Abstract

The phase change accompanying the reflection of white light from metal films was studied experimentally by interferometric methods. As predicted by electromagnetic theory, the phase change was found to vary with the wavelength of light. Corrections for this variation must be made in white light multiple-beam interferometry if the full sensitivity of the method is to be used in making thickness measurements. Practical suggestions are given for making the required corrections. It is demonstrated experimentally and theoretically that these corrections are practically independent of the film thickness. Precise measurements of phase changes on silver films gave results closely consistent with those calculated from published values of the optical constants of silver. No such agreement was found for aluminum.

© 1951 Optical Society of America

An Interferometric Method for the Determination of the Absorption Coefficients of Metals, with Results for Silver and Aluminum*

L. G. Schulz
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 41(12) 1047-1051 (1951)

Compensation of phase change on reflection in white-light interferometry for step height measurement

Min-Cheol Park and Seung-Woo Kim
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An Experimental Study of the Change in Phase Accompanying Reflection of Light from Thin Evaporated Films

L. G. Schulz and E. J. Scheibner
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 40(11) 761-765 (1950)

The Shape of Reflected Interference Fringes from Interferometers Coated with Thin Metal Films

J. Holden
J. Opt. Soc. Am. 41(8) 504-510 (1951)

The Impedance Concept in Thin Film Optics

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