Determination of refractive index and thickness of thin layers

US5237392A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• Werner Hickel · Ludwigshafen, DE
• Wolfgang Knoll · Mainz, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 13, 1992
• Grant date: Aug 17, 1993
• Expiry date: Aug 13, 2012

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01B11/0616
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

The refractive index and thickness of ultrathin layers<1 .mu.m in thickness are determined by recording the layers, which have been applied to a solid support, by surface plasmon microscopy as a function of the angle of incidence of the incident laser beam, the method making it possible to determine layer thicknesses with a vertical resolution.gtoreq.0.1 nm and a simultaneous lateral resolution.gtoreq.5 .mu.m.