Characterization method of birefringent films by guided optical waves.

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optics
• Thin Film Technology

Background:

• Characterizing thin dielectric films is crucial for optical devices.
• Existing methods may lack precision or require complex setups.
• Understanding optical properties like refractive indices is essential for film design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a novel, non-destructive method for determining thin dielectric film parameters.
• To enable precise measurement of film thickness, refractive indices, and c-axis orientation.
• To utilize guided mode effective indices for comprehensive film analysis.

Main Methods:

• Measurement of effective indices for Transverse Electric (TE) and Transverse Magnetic (TM) propagating modes.
• Application of optical principles to correlate effective indices with film characteristics.
• Development of a calculation framework to derive thickness, ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices, and c-axis angle.

Main Results:

• Successfully determined the thickness of thin dielectric films.
• Accurately calculated both the ordinary and extraordinary refractive indices.
• Precisely measured the angle between the c axis and the film surface.

Conclusions:

• The presented method offers a reliable approach for complete characterization of thin dielectric films.
• This technique provides valuable insights into the optical anisotropy and structural orientation of films.
• The findings contribute to advancements in thin film metrology and device fabrication.