Precise Measurement of the Thickness of a Dielectric Layer on a Metal Surface by Use of a Modified Otto Optical Configuration

Abstract

We propose a modified method for thickness measurement of a dielectric coating layer on metal based on Otto optical configuration (O-configuration). This method enables us to estimate the coating thickness that typically ranges from several tens of nanometers to more than one micrometer with precision less than a few nanometers. The common method to measure the thickness of dielectric coating layer is to utilize the frustrated total-internal reflection. In order to measure the thickness of several tens of nanometers, one can apply the surface-plasmon-resonance (SPR) phenomenon generated by the p-polarized light. For thickness larger than one hundred nanometers, a metal-clad leaky-waveguide (MCLW) mode generated by the p-or the s-polarized light can be employed without significant changes to the optical setup. The numerical and experimental verifications of the modified O-configuration reveals its effectiveness for precise measurement of moderately-thick dielectric coating layer on the metal.

EasySPR: a web simulador for agile modeling surface plasmon resonance based sensors

“…• Three scenarios in AIM with Otto configuration, previous reported in [21], [30], [31]. The simulators WinSpall [8],…”

Theoretical Biosensor Design for Gold- PVA Surface Plasmon Resonance Layers

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“…In addition, Yang H. et al (2011) [3] used MATLAB program to proposal a prism-based SPR sensor based on Kretschmann's arrangement, considering angular interrogation (AIM) and wavelength interrogation (WIM) modes. Kaneoka Y. et al (2016) [16] proposed a method to measure the thickness of a dielectric layer coating a metal surface. A five-layer structure composed of :glass prism type BK7, air gap, polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) which was used as the dielectric core layer material, gold film and BK7 substrate, was used as an optical model for the measurements.…”

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“…We think that this phase difference deserves a deeper look because it carries nontrivial information about the property of the beam splitting materials. Frustrated total internal reflection is a very useful phenomenon and has been used to measure the thin film thickness and other properties [18][19][20][21][22]. We think that the output phase difference of Mach-Zehnder interferometer can also be another possible way to measure the properties of thin film materials.…”