Modern techniques for surface and thin film analysis

Development and production of thin films for functional coatings on special materials is unalterable combined with a permanent quality control and therefore use of sophisticated analysis and measurement techniques. The field of interest is belonging to all steps of the production chain, starting with the characterization of the substrate surface, followed by polishing and cleaning processes up to depth profiling of complex multilayers. The typical analyses are focused to topographical and chemical features and their influence onto the product functionality. The advantage of surface and thin film analysis for problem-oriented characterization is demonstrated by a few selected examples.