Impact of angle ranges on thickness resolution in thin film reflectometry

Hirth, Florian; Roßner, Markus; Jakobi, Martin; Koch, Alexander W.

doi:10.1109/isot.2009.5326107

Cited by 4 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Optical reflectometry is a method which analyzes the reflectance spectra of a sample to measure characteristics such as optical constants and thin film thickness and is a well-known and powerful technique for measuring film thickness quickly in several industries [ 12 , 74 , 75 , 76 , 77 ]. There are extensive variants of this method, which are widely available for review in the literature, but the key operating principle of this methodology is the illumination of a sample with an optical light source, detection of the reflected intensity and fitting this intensity as a function of coating thickness [ 76 ].…”

Section: Potential In-line Coating Thickness Test Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous In-Line Chromium Coating Thickness Measurement Methodologies: An Investigation of Current and Potential Technology

Jones

Uggalla

et al. 2021

Sensors

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Coatings or films are applied to a substrate for several applications, such as waterproofing, corrosion resistance, adhesion performance, cosmetic effects, and optical coatings. When applying a coating to a substrate, it is vital to monitor the coating thickness during the coating process to achieve a product to the desired specification via real time production control. There are several different coating thickness measurement methods that can be used, either in-line or off-line, which can determine the coating thickness relative to the material of the coating and the substrate. In-line coating thickness measurement methods are often very difficult to design and implement due to the nature of the harsh environmental conditions of typical production processes and the speed at which the process is run. This paper addresses the current and novel coating thickness methodologies for application to chromium coatings on a ferro-magnetic steel substrate with their advantages and limitations regarding in-line measurement. The most common in-line coating thickness measurement method utilized within the steel packaging industry is the X-ray Fluorescence (XRF) method, but these systems can become costly when implemented for a wide packaging product and pose health and safety concerns due to its ionizing radiation. As technology advances, nanometer-scale coatings are becoming more common, and here three methods are highlighted, which have been used extensively in other industries (with several variants in their design) which can potentially measure coatings of nanometer thickness in a production line, precisely, safely, and do so in a non-contact and non-destructive manner. These methods are optical reflectometry, ellipsometry and interferometry.

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Section: Potential In-line Coating Thickness Test Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Continuous In-Line Chromium Coating Thickness Measurement Methodologies: An Investigation of Current and Potential Technology

Jones

Uggalla

et al. 2021

Sensors

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“…Figure 2a illustrates our measurement setup. A complete description of this measurement system is presented in [ 21 , 22 ]. In this setup, light from a spectrally broad source is coupled to a multimode fiber (Y-branch) and guided by two focusing lenses to the layer system at normal incidence.…”

Section: Model Extensionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the same way, we analyze the influence of the chromatic effect [ 21 , 22 ] introduced by the setup on the captured signal. This effect should be considered to avoid distortions in the measured results.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On-Line Thickness Measurement for Two-Layer Systems on Polymer Electronic Devices

Grassi

Tremmel

Koch

et al. 2013

Sensors

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During the manufacturing of printed electronic circuits, different layers of coatings are applied successively on a substrate. The correct thickness of such layers is essential for guaranteeing the electronic behavior of the final product and must therefore be controlled thoroughly. This paper presents a model for measuring two-layer systems through thin film reflectometry (TFR). The model considers irregular interfaces and distortions introduced by the setup and the vertical vibration movements caused by the production process. The results show that the introduction of these latter variables is indispensable to obtain correct thickness values. The proposed approach is applied to a typical configuration of polymer electronics on transparent and non-transparent substrates. We compare our results to those obtained using a profilometer. The high degree of agreement between both measurements validates the model and suggests that the proposed measurement method can be used in industrial applications requiring fast and non-contact inspection of two-layer systems. Moreover, this approach can be used for other kinds of materials with known optical parameters.

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“…Optical measurement methods, based on ellipsometry [1,2], reflectometry [3,4] or interferometry [5,6], belong to the most important ones in research of thinfilm structures. Ellipsometric angles, reflectances and interferometric phases are of interest in determining the parameters and characteristics of the structures.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measurements by spectroscopic ellipsometry provide the results over a wide wavelength range with greater precision and accuracy [2]. Normal incidence spectroscopic reflectometry [3] or oblique incidence reflectance measurement [4] applied over a wide wavelength range is also a useful tool for the characterization of thin films. The optical method most commonly employed for micrometer-scale thickness measurements is Fourier transform white-light interferometry [5].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure

Hlubina

Luňáček

Ciprián

2010

Optics Communications

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We present a new two-step white-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure. The technique is based on recording of channeled spectra at the output of a Michelson interferometer and their processing by using a windowed Fourier transform to retrieve the phase functions. First, the phase function including the effect of a thin-film structure is retrieved. Second, the structure is replaced by a reference sample of known phase change on reflection and the corresponding phase function is retrieved. From the two functions, the nonlinear phase function of the thin-film structure is obtained. The feasibility of this simple method is confirmed in processing the experimental data for a SiO 2 thin film on a Si wafer of known optical constants. Four samples of the thin film are used and their thicknesses are determined. The thicknesses obtained are compared with those resulting from reflectometric measurements, and good agreement is confirmed.

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Impact of angle ranges on thickness resolution in thin film reflectometry

Cited by 4 publications

References 5 publications

Continuous In-Line Chromium Coating Thickness Measurement Methodologies: An Investigation of Current and Potential Technology

Continuous In-Line Chromium Coating Thickness Measurement Methodologies: An Investigation of Current and Potential Technology

On-Line Thickness Measurement for Two-Layer Systems on Polymer Electronic Devices

White-light spectral interferometric technique to measure a nonlinear phase function of a thin-film structure

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