Method and apparatus for measuring refractive index and thickness of film

• US 5,034,617 A
• Filed: 03/17/1989
• Issued: 07/23/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Isobe, Tami
• Primary Examiner(s): Nelms, David C.
• Application Number:
  US07/330,087
• Time in Patent Office: 858 Days
• Field of Search: 250/560, 356/328, 356/355, 356/357, 356/358, 356/361, 356/317, 356/318, 356/382
• US Class Current: 250/559.28
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0616 of coating
• CPC Class Codes: G01B 11/0675 using interferometry
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/4126 Index of thin films
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/8422 Investigating thin films, e.g. matrix isolation method

Abstract

A method for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a dielectric thin film formed on a substrate. The method comprises the following four steps. A step for irradiating a thin film on a substrate with a monochromatic light of a wavelength λ, changing the incident angle thereof so as to measure a change of the energy reflection ratio or reflectance in response to changes of the incident angle and detect two incident angles θ1 and θ2 which correspond to two extreme values of the reflectance change. A step for irradiating the thin film with a monochromatic light of a wavelength λ'"'"', changing an incident angle thereof so as to measure change of reflectance in response to the change of the incident angle and detect an incident angle θ3 which corresponds to an extreme value of the energy change. A step for calculating the refractive indices and thicknesses of the thin film, on the basis of the incident angle values θ1 and θ2, changing the interference degree number used as a parameter. And a step for determining the thickness of the thin film and the refractive indices thereof with respect to the light of a wavelength λ and the light of a wavelength λ'"'"', on the basis of the incident angle value θ3 and the data calculated as mentioned above. The method makes it possible to easily and accurately carry out the measurement.

Claims

1. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film formed on a substrate, comprising:

a first light source for emitting a first monochromatic light having a wavelength λ

;

a second light source for emitting a second monochromatic light having a wavelength λ

'"'"', which is different from that of said first monochromatic light;

a light changing means for changing a light to be irradiated onto said thin film by selecting one of said emitted first monochromatic light and said emitted second monochromatic light;

an incident angle changing means for changing an incident angle of said selected monochromatic light and for detecting said changed incident angle of said selected monochromatic light;

a detection means adapted to detect a reflection light reflected from said substrate, to measure a reflectance of said detected reflection light, to determine two arbitrary minima or two arbitrary maxima of said measured reflectance corresponding to a change of said incident angle of said first monochromatic light on the basis of said detected incident angle of said emitted first monochromatic light to thereby determine respectively two incident angles θ

₁ and θ

₂ corresponding to said determined two arbitrary minima or said determined two arbitrary maxima when said emitted first monochromatic light is selected by said light changing means, and to determine a single minimum or maximum of said measured reflectance corresponding to a change of said incident angle of said second monochromatic light on the basis of said detected incident angle of said emitted second monochromatic light to thereby determine an incident angle θ

₃ corresponding to said single minimum or maximum when said emitted second monochromatic light is selected by said light changing means; and

a calculation means adapted to calculate refractive indices and thicknesses of said thin film on the basis of said wavelength λ and

said determined two incident angles θ

₁ and θ

₂ as varying orders of interference m₁ and m₂ as parameters according to the following equations;

##EQU4##

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n.sub.f ={(m.sub.1.sup.2 sin .sup.2 θ

.sub.2 -m.sub.2.sup.2 sin .sup.2 θ

.sub.1)/(m.sub.1.sup.2 -m.sub.2.sup.2)}1/2

wherein m₁ and m₂ represent said orders of interference, n_f represents said refractive index of said thin film, and d represents said thickness of said thin film, to calculate refractive indices n'"'"'_f of said thin film on the basis of said wavelength λ

'"'"', said determined incident angle θ

₃ and said calculated thickness d as varying an order of interference m as a parameter according to the following equation;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">n'"'"'.sub.f ={(m.sup.2 ·

λ

'"'"'.sup.2 /4d.sup.2)+sin .sup.2 θ

.sub.3 }1/2

to compare a value of each of said calculated refractive indices n_f with another value of each of said calculated refractive indices n'"'"'_f with respect to a pair of said calculated refractive indices n_f and n'"'"'_f which represent an identical thickness, to determine a pair of refractive indices n_f and n'"'"'_f as genuine refractive indices for said wavelengths λ and

λ

'"'"', and to specify a film thickness corresponding to said specified refractive indices n_f and n'"'"'_f as a genuine value of said thickness of said thin film.

2. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to claim 1, wherein said first light source comprises a first laser source emitting a first laser beam, and said second light source comprises a second laser beam having a wavelength different from a wavelength of said first laser beam.

3. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to claim 1, wherein said light changing means comprises a shutter disposed on optical paths of each of said emitted first monochromatic light and said emitted second monochromatic light.

4. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to claim 1, wherein said incident angle changing means comprises a rotational turn table on which said substrate is mounted.

5. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to claim 4, wherein said incident angle changing means comprises a sensor disposed on an arm which is adapted so as to be coaxial with said turn table and adapted so that a rotation angle of said arm is always twice as large as that of said turn table.

6. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to claim 1, wherein said light changing means comprises an optical system adapted so that said selected monochromatic light is first expanded in a diameter of a beam thereof and then said expanded monochromatic light is converged on said substrate by a condenser lens in such a manner that monochromatic lights having wavelengths different from one another are simultaneously irradiated on said thin film.

7. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to claim 6, wherein said detection means comprises a photosensor array capable of detecting simultaneously reflection lights reflected from said substrate at different reflection angles.

8. An apparatus for measuring a refractive index and a thickness of a thin film according to any one of claim 1 to 7, further comprising a polarization means for changing said selected monochromatic light to an s-polarized light.