Comprehensive Environmental Testing of Optical Properties in Thin Films

Environmental characterization of optical and structural properties of thin films continues to be a challenging task. To understand the failure mechanism in high temperature thin film applications, it is crucial to understand how material properties change with temperature. An accurate knowledge of the variation of the dielectric function of thin films and its relation to compositional and microstructural changes could help to prevent failures. This article presents an environmental in-situ characterization methodology that combines the study of the optical constants in an environmental chamber by spectroscopic ellipsometry, with compositional depth profile analysis using ion beam analysis techniques and a structure analysis by Raman spectroscopy. The main novelty of this methodology is that all analytical techniques are carried out sequentially in a multi-chamber cluster tool without sample exposure to undefined atmospheres. Carbon-titanium metal thin film had been studied following the described characterization methodology.