High-sensitivity surface-photoacoustic spectroscopy

The sensitivity of surface-acoustic-wave detection is extended by several orders of magnitude to a surface-specific absorbance of alphal ~ 10(-9) for a power density of 1 GW/cm(2) using a narrow-bandwidth interdigitated surface-acousticwave detector and an optical irradiation pattern to provide a matched acoustic signal. Major advantages include narrow-bandwidth detection and a large irradiated area that permits more optical energy on the sample. A rapid, nondestructive, reproducible liquid-bonding technique, which permits the extension of these measurements to a wide variety of samples, is demonstrated. Results for AlN and ZrO(2) films (alphal ~ 10(-4)) and fused-silica substrates (alphal ~ 10(-6)-10(-7)) are reported.