Laser detection of material thickness

Patent · Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 2002

OSTI ID:874709

Early, James W ^[1]

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1. Los Alamos, NM

There is provided a method for measuring material thickness comprising: (a) contacting a surface of a material to be measured with a high intensity short duration laser pulse at a light wavelength which heats the area of contact with the material, thereby creating an acoustical pulse within the material: (b) timing the intervals between deflections in the contacted surface caused by the reverberation of acoustical pulses between the contacted surface and the opposite surface of the material: and (c) determining the thickness of the material by calculating the proportion of the thickness of the material to the measured time intervals between deflections of the contacted surface.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• Assignee: The Regents of the University of California (Los Alamos, NM)
• Patent Number(s): US 6445457
• OSTI ID: 874709
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

laser
detection
material
thickness
provided
method
measuring
comprising
contacting
surface
measured
intensity
duration
pulse
light
wavelength
heats
contact
creating
acoustical
timing
intervals
deflections
contacted
caused
reverberation
pulses
opposite
determining
calculating
proportion
time
laser pulse
time interval
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