SP while referring to the image.

  After activation, above the live image display area 80a of the user interface 80, a live image selection button 80c consisting of a "camera" button and a "laser" button is displayed on the left side of the live image display area 80a. When the "camera" button is pressed by operating the camera, etc., the first live image acquired by the imaging device 50 through the non-confocal observation optical system 30 is displayed on the live image display area 80a, and the "laser" button is displayed. When pressed, the second live image acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 via the confocal observation optical system 40 is displayed on the live image display area 80a (see FIG. 10). That is, the control unit 72 is configured to generate the live image display area 80 a that allows one of the first live image and the second live image to be displayed and to be displayed on the display unit 5. This is performed by the control unit 60 controlling each part.

  After activation, above the live image display area 80a of the user interface 80, a brightness adjustment unit 80d is provided which adjusts the brightness of the displayed live image. By operating the brightness adjustment unit 80d with the mouse 7 or the like, the brightness of the live image displayed in the live image display area 80a can be adjusted.

  After activation, above the live image display area 80a of the user interface 80, an illumination selection button 80e for selecting illumination at the time of imaging with the imaging device 50 via the non-confocal observation optical system 30 is provided. When the illumination selection button 80e is operated by the mouse 7 or the like, a selection branch is displayed as shown in FIG. There are four options: "coaxial + ring", "coaxial", "ring" and "OFF". When “Coaxial + Ring” is selected, the illumination control unit 72 c (shown in FIG. 6) included in the control unit 72 turns on both the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25. When "coaxial" is selected, the illumination control unit 72c turns on the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and turns off the ring illumination 25. When the “ring” is selected, the illumination control unit 72 c turns off the coaxial incident illumination 24 and turns on the ring illumination 25. When "OFF" is selected, the illumination control unit 72c turns off both the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25.

  FIG. 12 shows the first live image taken using only the coaxial epi-illumination 24, FIG. 13 shows the first live image taken using only the ring illumination 25, and FIG. , A first live image captured using both coaxial epi-illumination 24 and ring illumination 25.

  The illumination control unit 72 c is configured to be able to separately adjust the light amount of the coaxial incident light 24 and the light amount of the ring light 25. For example, when "coaxial + ring" is selected and the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 simultaneously illuminate the observation object SP, the light quantity of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the light quantity of the ring illumination 25 are made independent. Can be adjusted. That is, when “Coaxial + Ring” is selected, a light amount adjustment area 83 for adjusting the light amount of the coaxial incident light 24 and the light amount of the ring light 25 independently is displayed as shown in FIG. In the light amount adjustment area 83, the light amount of the coaxial incident light 24 and the light amount of the ring light 25 can be changed between 0 and 100, respectively. As the value decreases, the light amount decreases. The light amount adjustment area 83 can be erased by operating the “OK” button or the “Cancel” button displayed in the area. The illumination control unit 72c controls the amount of light of the coaxial incident illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 based on the adjustment result.

  The control of the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and the ring light 25 can be manually adjusted by the user, but can be configured so that the light control unit 72 c automatically adjusts. For example, the control unit 72 analyzes the histogram of the image captured by the imaging device 50 and reduces the light amount if the image is brighter than the predetermined brightness, while the light amount is decreased if the image is darker than the predetermined brightness The illumination control unit 72c controls at least one of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 so as to increase. Similarly, it is possible to automatically set whether to turn on both the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and the ring illumination 25 or to turn on one of them.

  In addition, on the right side of the user interface 80 after activation, a scan mode selection button 80g is provided. In this embodiment, the scan mode uses a focus synthesis mode (first measurement mode) for grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP using the principle of focus synthesis, and the principle of laser confocal. Laser confocal mode (second measurement mode) for grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP. By operating the scan mode selection button 80g, one of the focus combining mode and the laser confocal mode can be selected. When the focus combining mode is selected, an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP is acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65, while when the laser confocal mode is selected, 2) The three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 acquires an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP.

  Further, an objective lens display area 80 h is provided on the upper side of the navigation image display area 80 b of the user interface 80 after activation. In the objective lens display area 80h, the objective lens 27 currently attached to the motorized revolver 28 is displayed in the figure together with the magnification. The control unit 60 stores the type of the objective lens 27 by manually inputting the type of the objective lens 27 (including the presence or absence of the ring illumination) attached to the motorized revolver 28 by the user, and causes the objective lens display area 80h to display the type. be able to. Further, the presence or absence of the ring illumination 25 can also be displayed in the objective lens display area 80 h. The type of the objective lens 27 attached to the electric revolver 28 may be stored in the control unit 60 so that it can be automatically recognized.

  When the user selects the objective lens 27 displayed in the objective lens display area 80h, the display is made in the objective lens display area 80h so that it can be understood that the objective lens 27 is selected. The motorized revolver 28 is controlled to control the motorized revolver 28 so that observation with the selected objective lens 27 is possible. FIG. 16 shows the case where the objective lens 27 of high magnification is changed.

(Create navigation image)
Under the navigation image display area 80b of the start-up user interface 80 shown in FIG. 9, a navigation image creation button 80f is provided for creating a navigation image and displaying it in the navigation image display area 80b. The display unit 5 can display the navigation image acquired as described later by displaying the user interface 80 after activation. The navigation image is an image for setting the observation range for setting the observation range by the user, and in general, an image obtained by imaging an area wider than the field of view of the currently selected objective lens 27 Become.

  That is, in a state where the observation target SP is irradiated with light by the observation illumination, the control unit 60 acquires the navigation image by the image pickup device 50 or the photomultiplier tube 51 under the first imaging condition. When the navigation image creation button 80f shown in FIG. 9 is operated, the navigation image acquisition means 68 starts creating a navigation image. The first imaging condition includes the magnification of the observation optical system, the illumination condition of the observation illumination, and the exposure time of the imaging device 50 and the photomultiplier tube 51.

  The magnification of the observation optical system can be related to the magnification of the objective lens 27 selected by the rotation of the motorized revolver 28, and in the case of the motorized zoom lens, can be the magnification at that time. The illumination conditions of the observation illumination include illumination parameters of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25. As the illumination parameters, only the coaxial epi-illumination 24 is lit, only the ring illumination 25 is illuminated, the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 are lit, the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 are extinguished, and the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 are illuminated. Etc. are included. The exposure time of the imaging device 50 and the photomultiplier tube 51 is adjusted by the control unit 72 to be a suitable exposure time. As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 60 includes an imaging condition storage unit 70, and the first imaging condition is stored in the imaging condition storage unit 70.

  After reading the first imaging condition from the imaging condition storage unit 70, the navigation image acquisition unit 68 controls each unit to be the first imaging condition. At this time, the user can also change one or more of the imaging conditions.

  Thereafter, the navigation image acquisition means 68 images the first region of the observation object SP with the imaging device 50 via the non-confocal observation optical system 30. Next, the navigation image acquisition means 68 controls the stage driving unit 54 by the mounting table control unit 62, and moves the electric mounting table 23 in the X direction or the Y direction. Thereafter, the navigation image acquisition means 68 images the second region of the observation object SP with the imaging device 50 via the non-confocal observation optical system 30. Next, the navigation image acquisition means 68 moves the motorized mounting table 23 in the X direction or the Y direction, and images the third region of the observation object SP with the imaging element 50 via the non-confocal observation optical system 30.

  Thus, a plurality of areas of the observation object SP are imaged without a gap, and the imaged image is displayed in the navigation image display area 80b as shown in FIG. A plurality of captured images may be displayed in the navigation image display area 80b in the order of capturing, or a plurality of captured images may be simultaneously displayed in the navigation image display area 80b. When displaying a plurality of captured images in the captured image order in the navigation image display area 80b, a method of displaying them so as to be sequentially arranged in the horizontal direction (X direction) or the vertical direction (Y direction) There is a method etc. The connection between a plurality of captured images is made so as not to cause gaps and to prevent overlapping display by a conventionally known method.

  In the navigation image display area 80b, a frame A indicating the observation position and / or the observation field of view observed by the user is displayed. The size of the frame A is changed by changing the objective lens 27. For example, as the magnification of the objective lens 27 increases, the field of view narrows, so the frame A becomes smaller accordingly (see FIG. 16).

  The navigation image may be acquired by imaging a plurality of areas of the observation object SP with the photomultiplier tube 51 via the confocal observation optical system 40.

(Add area of navigation image)
When the navigation image is displayed in the navigation image display area 80b, as shown in FIG. 17, the navigation image creation button 80f disappears, and the addition designation button 81 is displayed in the portion where the navigation image creation button 80f was displayed. Ru.

  For example, it is common to create a navigation image using a wide-field, low-magnification objective lens 27 and then switch to a high-magnification objective lens 27 to observe the observation object SP. When being used like this, the user may move the motorized mounting table 23 in the X and Y directions and try to observe a different range from before, and in doing so, the existing navigation image that has been created The observation range may deviate from the range. In this case, since it is not clear which part of the observation object SP the user is observing, it is desired to additionally acquire a navigation image. At this time, when the user operates the addition designation button 81, the navigation image acquisition means 68 executes the additional acquisition of the navigation image. When the user operates the addition designation button 81 with the mouse 7 or the like, it means that the addition of the area to the navigation image (the existing navigation image) already displayed in the navigation image display area 80b is performed. Can be detected by the navigation image acquisition means 68.

  When the navigation image acquisition means 68 detects that the user has made an addition specification of the area to the existing navigation image, the navigation image acquisition means 68 corresponds to the area to be added (also referred to as an addition area) based on the addition specification. While controlling the mounting table control unit 62, if the current imaging condition is different from the first imaging condition stored in the imaging condition storage unit 70, the imaging condition is changed to the first imaging condition and the imaging element is changed. An area to be added is acquired by the photomultiplier 50 or the photomultiplier 51, and the acquired image of the area to be added and the navigation image are displayed on the display unit 5. Which region is to be added can be determined based on the position of the frame A.

  The addition direction of the image of the area to be added to the navigation image can be set based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 where the navigation image is displayed. For example, when the upper side of the navigation image is designated by the mouse 7 or the like on the display unit 5, the additional direction of the image of the area to be added is "upper", and the area above the existing navigation image in the observation object SP Take an image and add it above the existing navigation image (see FIG. 18). The position designation by the mouse 7 or the like can be designated on the display unit 5 as below, right, left, obliquely upper, obliquely lower or the like than the navigation image, and is added in the designated direction.

  As shown in FIG. 19, a frame B is displayed in the navigation image display area 80b when a selection operation (e.g., a click operation) is performed by the mouse 7. When the right button of the mouse 7 is clicked in this state, a menu 84 is displayed. It is displayed in the navigation image display area 80b. In the menu 84, "use the range surrounded by the frame B as the observation field of view", "connect the additional area in the range surrounded by the frame B", and "obtain the navigation image of the range surrounded by the frame B Three options of "to" are displayed.

  When “set the range surrounded by frame B as the observation field of view” in the menu 84 is selected, the stage driving unit 54 is controlled by the mounting table control unit 62 so that the observation field of view is the range surrounded by the frame B, The motorized mounting table 23 is moved in the X direction or the Y direction. As a result, the range surrounded by the frame B substantially matches the field of view of the objective lens 27 and becomes the observation field of view.

  When "concatenate additional areas in the range surrounded by frame B" in the menu 84 is selected, if the range surrounded by the frame B is located outside the existing navigation image, a part outside the existing navigation image In order to obtain an area to be added, the motorized mounting table 23 is moved in the X direction or the Y direction to perform imaging. The display unit 5 displays the image of the area to be added and the navigation image acquired in this manner.

  When "acquire a navigation image of a range surrounded by frame B" of the menu 84, the navigation image acquisition means 68 X the motorized mounting table 23 in order to acquire a navigation image of the range surrounded by a frame B. Move in the direction or Y direction to perform imaging. The display unit 5 displays the image of the area to be added and the navigation image acquired in this manner. Further, the frame B can be dragged by the operation of the mouse 7, whereby the position of the frame B can be changed. Further, the position at which the frame B is formed can be a position corresponding to the initial selection operation position by the mouse 7, and the position at which the frame B is formed can be changed according to the position of the initial selection operation by the mouse 7. .

  Based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 where the navigation image is displayed, it is possible to connect the image of the additional area only in one direction of the navigation image. For example, when the upper side of the navigation image on the display unit 5 is designated by the mouse 7 or the like, the image of the additional area can be connected only in the upper direction of the existing navigation image. As a result, the navigation image can be added only to the area desired by the user, and the time for creating the additional area can be shortened. The position designation by the mouse 7 or the like may be in any direction. Further, when the position designation by the mouse 7 or the like is performed, the image of the additional area may be connected not only to the specific direction but also to the entire circumference of the existing navigation image.

  The position designated by the user may be far from the existing navigation image. In such a case, although the image of the additional area may be separated from the existing navigation image, the navigation image acquisition means 68 adds a complementary image to be added between the image of the additional area and the existing navigation image. It acquires and the complement image is displayed on the navigation image display area 80b (display part 5). That is, it is possible to display an existing navigation image, an image of the additional area, and a complementary image that complements them.

  The navigation image acquisition unit 68 may be configured to acquire a navigation image by the imaging device 50, and the observation image acquisition unit 69 may be configured to acquire an observation image by the photomultiplier tube 51.

(Configuration of measurement parameter setting unit 67)
After activation, various buttons are provided on the upper part of the user interface 80. Among them, when the basic measurement button 80i is operated, as shown in FIG. 20, the basic measurement display area (parameter display area) on the right side of the user interface 80 after activation. 82 is displayed. In the basic measurement display area 82, measurement parameters are set, and a first setting display area 82a common to the focusing and synthesis modes and the laser confocal mode, and illumination condition parameters are set. It has a second setting display area 82b which is not shared in the focus mode, and a third setting display area 82c which is shared in the focusing mode and the laser confocal mode. The measurement parameters include the gain of the imaging device 50, the measurement parameter related to the height, the illumination condition parameter, and the like. The first setting display area 82a, the second setting display area 82b, and the third setting display area 82c are provided to be aligned in the vertical direction, so that the user can distinguish between the areas.

  The measurement parameters regarding the height include the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the separation distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23, and the focus position (for example, the Z coordinate when the focus is achieved). The measurement parameter regarding the height can be obtained by the height information detection unit 53, and can be stored in the storage unit 73.

  The first setting display area 82a is provided with an area in which the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the separation distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 can be set individually, and an autofocus button for performing autofocus. There is. This is a measurement parameter setting area regarding height.

  In the second setting display area 82b, a brightness adjustment unit is provided which adjusts the brightness of the live image displayed in the live image display area 80a. The brightness adjustment unit of the second setting display area 82b can be interlocked with the brightness adjustment unit 80d above the live image display area 80a.

  The second setting display area 82b is different in the focus combining mode and the laser confocal mode, and the brightness adjustment unit is provided in any mode, while in the focus combining mode, the illumination selection button and the detail setting button are provided. In the laser confocal mode, there is no illumination selection button and detailed setting button, and a dimming filter selection menu is provided.

  The illumination selection button is a button which can select any one of “coaxial + ring”, “coaxial”, “ring” and “OFF”, as in the above-described illumination selection button 80 e. The detail setting button is a button for independently adjusting the light amount of the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and the light amount of the ring illumination 25 as in the light amount adjustment area 83 described above. The light reduction filter selection menu is for setting the light reduction rate when applied, in addition to application or non-application of the light reduction filter 48. The control unit 60 controls the dimmer filter 48 so as to be in the state set by the dimmer filter selection menu. These are lighting condition parameters.

  The third setting display area 82c is an area where the measurement size, the measurement quality, and the measurement pitch in the Z direction can be set. The measurement size is, for example, 1024 × 768 (pixels) as a standard size, and in the third setting display area 82c, a measurement size larger than the standard size and a measurement size smaller than the standard size can be selected. Specifically, display can be made with standard (for example, 1024 × 768), high resolution (for example, 2048 × 1536), 1/12 (for example, 1024 × 64), one line (for example, 1024 × 1), or the like. The measurement pitch in the Z direction is a change pitch of the relative distance by the Z-axis drive unit 52 at the time of focus search, and can be set, for example, in a plurality of stages, and this is included in the measurement parameter regarding height. Measurement quality can be selected from "high accuracy" with emphasis on accuracy, "high speed" with emphasis on speed, and "super high speed" with higher speed.

  18 to 20 show the case where the measurement mode parameter setting area by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, and FIG. 11 shows the case where the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 The case where the measurement mode parameter setting area is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82 is shown.

  Either of the parameter setting area for measurement mode by the first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65 and the parameter setting area for measurement mode by the second three-dimensional shape measuring means 66 by the operation of the scan mode selection button 80g is a basic measurement display area 82 Or the switching operation can be performed. When the focus combining mode is selected by the scan mode selection button 80g, the parameter setting area for measurement mode (focus combining mode parameter setting area) by the first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65 is displayed on the basic measurement display area 82, while scanning When the laser confocal mode is selected by the mode selection button 80g, the measurement mode parameter setting area (laser confocal mode parameter setting area) by the second three-dimensional shape measuring means 66 is displayed on the basic measurement display area 82.

  Although the display items of the first setting display area 82a and the third setting display area 82c are common in the focus combination mode parameter setting area and the laser confocal mode parameter setting area, the second setting display area 82b is used. Display items of are not standardized.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 60 includes a measurement parameter setting unit 67 capable of setting measurement parameters of each of the measurement mode of the focusing mode and the laser confocal mode. The measurement parameter setting unit 67 is configured to be able to set a plurality of parameters including the measurement parameter related to the height and the illumination condition parameter.

  The measurement parameter setting unit 67 is an illumination condition parameter for the laser confocal mode with respect to the light source for the confocal observation optical system 40 and a focus for the observation illumination (coaxial epi-illumination 24 and ring illumination 25) for the focus observation optical system 30. It is configured to be able to set illumination condition parameters for the combination mode. The illumination condition parameter for the focusing mode and the illumination condition parameter for the laser confocal mode can be held independently and stored in the storage unit 73.

  The illumination condition parameters for the focusing mode include illumination condition parameters by the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and illumination condition parameters by the ring illumination 25. Also, the illumination condition parameter for the laser confocal mode includes the light reduction rate by the light reduction filter 48.

  The measurement parameter setting unit 67 changes the relative pitch of the Z-axis drive unit 52 at the time of focus search by the first focus search unit 63, and the relative distance at the Z-axis drive unit 52 during the focus search by the second focus search unit 64. The change pitch of is configured to be able to be set in multiple stages. The plurality of stages are, for example, a wide pitch, an intermediate pitch, a narrow pitch, etc., and may be two stages or four or more stages.

  When one measurement mode is switched to the other measurement mode out of the focus combining mode and the laser confocal mode, the change pitch corresponding to one change pitch set by the measurement parameter setting unit 67 in one measurement mode is It is configured to be applied to the other measurement mode. That is, when the change pitch at the time of the focus search by the first focus search means 63 corresponding to the focus combining mode is "a wide pitch", the second focus is switched to the laser confocal mode thereafter. The change pitch at the time of the focus search by the search means 64 is automatically set to "a wide pitch". The same is true for the opposite case. Also, if "intermediate pitch" is selected in one measurement mode, "intermediate pitch" is automatically set in the other measurement mode, and if "narrowing pitch" is selected in one measurement mode. Set the "narrowing pitch" automatically in the other measurement mode. The automatic application of the change pitch can be canceled.

  Further, when the control unit 72 switches from one measurement mode to the other measurement mode out of the focusing mode and the laser confocal mode, the measurement parameter set by the measurement parameter setting unit 67 in one measurement mode is It is configured to be taken over as a measurement parameter of the other measurement mode. Specifically, the measurement parameter related to the height set in the focusing mode is inherited to the laser confocal mode. There is almost no need to change the measurement parameters regarding the height between the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40, but rather the same for the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40. It is because it is easy to observe if it puts it. Therefore, the measurement parameter related to the height set in the laser confocal mode is inherited to the focusing mode.

  However, with regard to the illumination parameters, the focus synthesis mode is not inherited from the laser confocal mode, and the laser confocal mode is not transferred to the focus synthesis mode. This is because the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the confocal observation optical system 40 have completely different light sources, and there is no advantage in taking over the illumination parameters. The illumination parameter may be taken over as well as the measurement parameter related to the height.

  The control unit 72 stores the difference between the focus position of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 and the focus position of the confocal observation optical system 40, and one of the measurement modes among the focusing mode and the laser confocal mode. When the mode is switched to the other measurement mode, the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the separation distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 are calculated in consideration of the difference in the focus position.

  That is, in the magnifying observation apparatus 1, the light source of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 is close to natural light and includes the wavelength ranges of R, G and B, while the light source of the confocal observation optical system 40 is monochromatic laser light The wavelength is shortened at In addition, the magnifying observation apparatus 1 can measure on the order of nm, and the difference in focal length due to the difference in wavelength of the observation light is not negligible. Therefore, at the focus position of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 (position where the focus value is maximum) and the focus position of the confocal observation optical system 40 (position where the light receiving amount of the photomultiplier tube 51 is maximum), A difference is caused due to the difference in wavelength of the observation light, and the control unit 72 stores this difference. When the focus combining mode is switched to the laser confocal mode, and the laser confocal mode is switched to the focus combining mode, the upper limit of the separation distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 in consideration of the difference in focus position. Recalculate values and lower limits.

(Display control of live image and parameter setting area)
When the focus combination mode parameter setting area is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, the control unit 72 performs a live image of the first live image acquired by the imaging element 50 via the non-confocal observation optical system 30. Display in the display area 80a. When the parameter setting area for the laser confocal mode is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, the control unit 72 performs the second live image acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 through the confocal observation optical system 40 as the above-mentioned Display in the live image display area.

  The live image displayed in the live image display area 80a is switched in synchronization with the switching of the focus combining mode parameter setting area and the laser confocal mode parameter setting area displayed in the basic measurement display area 82. . Specifically, when the parameter setting area for laser confocal mode is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, the control unit 72 causes the second live image to be displayed in the live image display area 80a, while the focus combining mode is performed. When the mode parameter setting area is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, the first live image can be displayed in the live image display area.

  Further, when displaying the first live image in the live image display area 80a, the illumination condition parameter setting area (the second setting display area 82b shown in FIG. 20) for the focus combining mode is displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, On the other hand, when the second live image is displayed in the live image display area 80a, the illumination condition parameter setting area for the laser confocal mode (the second setting display area 82b shown in FIG. 11) is displayed in the parameter display area. The first live image and the second live image displayed in the live image display area 80a may be images showing the same area of the observation object SP, but may be different.

  After the first live image is displayed in the live image display area 80a, the control unit 72 causes the focus measurement mode parameter setting area to be displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, while the second live image is the live image display area 80a. The parameter setting area for the laser confocal mode can also be displayed on the basic measurement display area 82 after being displayed on the screen.

  In addition, when the first live image is displayed in the live image display area 80a, the control unit 72 causes the parameter setting area for laser confocal mode to be displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, and the second live image is displayed. When displayed in the live image display area 80a, the focus combination mode parameter setting area can also be displayed in the basic measurement display area 82.

  In the case of a user who is accustomed to the measurement using the magnifying observation apparatus 1, for example, it is preferable to display interlockedly as described above as the basic measurement mode, but the use not used to the measurement using the magnifying observation apparatus 1 In the case of a person, for example, as a simple mode, regardless of which three-dimensional shape measurement means is selected, the first live image (normal microscope image) can always be displayed, that is, not linked. It may be configured as follows. The reason for providing the easy mode is that the second live image is dark when it is not in focus because it uses the principle of laser confocal, which is not intuitive for those who are not familiar with measurement. It is hard to understand. The user can switch between the basic measurement mode and the easy mode.

(Configuration of observation image acquisition unit 69)
The control unit 60 determines the observation position and / or the observation field of view based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 where the navigation image is displayed, and controls the placement table corresponding to the determined observation position and / or observation field. An observation image acquisition unit 69 that acquires an observation image by the imaging device 50 by controlling the unit 62 and / or the electric revolver control unit 61 is provided. When the pointer of the mouse 7 is placed at an arbitrary point on the navigation image on the display unit 5 and range selection is performed by the mouse 7, for example, the frame A displayed in the navigation image display area 80b of FIG. It can be displayed in the navigation image display area 80b. The method of specifying the position for forming the frame A is not particularly limited, but is preferably performed by the mouse 7, and this becomes the specification of the observation position. Also, the size of the frame A can be specified by the mouse 7, and this becomes the range specification of the observation field of view. Only the designation of the observation position may be performed, or only the range specification of the observation field of view may be performed. Thus, the observation position and / or the observation field can be determined by the operation of the mouse 7.

  The stage driving unit 54 is controlled by the mounting table control unit 62 so that the field of view range at the determined observation position falls within the field of view of the objective lens 27, and the motorized mounting table 23 is moved in the X direction or Y direction. Further, the electric revolver control unit 61 is controlled to rotate the electric revolver 28 so that the objective lens 27 is changed such that the visual field range at the determined observation position falls within the visual field of the objective lens 27.

  The observation image acquisition unit 69 can control only one of the mounting table control unit 62 and the electric revolver control unit 61 and can acquire an observation image by the imaging device 50 by controlling only one of them. For example, the observation position and / or the observation field of view are determined based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 where the navigation image is displayed, and the mounting table control unit 62 is set corresponding to the determined observation position and / or observation field of view. An observation image can also be acquired by the imaging device 50 or the photomultiplier tube 51 under control.

  Further, based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 where the navigation image is displayed, the maximum magnification of the observation optical system can be determined so as to include the observation field of view. When the observation position and / or the observation field of view are determined, the observation image acquisition unit 69 can grasp the size of the observation field of view, calculates the magnification such that all the observation fields of view enter, and maximizes the magnification of the observation optical system. Decide as. The observation image acquisition unit 69 compares the determined maximum magnification with the magnification of the current observation optical system, and when the determined maximum magnification and the magnification of the current observation optical system are different, the determined maximum magnification and the current magnification The user is informed that the magnification of the observation optical system is different. As a means to notify, a method of displaying on the display unit 5, a method by voice, etc. can be mentioned, but any method may be used, and the maximum magnification with which all the determined observation fields are included, and the present It may be informed that the magnification of the observation optical system is different.

  The observation image acquisition unit 69 controls the electric revolver control unit 61 so as to obtain the determined maximum magnification. The electric revolver control unit 61 rotates the electric revolver 28 so that observation with the objective lens 27 that realizes the same magnification as the determined maximum magnification is possible. If there is no objective lens 27 that achieves the same magnification as the determined maximum magnification, the objective lens 27 may achieve the magnification close to the determined maximum magnification.

  The observation image acquisition unit 69 operates the autofocus mechanism after the magnification of the observation optical system is changed to the maximum magnification. Thereby, it is possible to automatically adjust the focus after the replacement of the objective lens 27.

  Further, in the above-described example, the non-confocal image acquired by the imaging device 50 is displayed on the display unit 5, and an instruction of the observation range by the user is received on the displayed non-confocal image. However, the confocal image acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51 may be displayed on the display unit 5 and the instruction of the observation range by the user may be received on the displayed confocal image.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 21, it is possible to select the image observation tab 80k of the user interface 80 after activation and display two image display areas 87a and 87b. For example, an image when illuminated by the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 can be displayed in one of the image display regions 87 a, and an image when illuminated by the ring illumination 25 can be displayed in the other image display region 87 b.

(Three-dimensional shape measurement result)
FIG. 22 is a view showing a user interface displaying the three-dimensional shape measurement result in the focusing mode, and FIG. 23 is a view showing the user interface displaying the three-dimensional shape measurement result in the laser confocal mode.

  A measurement start button 88 is provided at the lower right of the user interface 80 shown in FIG. When the user operates the measurement start button 88 after selecting the scan mode with the scan mode selection button 80g using the mouse 7 or the like, three-dimensional shape measurement is started in the selected scan mode. When the focus combining mode is selected, the first three-dimensional shape measuring means 65 acquires an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP, and as shown in FIG. Is displayed on. When the laser confocal mode is selected, the second three-dimensional shape measuring means 66 acquires an image capable of grasping the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP, and as shown in FIG. Is displayed on. Although the measurement result display area 89 is the live image display area 80a, the display content is different, and therefore the name and the code are changed.

  The image displayed in the measurement result display area 89 can be an image in which the viewpoint is changed. For example, the observation object SP can be an image viewed from directly above, an image viewed obliquely, etc. What is illustrated is an image viewed obliquely from the observation object SP. Further, the image displayed in the measurement result display area 89 may be the above-described color image. Furthermore, the image displayed in the measurement result display area 89 may be an image whose color is changed depending on the height. For example, the high part is red and the low part is blue.

  FIG. 24 is a view showing a user interface 80 on which the profile measurement screen 90 is displayed. After measurement of the three-dimensional shape of the observation surface of the observation object SP is completed, when the measurement button 92 shown in FIGS. 22 and 23 is operated, a profile measurement area 90 as shown in FIG. 24 is displayed. If, for example, two arbitrary points are designated in the profile measurement area 90, the profile between the two points is enlarged and displayed in the measurement result display area 91. This is an example of profile measurement.

(Configuration of image generation unit 72b)
As shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 72 includes an image generation unit 72b. The image generation unit 72 b generates a composite image obtained by combining the color image acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement unit 65 and the three-dimensional shape data acquired by the second three-dimensional shape measurement unit 66. The composite image generated here is displayed on the display unit 5. The display unit 5 can simultaneously display the composite image generated by the image generation unit 72 b and the color image acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65.

  Moreover, it is also possible to adopt the following method as a method of combining colors. For example, the motorized mounting table 23 is disposed at a preset upper limit height, and while moving downward therefrom, height information of each pixel is obtained in the laser confocal mode. Thereafter, when the motorized mounting table 23 reaches the preset lower limit height, the image pickup device 50 picks up images a plurality of times while moving upward, and the color of the pixel when focused and the laser confocal mode The color information can be generated by combining the height information acquired in

  The first focus searching means 63 is configured to illuminate the observation object SP with the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 or the ring illumination 25 and to perform a focus search based on an image acquired by the imaging device 50. When the image generation unit 72 b generates a composite image, the first focus search unit 63 illuminates the observation object SP with the coaxial incident illumination 24 and performs focus search based on the image acquired by the imaging device 50. Is configured. Is preferred. This is the coaxial epi-illumination that is substantially the same as the irradiation direction of the laser beam in the laser confocal mode when combining the luminance information acquired in the laser confocal mode and the color information acquired by the imaging device 50. This is because 24 is preferable as the illumination means.

  That is, when an image is acquired by the imaging device 50 using the coaxial epi-illumination 24, even if the observation surface of the observation object SP is uneven, the unevenness due to the unevenness is hard to occur, and the acquired image has a three-dimensional effect. It will be an image without On the other hand, according to the principle of laser confocal, the amount of light reflected from the inclined surface decreases, so that the obtained image is an image in which the contour of the unevenness is emphasized as a result. Combining these results in an image suitable for observation. The reason is that, when an image including color information is acquired by the imaging device 50 using the coaxial epi-illumination 24, there is no extra shading information in the image, and the shading information acquired by the principle of laser confocal is included. This is because, even if it is combined with an eclipse image, it does not disturb the shadow information (brightness information) acquired by the principle of laser confocal. Therefore, the color image obtained after composition has a good appearance.

  On the other hand, when an image is acquired by the imaging device 50 using the ring illumination 25, if the observation surface of the observation object SP has unevenness, a shadow due to the unevenness is easily obtained, which is advantageous for contrast calculation. The advantage in contrast calculation means that focus search is easy. Further, it is also advantageous for obtaining a color image having a sense of unevenness (three-dimensional effect), and as a result, the appearance of the color image is improved. However, when combined with the luminance information acquired according to the principle of laser confocal, since the way of shading differs in the first place, it becomes an image unsuitable for observation, and it becomes an image that can not be said to have a good appearance as a color image. .

  Although the principle of focus composition is not suitable for the observation object SP having no luminance difference (a luminance ratio is close to 1) even at the time of focusing, the shadows due to unevenness are the same even if the color of the surface of the observation object SP is the same. If there is, the resulting image has a difference in luminance (the luminance ratio is larger than 1), so that focus combination can be performed. Further, depending on the irradiation angle of the light by the ring illumination 25, in the case of the observation object SP having unevenness, a shadow may easily appear in the acquired image, and focus combination may be facilitated. In this case, it is easy to search for a focus, and therefore, in the case of a color image, an image with shading and a three-dimensional effect is obtained, and as a result, the appearance as a color image is improved.

(Configuration of the reliability index calculator 72d)
As shown in FIG. 6, the controller 72 includes a reliability index calculator 72d. The reliability index calculating unit 72 d is a first reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result obtained by the first focus searching means 63 or a second reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result obtained by the second focus searching means 64. calculate. The reliability index calculator 72 d is configured to calculate the first reliability index and the second reliability index for each pixel. In this embodiment, both of the first reliability index and the second reliability index are calculated, but only one of them may be calculated.

  The first reliability index is, for example, a contrast value acquired by the imaging device 50. The higher the contrast value, the higher the first reliability index. Instead of the contrast value, the luminance of each pixel may be used as the first reliability index. The second reliability index is, for example, a pixel value acquired by the photomultiplier tube 51. The higher the pixel value is, the higher the second reliability index is set. As the second reliability index, the half value width of the light reception intensity shown in FIG. 7 may be used instead of the pixel value.

  The reliability index calculation unit 72d calculates the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation object SP illuminated by the coaxial incident light 24 and the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation object SP illuminated by the ring illumination 25. You can also

(Configuration of replacement determination unit 72e)
The controller 72 controls the first three-dimensional shape data acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 and the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 based on the first reliability index and the second reliability index. And a replacement determination unit (replacement determination means) 72e that determines the necessity of replacement with the second three-dimensional shape data acquired in step.

  The replacement determination unit 72e is configured to automatically replace the first three-dimensional shape data with the second three-dimensional shape data. That is, while acquiring the first reliability index of each pixel constituting the first three-dimensional shape data in association with the position of the pixel, the second reliability index of each pixel constituting the second three-dimensional shape data corresponds to the pixel Get associated with the position. Then, the reliability index of the specific pixel of the first three-dimensional shape data and the pixel of the second three-dimensional shape data at the same position as the pixel is compared. That is, the first reliability index of the pixel at the same position is compared with the second reliability index.

  As a result of comparison, if the first reliability index is higher, the pixels constituting the first three-dimensional shape data are made effective, the pixels constituting the second three-dimensional shape data are invalidated, and the second reliability index is Is high, the pixels constituting the second three-dimensional shape data are made effective, and the pixels constituting the first three-dimensional shape data are made invalid. As described above, it is possible to construct highly reliable three-dimensional shape data by determining whether or not replacement is necessary for all pixels.

  The first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data include height information as described above. In addition, the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data may include color information.

  The replacement determination unit 72e can also be configured to receive an instruction as to whether or not to replace the first three-dimensional shape data with the second three-dimensional shape data. For example, the user instructs to replace the first three-dimensional shape data with the second three-dimensional shape data by, for example, operating the mouse 7 or the like, and the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional data. It can be instructed not to replace the shape data. Not replacing the first three-dimensional shape data with the second three-dimensional shape data means using the first three-dimensional shape data or the second three-dimensional shape data as it is.

  The replacement determination unit 72e is configured to receive an instruction to prioritize one of the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data over the other. For example, when the user operates with, for example, the mouse 7 etc., instructing the first three-dimensional shape data to be used in preference to the second three-dimensional shape data, the second three-dimensional shape data being It can be instructed to use prior to three-dimensional shape data. In this case, priority may be set.

  The replacement determining unit 72e determines, based on the first reliability index and the second reliability index, information used in determining whether to replace the first three-dimensional shape data with the second three-dimensional shape data. Have acquired. The replacement determination unit 72e can be configured to notify the user of this information. Examples of means for notification include a method of displaying on the display unit 5, a method by voice, and the like, but any method may be used, and the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data may be used. It is sufficient if the information used in the determination of whether or not to replace with can be notified. As a specific example of this information, for example, the first reliability index and the second reliability index can be listed as a numerical value or a graph.

  The control unit 72 is configured by the first three-dimensional shape data and / or the second three-dimensional shape data, and generates a plurality of three-dimensional images showing different regions of the observation object SP, and the plurality of three-dimensional images The images can be concatenated to construct one three-dimensional image. That is, by acquiring the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data of the first region of the observation object SP, it is possible to generate a three-dimensional image of the first region. This three-dimensional image may be composed only of the first three-dimensional shape data, or may be composed only of the second three-dimensional shape data, or the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape It may be composed of data.

  Thereafter, the mounting table control unit 62 controls the stage driving unit 54 to change the horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23, and the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape of the second region of the observation object SP Data can be acquired to generate a three-dimensional image of the second region. Thus, a plurality of three-dimensional images can be generated. By linking a plurality of generated three-dimensional images, it is possible to construct one three-dimensional image showing a wide range of three-dimensional shapes of the observation object SP.

(Control of focus search means based on reliability index)
The reliability index calculation unit 72 d of the control unit 72 calculates the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation object SP illuminated by the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the focus index of the observation object SP illuminated by the ring illumination 25 by the above-described method. It is possible to calculate with the reliability index of the search result. Specifically, the reliability index of the focus search result when the light of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 is irradiated to the observation object SP at the first ratio is calculated, and the calculated reliability index is a predetermined standard. If it is determined that the predetermined standard is not satisfied, the light of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 is observed at a second ratio different from the first ratio. It is configured to irradiate the object SP to perform a focus search. The “predetermined reference” can be set based on whether or not the measurement result of the three-dimensional shape can be appropriately obtained by the focus search result. The focus search result that can appropriately obtain the measurement result of the three-dimensional shape is a predetermined reference.

  In this embodiment, as described above, the light amount of the coaxial epi-illumination light 24 and the light amount of the ring illumination 25 can be adjusted independently, and the first ratio and the second ratio are, for example, It can be expressed as a percentage. The coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 can be arbitrarily set between 0% and 100%, and the coaxial epi-illumination 24 is 0% and the ring illumination 25 is 100% (illumination of only the ring illumination 25) or It is also possible to set the coaxial epi-illumination 24 to 100% and the ring illumination 25 to 0% (illumination of only the coaxial epi-illumination 24).

  In addition, the control unit 72 determines that the reliability index of the focus search result when the light of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 is irradiated to the observation object SP at the first ratio satisfies the predetermined criteria. In the case, the observation object SP is irradiated at the first ratio to measure the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP. The control unit 72 can arbitrarily change the first ratio.

  Further, the control unit 72 compares the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation object SP illuminated by the coaxial incident light 24 with the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation target SP illuminated by the ring illumination 25; When the reliability index when illuminated by the coaxial epi-illumination 24 is lower than the reliability index when illuminated by the ring illumination 25, illumination is performed by the ring illumination 25 and the image acquired by the imaging device 50 is used. The first focus search means 63 performs a focus search.

  Further, the control unit 72 calculates the reliability index of the focus search result when the light of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 is irradiated to the observation object SP at the first ratio, and the calculated reliability index is predetermined. If it is determined that the predetermined standard is not satisfied, high dynamic range combining (HDR) is performed to expand the dynamic range of the captured image while maintaining the first ratio. ) Can also be configured to perform the process. When performing HDR processing, the lighting ratio may be changed from the first ratio.

  The HDR processing is processing for obtaining an image having a wide dynamic range by combining a plurality of imaging data by capturing a plurality of times while changing the exposure time and the like, and combining them, and this processing itself is a conventional HDR It can be the same process as the process. In addition, in an image acquired under a single exposure condition, focus search can not be performed on a part where halation (overexposure) or underexposure has occurred, but when HDR processing is performed, halation or overexposure occurs. As a result, the focus search can be performed more accurately.

  In addition, the light amount of at least one of the coaxial epi-illumination 24 and the ring illumination 25 may be changed without performing the HDR processing, or the exposure time may be changed.

  Further, the control unit 72 determines the reliability index of the focus search result when the light of the coaxial incident illumination 24 is irradiated to the observation object SP, and the focus search result when the light of the ring illumination 25 is irradiated to the observation object SP The second three-dimensional shape measuring means 66 calculates the reliability index of the second one, and determines whether both the reliability indices satisfy the predetermined criteria, and determines that the predetermined criteria are not satisfied. To measure the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP.

  Further, the control unit 72 is based on the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation object SP illuminated by the coaxial incident light 24 and the reliability index of the focus search result of the observation object SP illuminated by the ring illumination 25. It can also be configured to switch to illumination with a high reliability index.

(Configuration of collision estimation unit 72f)
When the electric revolver 28 is provided, the tip of the objective lens 27 collides with the observation object SP when switching from the long objective lens 27 of working distance (hereinafter referred to as WD) to the short objective lens 27 of WD. There is a risk of On the other hand, when the user turns the revolver by hand, generally, the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP are simultaneously viewed while turning, so the rotation of the revolver is stopped immediately before the objective lens 27 collides with the observation object SP. It is believed that the above-mentioned problem does not occur, and therefore the above-mentioned problem is a problem unique to the electric revolver 28.

  On the other hand, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6, the control unit 72 is provided with a collision estimation unit 72f. When the electric revolver 28 starts to rotate, the collision estimation unit 72 f is electrically operated based on the position and height information of the observation object SP acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 or the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66. The collision between the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP after the revolver 28 rotates is estimated.

  The collision estimation unit 72f can acquire the position and height information of the observation object SP acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 or the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66, and the position of the observation object SP When it is attempted to rotate the electric revolver 28 after acquiring the height information and the height information, the collision estimation unit 72 f may set the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP after the electric revolver 28 rotates before starting the rotation. It is configured to estimate a collision. Since the collision with the observation object SP is mainly at the tip of the objective lens 27, information on the tip of the objective lens 27 is obtained in advance and stored in the storage unit 73 or the like. As information on the tip portion of the objective lens 27, in addition to the above-mentioned WD, the same focal length, the length and the outer diameter of the objective lens 27, and the like can be mentioned. The homofocal distance is a distance from the attachment surface of the objective lens 27 to the observation surface of the observation object SP. When it is intended to rotate the electric revolver 28 before acquiring the position and height information of the observation object SP, the position and height information of the observation object SP is acquired before the rotation is started, and collision is It is sufficient to make an estimation.

  The position of the tip of the objective lens 27 after the motorized revolver 28 rotates can be grasped based on the information on the tip of the objective lens 27. It is determined whether or not a part of the observation object SP is present at this position, and when a part of the observation object SP is present where the tip of the objective lens 27 is located, It is assumed that the object of observation SP collides with the object of observation, while the part of the object of observation SP does not collide with the object of observation SP when the tip of the objective lens 27 is not partially present. presume.

  The navigation image acquisition unit 68 is configured to control the electric revolver 28 by the electric revolver control unit 61 to acquire the navigation image by the imaging device 50 with the magnification of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 as the first magnification. Can. This first magnification can be set arbitrarily.

  When the motorized revolver 28 starts to rotate so that the magnification of the non-confocal observation optical system 30 is set to be higher than the first magnification, the collision estimation unit 72 f performs the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 or the second The collision between the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP can be estimated based on the position and height information of the observation object SP acquired by the three-dimensional shape measurement means 66. That is, the high-magnification objective lens 27 tends to have a shorter WD than the low-magnification objective lens 27. In this case, the objective lens 27 and the observation object based on the position and height information of the observation object SP Estimating collisions with the SP is particularly useful.

  Further, the navigation image acquisition means 68 is configured to control the electric revolver 28 by the electric revolver control unit 61 to acquire the navigation image by the photomultiplier tube 51 with the magnification of the confocal observation optical system 40 as the first magnification. You can also

  When the motorized revolver 28 starts to rotate so that the magnification of the confocal observation optical system 40 is set to be higher than the first magnification, the collision estimation unit 72 f performs the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 or the second third order The collision between the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP can be estimated based on the position and height information of the observation object SP acquired by the original shape measurement means 66.

  The first focus search means 63, the second focus search means 64, the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65, and the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 are information on the position and height of the observation object SP used by the collision estimation unit 72f. It can be configured to operate according to the simple height measurement condition for measuring. For example, the objective lens 27 having a magnification that includes the observation field of view determined based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 where the navigation image is displayed may be used as the objective lens 27 under the simplified height measurement condition. The simple height measurement conditions are measurement conditions set more simply than at the time of observation.

  The collision estimation unit 72f measures the simplified height when the motorized revolver 28 starts rotating so that the objective lens 27 whose working distance is shorter than the objective lens 27 under the simplified height measurement condition becomes the objective lens 27 for observation. The collision between the objective lens 27 with a short working distance and the observation object SP is estimated based on the position and height information of the observation object SP acquired according to the conditions.

  When the motorized revolver 28 starts to rotate so that the objective lens 27 having a magnification higher than that of the objective lens 27 under the simplified height measurement condition becomes the objective lens 27 for observation, the collision estimation unit 72 f performs the objective lens with a high magnification 27 can also be configured to estimate the collision between the observation object 27 and the observation object SP.

  The collision estimation unit 72f can be configured to notify the user when it is estimated that the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP collide with each other. Examples of the means for notification include a method of displaying on the display unit 5, a method by voice, and the like, but any method may be used.

  After notification, the user may be able to cancel the rotation of the electric revolver 28. A rotation cancel button of the electric revolver 28 is provided on the user interface so that the user can operate it. In addition, after notification, an objective lens 27 having a low possibility of collision may be presented to the user and made selectable. In addition, the user can be presented with a usable magnification of the objective lens 27 in advance.

  The Z-axis drive unit 52 changes the relative distance so that the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 becomes longer than the current distance before the motorized revolver 28 rotates, and then the mounting table control unit 62 corresponds to the observation position and / or the observation field determined based on the designation of the position on the display unit 5 after the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 is increased by the Z-axis drive unit 52 After the horizontal position of the motorized mounting table 23 is changed, the collision estimation unit 72f can also estimate the collision between the objective lens 27 and the observation object SP.

  The control unit 72 can set the upper limit value and the lower limit value of the separation distance between the objective lens 27 and the motorized mounting table 23 based on the height information of the observation object SP used by the collision estimation unit 72 f.

  The autofocusing mechanism can be configured to automatically focus on the observation object SP in the process of shortening the relative distance between the objective lens 27 and the Z-axis drive unit 52 by the Z-axis drive unit 52.

  The first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 and the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 may be configured to measure the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP when the navigation image acquisition means 68 acquires a navigation image. .

(Operation example 1)
FIG. 25 is a flow chart showing a procedure for measurement in the focusing mode and the laser confocal mode without asking the user for confirmation. In step SB1, three-dimensional shape measurement data is acquired in the focus combining mode. At step SB2, the reliability index calculating unit 72d calculates the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired at step SB1. The reliability can be obtained based on the reliability index, and the higher the reliability index, the higher the reliability. Also, the reliability and the reliability index may be the same.

  At step SB3, three-dimensional shape measurement data is acquired in the laser confocal mode. At step SB4, the reliability index calculating unit 72d calculates the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired at step SB3. At step SB5, the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated at step SB2 is compared with the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated at step SB4. In step SB6, three-dimensional shape measurement data is created using data of higher reliability in each pixel (each pixel).

  Specifically, when the reliability of the three-dimensional shape data acquired in the focusing mode is equal to or higher than the reliability of the three-dimensional shape data acquired in the laser confocal mode, the control unit 72 performs the first reliability index described above. Is determined to be equal to or higher than the second reliability index, and three-dimensional shape data acquired in the focus combining mode is used. On the other hand, when the reliability related to the laser confocal mode is higher than the reliability related to the focus combining mode, it is determined that the first reliability index is less than the second reliability index, and the third order acquired in the laser confocal mode Use original shape data. It is to be noted that the replacement determination unit 72e determines whether the reliability is high. Also, as described above, this determination is made at each pixel. Instead of reliability, the reliability index may be directly compared.

  Thereafter, the process proceeds to step SB7. In this way, the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP is acquired. Steps SB1 and SB2 can be interchanged with steps SB3 and SB4. In this case, measurement can be performed first in the laser confocal mode. Also, step SB2 and step SB4 can be performed in parallel.

(Operation example 2)
FIG. 26 is a flow chart showing a procedure for measurement in the focusing mode and the laser confocal mode according to the reliability of the measurement result. In step SC1, three-dimensional shape measurement data is acquired in the focus combining mode. In step SC2, the reliability index calculator 72d calculates the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in step SC1. In step SC3, it is determined whether the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated in step SC2 is equal to or more than a threshold. If NO in step SC2 and the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data is less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step SC4, while YES is determined in step SC2 and the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data is the threshold. If it is the value or more, the process proceeds to step SC8, and the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in the focus combining mode is used.

  In step SC4, which is determined as NO in step SC3 and proceeds, three-dimensional shape measurement data is acquired in the laser confocal mode. In step SC5, the reliability index calculator 72d calculates the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in step SC4. At step SC6, the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated at step SC2 is compared with the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated at step SC5. In step SC7, three-dimensional shape measurement data is created using data of higher reliability in each pixel (each pixel). The replacement determination unit 72e determines whether the reliability is high. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step SC8. In this way, the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP is acquired.

  As described above, when the reliability of the three-dimensional shape data acquired in the focusing mode is equal to or more than the threshold value, the control unit 72 determines that the first reliability index is equal to or more than the predetermined first threshold value. It is judged that there is, and the 3D shape data acquired in the focusing mode is used as it is, but when the reliability is less than the above threshold, it is replaced by the 3D shape data acquired in the laser confocal mode . The replacement determination unit 72e determines whether the reliability is high. Also, as described above, this determination is made at each pixel. Instead of reliability, the reliability index may be directly compared.

  Steps SC1 and SC2 can be interchanged with steps SC4 and SC5. In this case, measurement can be performed first in the laser confocal mode. In such a configuration, when the reliability of the three-dimensional shape data acquired in the laser confocal mode is equal to or higher than the threshold, the control unit 72 determines that the second reliability index described above is a predetermined second. It is judged that the threshold value is over and the 3D shape data acquired in the laser confocal mode is used as it is, but when its reliability is less than the above threshold value, it is replaced by the 3D shape data acquired in the focusing mode. To use. Instead of reliability, the reliability index may be directly compared.

(Operation example 3)
FIG. 27 is a flow chart showing a procedure in the case where the user decides whether to measure in the focus combining mode and the laser confocal mode. At step SD1, three-dimensional shape measurement data is acquired in the focus combining mode. In step SD2, the reliability index calculator 72d calculates the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in step SD1. In step SD3, it is determined whether the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated in step SD2 is equal to or more than a threshold. If NO in step SD2 and the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data is less than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step SD4, while YES is determined in step SD2 and the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data is the threshold. If it is the value or more, the process proceeds to step SD9, and the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in the focus combining mode is used.

  In step SD4, which is determined as NO in step SD3 and proceeds, notification is made to the user via the display unit 5 as to whether or not replacement is necessary. Specifically, in this step SD4, the display unit 5 displays a dialog of "Do you want to acquire data by laser confocal?" The dialog is not limited to this, and may be a dialog asking the user whether or not measurement in laser confocal mode may be re-performed. Then, based on the operation input made through the keyboard 6 and the mouse 7, the processing shifts to processing for executing replacement.

  Specifically, when the user inputs an answer “NO” in step SD4, the process proceeds to step SD9, and the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in the focus combining mode is used. If the user inputs an answer YES in step SD4, the process proceeds to step SD5, and three-dimensional shape measurement data is acquired in the laser confocal mode. In step SD6, the reliability index calculator 72d calculates the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data acquired in step SD5. At step SD7, the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated at step SD2 is compared with the reliability of the three-dimensional shape measurement data calculated at step SD6. In step SD7, three-dimensional shape measurement data is created using data of higher reliability in each pixel (each pixel). The replacement determination unit 72e determines whether the reliability is high. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step SD9. In this way, the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP is acquired. Steps SD1 and SD2 can be interchanged with steps SD5 and SD5. In this case, measurement can be performed first in the laser confocal mode. In the case where the measurement is performed first in the laser confocal mode, a dialog of “Do you want to acquire data by focus combination?” May be displayed on the display unit 5 in step SD4.

  In the operation examples 1 to 3, although the measurement in the laser confocal mode and the measurement in the focusing mode are performed over the entire range of the field of view of the objective lens 27, it is not limited thereto. For example, after the measurement in the focusing mode is performed on the entire range of the field of view of the objective lens 27, only the pixels (areas) with low reliability are remeasured in the laser confocal mode, or the measurement in the laser confocal mode is performed. After performing the entire range of the field of view of the objective lens 27, it is also possible to re-measure only the pixels (areas) with low reliability in the focusing mode.

(Operation and effect of the embodiment)
According to this embodiment, it is possible to realize a measurement method using the principle of focus synthesis and a measurement method using the principle of laser confocal.

  The measurement parameter setting unit 67 can set measurement parameters of each measurement mode of the focus combining measurement mode by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 and the laser confocal measurement mode by the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66. For example, when the measurement parameter is set by the measurement parameter setting unit 67 in the focus synthesis measurement mode and then switched to the laser confocal measurement mode, the measurement parameter set in the focus synthesis measurement mode is the laser. It is taken over as a measurement parameter of the focus measurement mode. The same applies to the case where the laser confocal measurement mode is switched to the focus combination measurement mode. Therefore, even if the measurement mode is frequently switched, the burden on the user's operation can be reduced.

  In addition, since the basic measurement display area 82 capable of displaying parameters and the live image display area 80a are displayed on the display unit 5, the measurement mode parameters are displayed while the user is looking at the live image of the live image display area 80a. Can be set. At this time, one of the measurement mode parameter setting area by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 and the measurement mode parameter setting area by the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 are displayed in the basic measurement display area 82. Measurement parameters can be set. For example, when the user causes the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 to display the measurement mode parameter setting area, the live image display area 80a is acquired by the imaging device 50 through the non-confocal observation optical system 30. When a live image is displayed and the user causes the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 to display a parameter setting area for measurement mode, the photoelectron doubling is performed via the confocal observation optical system 40 in the live image display area 80a. The live image acquired by the pipe 51 is displayed. That is, since the live image being displayed corresponds to the parameter displayed in the basic measurement display area 82, the usability of the user at the time of setting can be improved.

  Further, as described above, the measurement method using the principle of focus synthesis and the measurement method using the principle of confocal can be configured to have both, and the measurement method using the principle of focus synthesis In this case, the three-dimensional shape of the observation object SP can be measured in a state of being illuminated by either the coaxial epi-illumination 24 or the ring illumination 25 or in a state of being illuminated by both. As a result, it is possible to measure the three-dimensional shape not only of the observation object SP having a mirror-like shape, but also of the observation object having a diffuser or a large unevenness.

  Also, since the first reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search by the first focus searching means 63 and the second reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search by the second focus searching means 64 are calculated, the reliability is calculated. High three-dimensional measurement data is obtained.

  Also, when the user designates a position on the display unit 5 on which the navigation image is displayed, the observation position and / or the observation field of view are determined based on the designation of the position. The motorized mounting table 23 is moved according to the determined observation position and / or observation field of view, or the magnification of the observation optical system is changed, and an observation image is acquired by the imaging device 51 or the photomultiplier 51.

  After that, for example, when the observation range is out of the navigation image due to a change in the observation range by the user, etc., it is necessary to add the region to the navigation image, and thus the area addition designation is performed. Become. Then, the navigation image acquisition means 68 first determines whether or not the current imaging condition is different from the existing imaging condition at the time of acquiring the navigation image, and if different, the imaging condition is set to the existing navigation image The image pickup condition at the time of acquisition is changed, the additional area is acquired by the imaging device 51 and the photomultiplier tube 51, and the acquired image of the additional area and the navigation image displayed so far are simultaneously displayed on the display unit 5 . This adds a new area to the navigation image. Since the imaging condition of the added area is the same as the imaging condition of the navigation image which has been displayed up to now, it becomes a natural navigation image.

  In addition, the objective lens 27 and the observation target after the electric revolver 28 rotates based on the position and height information of the observation object SP acquired by the first three-dimensional shape measurement means 65 and the second three-dimensional shape measurement means 66 The collision with the object SP can be estimated. Therefore, when switching from the long WD objective lens 27 to the short WD objective lens 27, the risk of the objective lens 27 colliding with the observation object SP is greatly reduced.

  The embodiments described above are merely illustrative in every respect and should not be construed as limiting. Furthermore, all variations and modifications that fall within the equivalent scope of the claims fall within the scope of the present invention.

  As described above, the present invention can be applied to a magnifying observation apparatus, a digital microscope, and the like.

Reference Signs List 1 magnifying observation apparatus 5 display unit 23 motorized mounting table 24 coaxial epi-illumination 25 ring illumination 27 objective lens 28 motorized revolver 30 non-confocal observation optical system 40 confocal observation optical system 50 image pickup element (first light receiving element)
51 Photomultiplier (second light receiving element)
52 Z-axis drive (vertical movement mechanism)
53 Height information detector (height information detector)
54 stage driving unit 62 mounting table control unit 63 first focus searching unit 64 second focus searching unit 65 first three-dimensional shape measuring unit 66 second three-dimensional shape measuring unit 67 measurement parameter setting unit 68 navigation image acquiring unit 69 observed image Acquisition unit 72 Control unit 72 d Reliability index calculation unit 72 e Replacement judgment unit (replacement judging means)
72f collision estimation unit 80a live image display area 80b navigation image display area 82 basic measurement display area 82a first setting display area 82b second setting display area 82c third setting display area SP measurement object SP

Claims (11)

In a magnifying observation apparatus that magnifies an observation object and enables observation,
A mounting table for mounting an observation object;
Observation illumination for irradiating light to an observation object;
Non-confocal observation optical system having an objective lens,
A confocal observation optical system having the objective lens;
A vertical movement mechanism capable of changing the relative distance between the objective lens and the mounting table;
Height information detection means for detecting height information;
A first light receiving element for imaging an observation object through the non-confocal observation optical system to obtain an image of the observation object;
A second light receiving element for measuring an observation object via the confocal observation optical system;
First focus search means for performing a focus search based on height information detected by the height information detection means corresponding to the relative distance by the vertical movement mechanism and an image acquired by the first light receiving element;
Second focus search means for performing a focus search based on height information detected by the height information detection means in accordance with the relative distance by the vertical movement mechanism and a signal acquired by the second light receiving element;
First three-dimensional shape measurement means for acquiring first three-dimensional shape data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the observation object based on the focus position searched by the first focus search means;
Second three-dimensional shape measurement means for acquiring second three-dimensional shape data indicating the three-dimensional shape of the observation object based on the focus position searched by the second focus search means;
At least one of a first reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result by the first focus searching means and a second reliability index indicating the reliability of the focus search result by the second focus searching means is calculated And a control unit. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to claim 1,
The control unit is a replacement that determines whether or not replacement of the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data is necessary based on the calculation result of the first reliability index and the second reliability index. A magnifying observation apparatus characterized by comprising determination means. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to claim 2,
When the first three-dimensional shape measuring means acquires the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape measuring means acquires the second three-dimensional shape data, the control unit is configured to Calculating both the first and second reliability indicators based on
The control unit
When the first reliability index is equal to or more than the second reliability index, the first three-dimensional shape data is selected and used,
And a second three-dimensional shape data selected and used when the first reliability index is less than the second reliability index. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to claim 2,
When the first three-dimensional shape measurement means acquires the first three-dimensional shape data, the control unit calculates the first reliability index based on the first three-dimensional shape data,
The control unit
When the first reliability index is equal to or more than a predetermined first threshold value, the first three-dimensional shape data is used,
When the first reliability index is less than the first threshold value, the second three-dimensional shape data is acquired through the second three-dimensional shape measurement means, and the first three-dimensional shape data is acquired. A magnifying observation apparatus characterized by using the second three-dimensional shape data in place of the second three-dimensional shape data. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to claim 2,
The control unit calculates the second reliability index on the basis of the second three-dimensional shape data when the second three-dimensional shape measurement means acquires the second three-dimensional shape data.
The control unit
If the second reliability index is equal to or greater than a predetermined second threshold, the second three-dimensional shape data is used,
When the second reliability index is less than the second threshold value, the first three-dimensional shape data is acquired via the first three-dimensional shape measurement means, and the second three-dimensional shape data is acquired. A magnifying observation apparatus characterized by using the first three-dimensional shape data in place of the first three-dimensional shape data. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
A display unit for displaying information to the user;
And an operation unit that receives an operation input by the user.
When the control unit determines that the replacement should be performed between the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data, the control unit notifies the user via the display unit and performs the operation. A magnifying observation apparatus characterized in that replacement is performed between the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data based on an operation input made to a unit. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to any one of claims 2 to 6,
The control unit calculates at least one of the first and second reliability indicators for each pixel, and determines whether or not replacement is necessary for each pixel via the replacement determination means. Observation device. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to claim 7,
The said observation part calculates a said 1st reliability index based on the contrast value of each pixel, The expansion observation apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to claim 7 or 8,
The said observation part calculates a said 2nd reliability index based on the pixel value of each pixel, The expansion observation apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The magnifying observation apparatus characterized in that the first three-dimensional shape data and the second three-dimensional shape data include height information. In the magnifying observation apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The first aspect of the present invention is characterized in that the first three-dimensional shape data includes color information.