System for measuring film thickness

Patent · 01 January 1990

OSTI ID:867523

Batishko, Charles R ^[1]; Kirihara, Leslie J ^[2]; Peters, Timothy J ^[2]; Rasmussen, Donald E ^[2]

---

1. West Richland, WA
2. Richland, WA

A system for determining the thicknesses of thin films of materials exhibiting fluorescence in response to exposure to excitation energy from a suitable source of such energy. A section of film is illuminated with a fixed level of excitation energy from a source such as an argon ion laser emitting blue-green light. The amount of fluorescent light produced by the film over a limited area within the section so illuminated is then measured using a detector such as a photomultiplier tube. Since the amount of fluorescent light produced is a function of the thicknesses of thin films, the thickness of a specific film can be determined by comparing the intensity of fluorescent light produced by this film with the intensity of light produced by similar films of known thicknesses in response to the same amount of excitation energy. The preferred embodiment of the invention uses fiber optic probes in measuring the thicknesses of oil films on the operational components of machinery which are ordinarily obscured from view.

• Research Organization: BATTELLE MEMORIAL INSTITUTE
• DOE Contract Number: AC06-76RL01830
• Assignee: Battelle Memorial Institute (Richland, WA)
• Patent Number(s): US 4956558
• OSTI ID: 867523
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

/250/
amount
argon
blue-green
comparing
components
detector
determined
determining
embodiment
emitting
energy
excitation
excitation energy
exhibiting
exposure
fiber
fiber optic
film
film thickness
films
fixed
fixed level
fluorescence
fluorescent
fluorescent light
function
illuminated
intensity
laser
level
light
light produced
limited
machinery
materials
materials exhibiting
measured
measuring
measuring film
multiplier tube
obscured
oil
oil film
operational
optic
optic probe
optic probes
ordinarily
photomultiplier
photomultiplier tube
preferred
preferred embodiment
probes
produced
response
section
similar
source
specific
suitable
suitable source
thickness
thicknesses
tube
view