CONFOCAL MICROSCOPIC DEVICE

An autofocus for a confocal microscope is realized by means of a confocal microscope arrangement comprising an illumination arrangement for illuminating an object in a raster pattern, first means for generating a first wavelength-selective splitting of the illumination light and second means for generating a second wavelength-selective splitting of the light coming from the object in a parallel manner for a plurality of points of the object, and detection means for detecting the light distribution generated by the second means, wherein an at least point-by-point spectral splitting and detection of an object image in a wavelength-selective manner is carried out and a control signal is generated from the determination of the frequency deviation and/or intensity deviation from a predetermined reference value corresponding to the object position in order to adjust the focal position by means of the vertical object position and/or the imaging system of the microscope. Further, a process is realized for determining deviations of at least a first height profile from at least one simultaneously or previously detected second height profile, preferably for detecting and/or monitoring defects in semiconductor structures, wherein a first object is illuminated in a wavelength-selective manner by a light source and the light originating from the first object is detected and is compared electronically with a previously or simultaneously detected second object.