Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for measuring the thickness of a thin film with angle detection means

US4893024A · kind A · utility

5Cited by
7References
8Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateMay 25, 1988
Grant dateJan 9, 1990
Priority date
Expiry dateMay 25, 2008

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01B11/0675
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus for measuring the thickness of a thin film utilizing an interferometric method includes a light source for generating a monochromatic light beam, a scanner for scanning the light beam on a thin film in such a manner that an incident angle thereto is continuously varied from .alpha. to (-.alpha.), a first detector for detecting the incident angle of the light beam and a second detector for detecting an interference pattern caused by light beams reflected from the top and bottom surfaces of the thin film. The thickness of the thin film is obtained in accordance with a geometrical optical relationship defined between adjacent fringes contained in the detected interference pattern.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.