Interferometer measurement device and control method therefor

Abstract

An interferometer measuring device is disclosed which includes a workpiece stage (), a laser interferometer () and a measuring reflector () mounted on the workpiece stage. The measuring reflector () is comprised of a plurality of planar mirrors () that are joined together along a horizontal direction. The laser interferometer () includes a first interferometer () and a second interferometer (). The first interferometer () and the second interferometer () are configured such that during a horizontal movement of the workpiece stage () with respect to the laser interferometer (), when light beams emanated from the first interferometer () and the second interferometer () are incident on a transition section () defined by corresponding adjacent two of the planar mirrors (), the light beam emanated from the first interferometer () is incident on one of the adjacent two planar mirrors () and the light beam emanated from the second interferometer () is incident on the other of the adjacent two planar mirrors (). Additionally, the first interferometer () and the second interferometer () alternately provide positional information to the workpiece stage (). A method for controlling such an interferometer measuring device is also disclosed. The interferometer measuring device and the method enable an extended horizontal measurement range for the workpiece stage () by using the plurality of planar mirrors () that are joined together as well as by alternating zero-reference updating of the two interferometers ().