Retroreflecting ellipsometer for measuring the birefringence of optical disk substrates

A retroreflecting ellipsometer has been constructed for measuring the birefringence of optical disk substrates. In contrast to conventional ellipsometers with two mechanical arms, this system has only one arm along which both the incident and reflected beams travel. This construction eliminates the mechanical limitations of conventional ellipsometers, thereby permitting normal incidence on the sample. In addition, the single arm is adjustable in two dimensions, with the polar incident angle, θ(inc), varying from 0° to 70°, and the azimuthal incident angle, Φ(inc), varying from 0° to 360°. The condition of normal incidence permits accurate measurement of in-plane birefringence. The adjustability of both θ(inc) and Φ(inc) is necessary for the measurement of possible tilts of the index ellipsoid, and also for the variation of birefringence through the substrate thickness. Measurement results showing the useful features of the equipment are presented. The optics of the hemispherical assembly used for retroreflection as well as for the elimination of undesirable refractions are also studied by use of the ZEMAX lens design program.     

Determination of retardation parameters of multiple-order wave plate using a phase-sensitive heterodyne ellipsometer

To characterize the linear birefringence of a multiple-order wave plate (MWP), an oblique incidence is one of the methods available. Multiple reflections in the MWP are produced, and oscillations in the phase retardation measurement versus the oblique incident angle are then measured. Therefore, an antireflection coated MWP is required to avoid oscillation of the phase retardation measurement. In this study, we set up a phase-sensitive heterodyne ellipsometer to measure the phase retardations of an uncoated MWP versus the oblique incident angle, which was scanned in the x-z plane and y-z plane independently. Thus, the effect on multiple reflections by the MWP is reduced by means of subtracting the two measured phase retardations from each other. As a result, a highly sensitive and accurate measurement of retardation parameters (RPs), which includes the refractive indices of the extraordinary ray n(e) and ordinary ray n(o), is obtained by this method. On measurement, a sensitivity (n(e),n(o)) of 10(-6) was achieved by this experiment setup. At the same time, the spatial shifting of the P and S waves emerging from the MWP introduced a deviation between experimental results and the theoretical calculation.     

A novel method for measuring the vertical birefringence of optical disk substrates

We describe a simple method of measuring vertical birefringence over the entire surface of an optical disk substrate.Our design consists of a linearly polarized He-Ne laser (1-2 mW) and a CCD camera interfaced to a computer. The measurement is non-intrusive, easy to set up, and needs only a few seconds to collect the data and plot a map of vertical birefringence over the surface area of the disk. The system described here is potentially useful as a qualitycontrol tool in substrate manufacturing environments.     

Anisotropic scatter patterns and anomalous birefringence of obliquely deposited cerium oxide films

Cerium oxide films formed by electron-beam evaporation onto oblique substrates are shown to scatter light strongly into spatially anisotropic distributions and to exhibit large normal-incidence birefringence Δ n = n(s) - n(p). The apparatus for direct recording of a useful projection of the scatter distributions is described. Characteristic differences in scatter patterns recorded for cerium oxide, relative to those from tilted columnar titania and zirconia films, are believed to be associated with unusual microstructures recorded for cerium oxide films by scanning electron microscopy. With increasing angle of deposition, the microstructure of cerium oxide was observed to change from densely packed columns to partially isolated needlelike columns at angles that do not obey the tangent rule. In particular, deposition at 55° yielded columns nearly perpendicular to the substrate, yet the normal-incidence birefringence was large. The retardation of the films was recorded as a function of angle of incidence for propagation in the deposition plane. A turning point near 0° incidence for the 55° film confirmed that one principal axis is perpendicular to the substrate. Significant bunching of columns into rows running perpendicular to the deposition plane was recorded by scanning electron microscopy and may account for both the scatter and the birefringence.     

Subtle effects of the substrate in optical disk data storage systems

Much attention has been focused on the effects of the disk substrate in optical data storage. In particular, substrate birefringence has been studied extensively because it causes significant problems in magneto-optic systems. We investigate certain subtle effects of the substrate, such as feedback into the laser diode, in compact disk and phase-change systems. Our analysis of the compact disk system led us to discover a new technique for the rapid measurement of the substrate birefringence. We also address the question of how focusing the laser beam through the substrate will affect the depth of focus.     

Polarization microscopy of magnetic domains for magneto-optical disks.

Polarization microscopes are widely used to image the magnetic domains of a magneto-optical disk and to characterize the birefringence of the disk substrate. For high-resolution imaging, unfortunately, the coupling of the polarization rotation from the Kerr signal, the effect of Fresnel's reflection coefficients, and the substrate birefringence severely deteriorate the image contrast obtained from conventional observations. Here we present the technique of differential polarization microscopy, which replaces the analyzer with a Wollaston prism, for providing better image contrast. Images of a magnetic pattern obtained with both conventional and differential methods are observed for objective lenses that have different numerical apertures and magneto-optical disks with and without a birefringent substrate. The computer simulations and experimental results show that the use of this differential method improves the image contrast and provides excellent tolerance for defects of the optical system.     

On the determination of the optical constants n(λ) and α(λ) of thin supported films

A general method was developed to determine the optical constants n(λ) and α(λ) for a thin semiconducting or metallic supported film from five or three measurements of the transmittance and the reflectance.Exact formulae were deduced for oblique incidence transmittance and reflectance considering multiple coherent reflections in the films and incoherent reflections in the non-absorbing substrate. A computer program was developed that, when used as a subroutine of a European Organization for Nuclear Research program called MINUIT, allowed the method to be tested for gold, silicon, CdS, Cu₂S (chalcocite) and Cu_1.96S (djurleite) polycrystalline films.A residual function shows good agreement between the calculated and measured values of the transmittance and the reflectance when a careful choice of the value of the thickness is made.     

Theoretical model of the polarization properties of the retinal nerve fiber layer in reflection

In several optical technologies for glaucoma diagnosis, polarized light is used to assess the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) of the eye. For better understanding of the polarization properties of the RNFL, it was modeled as a thick birefringent slab containing parallel light-scattering cylinders, and the Mueller matrix for reflectance was derived. The model predicts that (1) the RNFL reflectance has weak intrinsic diattenuation; (2) the diattenuation spectrum depends strongly on the relative refractive indices of the cylinders; (3) both scattering and birefringence contribute to retardation; and (4) the RNFL reflectance generally preserves polarization, but depolarization may be detectable for thick RNFL at short wavelengths.     

Determining the refractive index and average thickness of AsSe semiconducting glass films from wavelength measurements only

The dispersive refractive index n(λ) and thickness d of chalcogenide glass thin films are usually calculated from measurements of both optical transmission and wavelength values. Many factors can influence the transmission values, leading to large errors in the values obtained for n(λ) and d. Anovel optical method is used to derive n(λ) and d for AsSe semiconducting glass thin films deposited by thermal evaporation in the spectral region where k(2) ? n(2), using only wavelength values. This entails obtaining two transmission spectra: one at normal incidence and another at oblique incidence. The procedure yields values for the refractive index and average thickness of thermally evaporated chalcogenide films to an accuracy better than 3%.     

Optical constants and Drude analysis of sputtered zirconium nitride films

Opaque and semitransparent dc magnetron-sputtered ZrN films on glass and silicon have been optically characterized with spectral reflectance measurements and ellipsometry. High rate sputtered ZrN has good optical selectivity, i.e., higher than 90% infrared reflectance and a pronounced reflectance step in the visible to a reflectance minimum of less than 10% at 350 nm. The results are comparable with those obtained for single crystalline samples and those prepared by chemical vapor deposition. The complex optical constant (N = n v ik) for opaque films has been determined in the 0.23-25-μm wavelength range with Kramers-Kronig integration of bulk reflectance combined with oblique incidence reflectance for p-polarized light. A variable angle of incidence spectroscopic ellipsometer has been used for determination of the optical constants in the 0.28-1.0-μm wavelength region. The results of the two methods show excellent agreement. The results indicate that ZrN is free electronlike and the Drude model can be applied. The best opaque films had Drude plasma energies (?ω(p) between 6.6 and 7.5 eV and relaxation energies (?/τ) between 0.29 and 0.36 eV. Ellipsometer data for the semitransparent films show that the refractive index (n) in the visible increases with decreasing film thickness whereas the extinction coefficient (k) is essentially unchanged. The optical properties are improved by deposition upon a heated substrate.     

A study of silicon oxynitride film prepared by ion beam assisted deposition

A SOI-based optoelectronic device needs a high-quality antireflection coating on both faces of the device to minimize the optical reflectance from the face. In this work amorphous silicon oxynitride films were deposited on silicon substrates by ion beam assisted deposition (IBAD). The main purpose was to use silicon oxynitride film as single layer anti-reflection coating for SOI-based optoelectronic devices. This application is primarily based on the ability to tune the silicon oxynitride optical functions to the optimal values by changing deposition parameters. The chemical information was measured by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) was applied to measure the refractive index and thickness. Single-side polished silicon substrate that was coated with silicon oxynitride film exhibited low reflectance. Double-side polished silicon substrate that was coated with silicon oxynitride film exhibited high transmittance. In addition, the Fresnel losses could be reduced to 0.08 dB by depositing silicon oxynitride films onto double-side polished silicon substrates. The results suggested silicon oxynitride film was a very attractive single layer anti-reflection coating for SOI-based optoelectronic device.     

Measurement of the relative optical phase between amorphous and crystalline regions of the phase-change media of optical recording

We describe a method of measuring the relative optical phase on reflection between amorphous and crystalline regions of the phase-change media of optical data storage. With a red He-Ne laser (wavelength, 632.8 nm) the relative phases on two quadrilayer optical disk stacks were measured and found to be ~40 degrees . The results are in good agreement with the calculated values based on the known layer thicknesses and refractive indices of the stacks. For calibration purposes the height of a known step on an otherwise flat silicon substrate was measured with the same apparatus. The proposed method is fairly simple to set up, can measure both front-surface and through-substrate types of optical disk, and can be used with any laser that has long coherence length.     

Angular solar absorptance of absorbers used in solar thermal collectors

The optical characterization of solar absorbers for thermal solar collectors is usually performed by measurement of the spectral reflectance at near-normal angle of incidence and calculation of the solar absorptance from the measured reflectance. The solar absorptance is, however, a function of the angle of incidence of the light impinging on the absorber. The total reflectance of two types of commercial solar-selective absorbers, nickel-pigmented anodized aluminum, and sputtered nickel nickel oxide coated aluminum are measured at angles of incidence from 5 to 80 in the wavelength range 300 2500 nm by use of an integrating sphere. From these measurements the angular integrated solar absorptance is determined. Experimental data are compared with theoretical calculations, and it is found that optical thin-film interference effects can explain the significant difference in solar absorptance at higher angles for the two types of absorbers.     

High-Transmission-Efficiency and Side-Viewing Micro OIDRS Probe for Fast and Minimally-Invasive Tumor Margin Detection

The determination of a cancer free margin I organs is a difficult and time consuming process, with an unmet need for rapid determination of tumor margin at surgery. In this paper, we report the design, fabrication and testing of a novel miniaturized optical sensor probe with "side-viewing" capability. Its unprecedented small size, unique "side-viewing" capability and high optical transmission efficiency enable the agile maneuvering and efficient data collection even in the narrow cavities inside the human body. The sensor probe consists of four micromachined substrates with optical fibers for oblique light incidence and collection of spatially resolved diffuse reflectance from the contacted tissues. The optical sensor probe has been used to conduct the oblique incidence diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (OIDRS) on a human pancreatic specimen. Based on the measurement results, the margin of the malignant tumor has been successfully determined optically, which matches well with the histological results.     

Effects of substrate birefringence on focusing and tracking servo signals in magneto-optical disk data storage

Using computer simulations based on the diffraction theory of high-N.A. systems, we examine the effects of substrate birefringence on servo signals in magneto-optical disk drives. Our attention is confined to systems that use the methods of push-pull tracking and astigmatic focus-error detection. We show that the amounts of birefringence typically observed in polycarbonate substrates do not in themselves cause problems for the servo channels. However, the presence of residual aberrations in the optical path (astigmatism in particular) can have devastating effects on the magnitude of the track-error signal and the stability of the focusing servo. We show that the combination of substrate birefringence and residual beam astigmatism can either improve or deteriorate the performance of the focusing servo, depending on the orientation of the aberration relative to the principal axes of the substrate.     

Measuring distribution of the ellipsoid of birefringence through the thickness of optical disk substrates

We have measured the birefringence of polycarbonate optical disk substrates, using ellipsometry. For a more comprehensive characterization, the probe beam was incident upon substrates in a wide range of polar angles and from different azimuths relative to track direction (?). Our measurements show that the ellipsoid of birefringence is tilted in the plane of radial (r) and normal (z) directions. The tilt angle varies through thickness, with a maximum value of approximately 10°. For beams passing through the substrate in the ?-z plane and at large incident angles, this tilt causes significant conversion (up to 100%) between p- and s-polarized components. Distributions of other parameters, such as the values of in-plane and vertical birefringence, are obtained simultaneously in the measurements.     

Integrated photoelasticity through imaging fourier polarimetry of an elliptic retarder

It is shown that three optical parameters that are necessary for stress computation in integrated photoelasticity can be measured with high accuracy by use of a Fourier polarimetry method. Inasmuch as a photoelastic sample, which is an object of investigation in integrated photoelasticity, is a kind of an elliptic retarder, the technique presented here measures relative retardation delta, azimuth angle theta, and ellipticity angle epsilon instead of the characteristic parameters that traditionally have been used in integrated photoelasticity. The ability of the new technique to provide better accuracy with a simpler setup has been proved experimentally. Furthermore, the technique is self-contained as for phase measurement; i.e., it automatically performs phase unwrapping at the points where phase data exceed the value of pi. The full value of a phase at a certain point is retrieved by processing of pi-modulo phase data that have been precisely measured at several wavelengths. The usefulness of the new method for integrated photoelasticity has been demonstrated through measurement of a diametrically compressed disk viewed at oblique light incidence.     

Temperature dependence of the birefringence of optical-disk substrates

Injection-molded polycarbonate substrates are used predominantly in read-only, write-once, phase-change and magneto-optic disks for data storage. The in-plane and vertical birefringences of these substrates adversely affect the performance of optical data-storage systems. The disks are typically expected to operate in the ambient temperature range of 5-50 °C. We have investigated the behavior of the in-plane and vertical birefringences of a polycarbonate disk substrate in this temperature range using a custom-built ellipsometer. This study reveals that the in-plane birefringence changes dramatically within the investigated range of temperatures, whereas the vertical birefringence remains essentially constant. We suspect that the change in birefringence is due primarily to thermally induced stress in the substrate.     

Optical anisotropy of a color-etched AZ91 magnesium alloy

In this paper, the optical anisotropy of a color-etched AZ91 magnesium alloy grain is studied. In the first part, the rinsing and drying conditions after etching were varied in order to improve the contrast between grains. A rinsing solution was selected and ellipsometric measurements were carried out to characterize the optical anisotropy of the etched surface. The wavelength, grain orientation and angle of incidence were varied. It was found that the reflection intensity at oblique incidence and the phase shift between parallel and perpendicular polarizations depend on the orientation of the etched surface of the grains. The optical contrast under diffuse light is explained by the morphology of the surface film deposited upon etching. The optical contrast under polarized light is attributed to form birefringence induced by the film texture. The birefringence, the fast axis, the slow axis, and the optical axis of the etched surface were also determined with the polarizing microscope.