Hyperspectral imaging as an analytical tool for thin single and multilayer oxides characterization: A laboratory study

Characterization of deposited thin oxide layers using conventional laboratory techniques such as ellipsometry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) requires long sampling time. The hyperspectral technology with a high acquisition rate appears to be an interesting solution for high throughput quantification. To check its capability for this purpose, we develop an analysis protocol in the laboratory using this device to measure thin oxide layers. In this paper we study the acquisition setup regarding the incidence angle in reflection mode, the relation of layer thickness and measured signal to enable the quantification and identification of deposited Al2O3 and SiO2 thin films. Analysis results from FTIR, hyperspectral camera and ellipsometry are presented along with calculations based on Fresnel equations. Measured results correspond with the expected theoretical spectra. The study of the detection sensitivity also extends to multilayer oxide. Overall, the capability of the hyperspectral camera to detect nanometric oxide layers is demonstrated. With this conclusion and in combination with its many advantages, the hyperspectral camera could be used for dynamic analysis of oxide layer.