Interferometric thickness determination of thin metallic films

The deposition of thin metallic films on substrates is a common procedure, with a great number of different techniques, for a variety of practical and scientific applications. One of the most important properties to adjust is the thickness of the film. In special applications like MBE, this is made up in situand during the growth with a precision of one atomic layer. Many technical applications on the contrary require just passing over a minimum thickness. In the present paper we report on the design and construction of an optical interference system, which allows us to monitor and determine the thickness of metallic films after deposition. For this purpose, a calibration based on the comparison of two patterns is applied: the patterns are generated by the substrates with and without a deposited film on it. The thickness of the film is determined as a difference of measure of the patterns