A review of selected topics in interferometric optical metrology.

This review gathers together 15 special topics in modern interferometric metrology representing a sampling of historical, current and future developments. The selected topics cover a wide range of applications, including distance and displacement measurement, the testing of optical components, interference microscopy for surface structure analysis, form and dimensional measurements of industrial parts, and recent applications in semiconductor manufacturing and consumer electronics. Techniques range from laser Fizeau systems to dynamic ellipsometry using polarized heterodyne interferometry.