A computer program for determination of thin films thickness and optical constants

A computer simulation program for processing transmission spectra of amorphous optical thin films deposited on weakly absorbing substrates and evaluation of the refractive index n, extinction coefficient k and thickness d was developed. The computer code is the implementation of an optical characterisation algorithm based on the determination of the upper and lower envelopes of the transmission spectrum interference fringes. Inhomogeneities in the thickness of the analysed films, which are responsible of a shrinking in the fringes amplitude, can be considered in the program. Relative errors in the calculated values of n, k and d have been determined using simulated transmission spectra in both cases of homogeneous and inhomogeneous films. The thickness and the refractive index of uniform films are calculated with an accuracy ≤0.5%, while the accuracy in the case including inhomogeneities is ≤2%. Simulation results for chalcogenide thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on microscope slabs and glass slides are reported.