Fast Characterization of Moving Samples with Nano-Textured Surfaces

TL;DR

This paper presents a rapid optical diffraction method using a modified microscope to characterize nano-textured surfaces, measuring topological parameters in milliseconds with nanometer resolution even in vibrational environments.

Contribution

It introduces a fast, vibration-resistant optical technique with integrated imaging for nano-textured surface analysis, significantly reducing measurement time.

Findings

Topological parameters measured in milliseconds

Nanometer resolution achieved in vibrational environments

Simple method for locating areas of interest

Abstract

We characterize nano-textured surfaces by optical diffraction techniques using an adapted commercial light microscope with two detectors, a CCD camera and a spectrometer. The acquisition and analyzing time for the topological parameters height, width, and sidewall angle is only a few milliseconds of a grating. We demonstrate that the microscope has a resolution in the nanometer range, also in an environment with many vibrations, such as a machine floor. Furthermore, we demonstrate an easy method to find the area of interest with the integrated CCD camera.