Expand this Topic clickable element to expand a topic
Skip to content
Optica Publishing Group

Multiple determination of the optical constants of thin-film coating materials: a Rh sequel

Not Accessible

Your library or personal account may give you access

Abstract

We extend the previous investigation by Arndt et al. of the optical properties of a common production run of thin and thick Rh films. Using a first-order expansion of the relevant Fresnel equations, we show that the surprisingly large scatter in the derived values of the optical functions n and k reported in this reference is due to a corresponding scatter in the thicknesses used to calculate them. Specifically, the nominal 0.1% measurement capabilities of photometry and ellipsometry are meaningless here unless the film thicknesses can be determined to ∼1 Å. By eliminating these underlying thickness correlations with the first-order expansion, we find that the photometric results are in good mutual agreement. Similar agreement is found between our new spectroellipsometric data for these films and those previously reported by Arndt et al. By combining these two different sets of data, we take advantage of their significantly different dependences and obtain an accurate purely optical assessment of the film thicknesses and optical functions. The thicknesses are found to agree within 2 Å of the metric values, and the optical functions of the thin and thick films are found to be different. The results clearly demonstrate that combined photometric and ellipsometric measurements are far better able to deal with this class of sample than either technique alone. Finally, we show that the spectroellipsometric data are accurately described over the full 1.5–6.0-eV spectral range by a two-parameter effective medium model originally developed by Sen, Scala, and Cohen to interpret the low-frequency conductance properties of sedimentary rocks. Thus the formerly puzzling optical functions of these films are due to microstructure. The results show that these films are microscopic mixtures of Rh and a dielectric phase, presumably Rh oxides or voids, located primarily at the boundary regions between the metal grains and providing optical isolation between them (metal-rich cermet microstructure). When used with standard spectroellipsometric data reduction methods developed for materials analysis applications in semiconductor technology, this model yields values consistent with those obtained above. Our conclusions are consistent with the results of a deterministic analysis of the film microstructures by transmission electron microscopy.

© 1986 Optical Society of America

Full Article  |  PDF Article
More Like This
Multiple determination of the optical constants of thin-film coating materials

D. P. Arndt, R. M. A. Azzam, J. M. Bennett, J. P. Borgogno, C. K. Carniglia, W. E. Case, J. A. Dobrowolski, U. J. Gibson, T. Tuttle Hart, F. C. Ho, V. A. Hodgkin, W. P. Klapp, H. A. Macleod, E. Pelletier, M. K. Purvis, D. M. Quinn, D. H. Strome, R. Swenson, P. A. Temple, and T. F. Thonn
Appl. Opt. 23(20) 3571-3596 (1984)

Determination of thickness and optical constants of thin films from photometric and ellipsometric measurements

Eduardo Elizalde, Jean Marc Frigerio, and Josette Rivory
Appl. Opt. 25(24) 4557-4561 (1986)

Determination of optical constants of thin film coating materials based on inverse synthesis

J. A. Dobrowolski, F. C. Ho, and A. Waldorf
Appl. Opt. 22(20) 3191-3200 (1983)

Cited By

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Cited by links are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Figures (6)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Figure files are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Equations (43)

You do not have subscription access to this journal. Equations are available to subscribers only. You may subscribe either as an Optica member, or as an authorized user of your institution.

Contact your librarian or system administrator
or
Login to access Optica Member Subscription

Select as filters


Select Topics Cancel
© Copyright 2024 | Optica Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved