Patent ID: 7570367

Claim:
An optical interference apparatus comprising: a controller operable by a user and outputting various signals on the basis of instructions from the user; a light emission section including a light source for emitting light on the basis of a predetermined drive signal supplied from the controller and adapted to emit a beam of light having a specific wavelength; a light interference section including splitting means having a low-reflection region for permitting the greater portion of the light beam emitted from the light emission section to pass therethrough toward an object to be examined, a portion of the emitted light beam being reflected and optically separated at the low-reflection region, reflection means for reflecting toward the splitting means the portion of the light beam reflected and separated at the low-reflection region of the splitting means, moving means for moving the reflection means along the optical axis of the light beam separated through reflection, and light interference means for causing optical interference between the light beam reflected by the reflection means and the light beam reflected by the object to be examined; and a light detection section including light-receiving means for receiving interference light produced as a result of the optical interference at the light interference section.