Project information
Design and construction of an Ultra-violet optical apparatus for in situ measurements of areal optical homogeneity of thin films prepared by IBAD

The project proposal suggests to design and build an UV optical apparatus for in situ monitoring of areal thickness- and optical homogeneity of thin films. The method and selected UV wavelength region suggested for this task represents an unique approach, which to the best knowledge of the applicant, has not been used for similar in situ applications yet. The main advantage of the use of UV probing light consists in the fact that the changes in the reflectivity in the UV light region are more sensitive to the variations of film thicknesses than in the VIS-light region, particularly in case of thinner films. The project proposal is based on the knowledge and expertise of the applicant's team achieved during a former GACR project aimed at the development of similar apparatus in the VIS-light region. The possible outcome of the project proposal would be a patented design of the PC-controlled instrument working in the UV range (from 200 nm to 400 nm) of the probing light. A significant part of