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Thin Film Characterisation Using Spectroscopy
to Measure and Characterize Thin Films
Sponsored by Avantes BV Jan 10 2014
A coating’s optical thickness is determined by white light interference and
mathematical calculations are used to translate the pattern into optical thickness.
In thin film metrology, these mathematical calculations are used to determine the
thickness and presence of the coatings that have been deposited on a substrate material
using a variety of processes.
There are a number of techniques for this measurement range, including ellipsometry,
profilometry, spectroscopic reflectometry and xray analysis. Fiberoptic sampling tools
and Avantes instruments enable spectroscopic reflectometry measurements to support
applications in a range of industries from solar to semiconductor and optical coating
measurements. Low cost measurement systems for multiand singlelayer thin films on a
number of substrates are provided by Avantes thin film solutions.
Thin Film Quality Control
Thin film deposition processes require regular monitoring and quality control particularly
as new recipes are implemented and optimized in a coating facility.
Typical applications require regular quality control inspection during the initial phases
requiring a highspeed offline measurement system to validate film thickness.
Avantes thin film solutions enable highspeed spot measurements which can facilitate
thin film presence and thickness validation.
Thin Film Reflectometry
In spectroscopic reflectometry, samples are illuminated with a white light, especially
deuterium halogen and tungsten halogen at an incident angle normal to the sample and
then measuring the reflectance and interference from the same geometry.
Based on the nature of the visible, ultraviolet or infrared coating, wavelength
measurements may be required to obtain the right fitting of the measured curve relative
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Thin Film Characterisation - Using Spectroscopy to Measure and Characterize Thin Films
to the theoretical reflectance curve.
A database of optical constants n and k are used to develop the theoretical curve. The
refractive index is the n value and the extinction coefficient is the k value. First the
sampling process involves measurement of a reference uncoated substrate followed by
the sample measurement using the same conditions.
Substrate characteristics such as thickness and material are software inputs along with
thin film layer characteristics.
Software algorithms are used to capture and analyze software algorithms that compare
the measured data to theoretical calculated values derived from the database of optical
constants.
The software offers a calculated thickness value along with a measure of goodness of fit
relative to the theoretical curve.
SingleLayer Thin Film Metrology
The singlelayer thin film metrology system from Avantes includes its AvaSpec
ULS2048USB2 fiberoptic spectrometer, AvaLightDHc/AvaLightDHS deuterium
halogen light source or AvaLightHAL tungsten halogen light source, the FCR7UV2002
ME (optional FCR7UV4002ME for higher throughput) fiberoptic reflection probe and
the Thin Film Stage.
The Avantes’ AvaSoft Thinfilm software drives the single layer system and is a 32 or 64
bit application which supports single layer measurements of thin films ranging from
10nm50µm with 1nm resolution.
UV/VIS and NIS wavelength measurements are supported by AvaSoftThinFilm from
2001100nm. The system has an optional thin film standard which provides coated and
uncoated sample substrates for validation purposes. The AvaLight DHc compact
deuterium halogen source us adequate for most specular surface UV measurements but
for more diffuse coated surfaces, the higher power AvaLightDHS is recommended.
MultiLayer Thin Film Metrology
Avantes’ multilayer thin film metrology system includes the company’s AvaSpec
ULS2048USB2 fiberoptic spectrometer, AvaLightDHc/AvaLightDHS deuterium
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Thin Film Characterisation - Using Spectroscopy to Measure and Characterize Thin Films
halogen light source or AvaLightHAL tungsten halogen light source, the FCR7UV2002
ME (optional FCR7UV4002ME for higher throughput) fiberoptic reflection probe and
its thin film stage. The TFProbe 2.0 is the software that drives the multilayer system and
has been developed by Angstrom Sun Technologies and is fully compatible with Avantes
spectrometers.
Up to five layer measurements are supported by this application and several methods are
supported including dispersion, nk constants and effective media approximation (EMA).
TFProbe offers a userfriendly graphical user interface to input layer structure
parameters.
An optional thinfilm standard may be included in the system that offers sample coated
and uncoated substrates for validation purposes. TFProbe supports UV/VIS and NIR
wavelengths from 2001700 nm and enables the connection of multiple spectrometers to
support this broadband wavelength measurement capability.
The AvaLightDHc compact deuterium halogen source is adequate for most specular
surface UV measurements but for more diffuse coated surfaces, the higher power
AvaLightDHS is recommended.
This information has been sourced, reviewed and adapted from materials provided by
Avantes.
For more information on this source, please visit Avantes.
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Thin Film Characterisation - Using Spectroscopy to Measure and Characterize Thin Films
Avantes BV
Address
Oude Apeldoornseweg 28
Apeldoorn
NS, NL7333
Netherlands
Phone: +31 (313) 670170
Fax: +31 (313) 670 179
Email: info@ avantes. com
Visit Website
Avantes is a leading innovator in the development and application of miniature
spectrometers. To meet our customer’s application needs, Avantes continues to develop
and introduce new instruments for fiber optic spectroscopy. Avantes instruments and
accessories are also deployed in a variety of OEM applications and a variety of industries
in markets throughout the world. With more than 18 years of experience in fiber optic
spectroscopy and thousands of instruments in the field, Avantes is eager to help our
customers find their Solutions in Spectroscopy®.
Techniques Supported
UVVIS/NIR spectroscopy
Process control
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Thin Film Characterisation - Using Spectroscopy to Measure and Characterize Thin Films
Absorbance/transmittance/reflectance
Laserinduced breakdown spectroscopy
CIE color spectroscopy
Portable spectrometers
Fluorescence spectroscopy
Custom applications
lrradiance
Raman spectroscopy
OEM application development
Major Products/Services
Lowcost. highresolution, miniature fiber optic spectrometers: System solutions and
OEM instruments for applications from 185 nm to 2500 nm. Detector choices: PDA,
CMOS, CCD, backthinned CCD, and lnGaAs.
Optical benches with focal lengths of 45, SO or 75 mm; revolutionary new ultralow
straylight
optimized optical bench (ULS) and a new high sensitivity optical bench.
Other features:
14 and 16 bit AID converters
TE cooling
multichannel instrument configurations enabling simultaneous signal acquisition
USB2 communication
support for multiple instruments from a single computer
14 programmable digital I/O ports
Standard application solutions:
lrradiance and LED measurements
gemology
hemometric analysis
thinfilm measurement
color
fluorescence
laserinduced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS)
Raman spectroscopy
process control
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Thin Film Characterisation - Using Spectroscopy to Measure and Characterize Thin Films
Light sources:
Tungstenhalogen
Deuterium
LED
Xenon calibration sources for wavelength and irradiance
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