A confocal interferometry system for making interferometric measurements
of an object, the system including an array of pinholes positioned to
receive a source beam and, for each pinhole in the array of pinholes,
separate the source beam into a corresponding reference beam on one side
of the array of pinholes and a corresponding measurement beam on the
other side of the array of pinholes; a first imaging system arranged to
image the array of pinholes onto an array of spots on or in the object so
that the corresponding measurement beam for each pinhole of the array of
pinholes is directed to a different corresponding spot of the array of
spots and produces for that spot a corresponding return measurement beam,
the first imaging system also arranged to image the array of spots onto
the array of pinholes so that the corresponding return measurement beam
from each spot of the array of spots is directed back to a corresponding
different pinhole in the array of pinholes, wherein for each pinhole the
pinhole array combines the return measurement and reference beams for
that pinhole to produce a corresponding combined beam; and a detector
assembly including an array of detector elements aligned with the array
of pinholes so that the corresponding combined beam for each pinhole is
directed to different corresponding detector element of the array of
detector elements.