Thin film measurement and defect characterisation

Event speakers include - NPL's Fernando Castro, and Giannis Chatzopoulos and the University of Huddersfield's Hussam Muhamedsalih.

NPL's Giannis Chatzopoulos will present - Improving confidence in optical measurement of film and foil thickness

Measurements have little value if they cannot be trusted. This talk explores ways to improve confidence in the output of typical film and foil thickness measurement tasks. For optical surface topography instruments – the typical choice for optical thickness measurement – calibration of the core metrological characteristics of noise, scales, resolution etc. establishes the basic instrument performance and verifies manufacturer specifications. The instrument should then be validated for specific inspection tasks by systematic comparison with a trusted (traceable, well-understood) reference instrument. Once the validation stage is complete, outputs of the instrument are used for quality control or product specification purposes. Our confidence in each of these steps as well as the linking between them is of critical importance in order to establish a reliable inspection process. Typical examples of film and foil thickness measurement will be used to present the concepts in this talk.

The University of Huddersfield's Hussam Muhamedsalih will present In-process surface metrology for roll-to-roll thin film manufacturing process

Direct interaction between metrology and manufacturing processes is essential to produce materials that meet design specifications consistently. As science and engineering of roll-to-roll production moves into thinner, more precise coatings for electronic and optoelectronic devices, then the metrology of this is critical. Here I provide our methods to translate the measurement from static (offline) to dynamic for thin film inspecting, for example, Al2O3 film which is used as a barrier for flexible photo-voltaic solar panel. I also present the next generation interferometry that will be used for measuring fast moving surfaces.

NPL's Fernando Castro will present - Advanced measurements to characterise defects in thin film electronics and optoelectronics

Thin films are widely used in all aspects of our lives, from the power converters that make rapid battery charging possible or smart grids a reality, all the way to smart phones, solar panels and multiple types of sensors. Understanding how to identify and characterise defects is critical, as it helps improve manufacturing yield, ensure consistent performance and improve product lifetime. There are several measurement techniques that can be used to characterise defects and often a single method is insufficient, posing a challenge to many end users. In this presentation, I’ll discuss some of the challenges in characterising defects in thin films for electronic and optoelectronic applications and describe some of the advanced techniques available, using examples to highlight which kind of information they can provide. The talk will cover methods compatible with measuring over large-areas as well as high-resolution methods that provide information down to the nanoscale.