Thickness measurement of organic films using Compton scattering of characteristic X-rays

An X-ray scattering method is presented for determining the thickness of an organic film placed on a steel substrate. The strong peaks of characteristic X-rays are taken as an advantage to measure the intensity of backscattered photons. It is shown that the intensity of Compton scattering of characteristic X-rays is proportional to film thickness, up to the thickness of 250 μm of acrylic adhesive layers. In addition, the measurement time was 300 ms, providing a simple and convenient method for on-line for thickness monitoring.