Waveguide refractometry as a probe of thin film optical uniformity

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · Journal of Materials Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/JMR.1997.0078· OSTI ID:497670

Potter, Jr B G; Dimos, D; Sinclair, M B ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Laboratory, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1349 (United States)

Optical inhomogeneities through the thickness of a sol-gel-derived, spin-coated Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT) thin film have been evaluated using prism-coupled waveguide refractometry. Unusual waveguide coupling angle behavior has been treated using a multilayer model to describe the optical characteristics of the film. Waveguide refractometry measurements, performed after incremental reductions in film thickness, were used to develop a consistent model for optical inhomogeneity through the film thickness. Specifically, a thin film layer model, consisting of alternating layers of high and low refractive index material, was found to accurately predict irregularities in transverse-electric (TE) mode coupling angles exhibited by the film. This layer structure has a spatial periodicity that is consistent with the positions of the upper film surface at intermediate firings during film synthesis. The correlation emphasizes the impact of the multistep thin-film deposition approach on the optical characteristics of the resulting thin film. {copyright} {ital 1997 Materials Research Society.}

• Research Organization: Sandia National Laboratory
• DOE Contract Number: AC04-94AL85000
• OSTI ID: 497670
• Journal Information: Journal of Materials Research, Journal Name: Journal of Materials Research Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 12; ISSN JMREEE; ISSN 0884-2914
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
LAYERS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
PERFORMANCE TESTING
PZT
REFRACTIVE INDEX
THICKNESS
THIN FILMS