Method of measuring one-dimensional photonic crystal period-structure-film thickness based on Bloch surface wave enhanced Goos–H?nchen shift

This paper puts forward a novel method of measuring the thin period-structure-film thickness based on the Bloch surface wave(BSW) enhanced Goos–Hanchen(GH) shift in one-dimensional photonic crystal(1DPC). The BSW phenomenon appearing in 1DPC enhances the GH shift generated in the attenuated total internal reflection structure. The GH shift is closely related to the thickness of the film which is composed of layer-structure of 1DPC. The GH shifts under multiple different incident light conditions will be obtained by varying the wavelength and angle of the measured light, and the thickness distribution of the entire structure of 1DPC is calculated by the particle swarm optimization(PSO) algorithm.The relationship between the structure of a 1DPC film composed of TiO_(2) and SiO_(2) layers and the GH shift, is investigated.Under the specific photonic crystal structure and incident conditions, a giant GH shift, 5.1 × 10^(3) times the wavelength of incidence, can be obtained theoretically. Simulation and calculation results show that the thickness of termination layer and periodic structure bilayer of 1DPC film with 0.1-nm resolution can be obtained by measuring the GH shifts. The exact structure of a 1DPC film is innovatively measured by the BSW-enhanced GH shift.

Nonlinear phase error analysis of equivalent thickness in a white-light spectral interferometer

A white light spectral interferometry based on a Linnik type system was established to accurately measure the thin film thickness through transparent medium.In practical work,the equivalent thickness of a beam splitter and the mismatch of the objective lens introduce nonlinear phase errors.Adding a transparent medium also increases the equivalent thickness.The simulation results showthat the equivalent thickness has a significant effect on thin film thickness measurements.Therefore,it is necessary to perform wavelength correction to provide a constant equivalent thickness for beamsplitters.In the experiments,some pieces of cover glasses as the transparent medium were added to the measured beam and then a standard thin film thickness of 1052.2±0.9 nm was tested through the transparent medium.The results demonstrate that our system has a nanometer-level accuracy for thin film thickness measurement through transparent medium with optical path compensation.

Polarization Measurement Method Based on Liquid Crystal Variable Retarder(LCVR)for Atomic Thin-Film Thickness

Atomic thickness thin films are critical functional materials and structures in atomic and close-to-atomic scale manufacturing.However,fast,facile,and highly sensitive precision measurement of atomic film thickness remains challenging.The reflected light has a dramatic phase change and extreme reflectivity considering the Brewster angle,indicating the high sensitivity of the optical signal to film thickness near this angle.Hence,the precision polarization measurement method focusing on Brewster angle is vital for the ultrahigh precision characterization of thin films.A precision polarization measurement method based on a liquid crystal variable retarder(LCVR)is proposed in this paper,and a measurement system with a high angular resolution is established.A comprehensive measurement system calibration scheme is also introduced to accommodate ultrahigh precision film thickness measurement.Repeatable measurement accuracy to the subnanometer level is achieved.Standard silicon oxide film samples of different thicknesses were measured around Brewster angle using the self-developed system and compared with a commercial ellipsometer to verify the measurement accuracy.The consistency of the thickness measurement results demonstrates the feasibility and robustness of the measurement method and calibration scheme.This study also demonstrates the remarkable potential of the LCVR-based polarization method for atomic film thickness measurement in ultraprecision manufacturing.