In recent years, there has been an ever-growing interest in exploring novel, highly efficient optical materials to develop
compact and effective optical components. The design and fabrication of high-performance optics require nondestructive
metrology techniques to inspect the samples. We have investigated the capability of optical coherence tomography
(OCT) to nondestructively characterize layered polymeric materials. Using a swept-source OCT system with a
wavelength range of 1.25 - 1.41 μm, we achieved micron-scale three-dimensional visualization of the interior structures
and details of the layered polymers. The 3D OCT imaging also enabled accurate identification of the locations of defects
within the samples. Based on the imaging data, nondestructive metrology of the thickness of each observed layer was
accomplished and the obtained layer thickness profiles over depth offered valuable feedback to the manufacturing
process. Our results correlated well with light microscope observance, however caused no surface damage in
comparison. In this paper we present the technique of nondestructive metrology enabled by OCT and discuss the
experimental results on typical layered polymeric samples.© (2012) COPYRIGHT Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE). Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Citation
Jianing Yao ; Panomsak Meemon ; Kye-Sung Lee ; Ke Xu and Jannick P. Rolland
"Nondestructive metrology of layered polymeric optical materials using optical coherence tomography", Proc. SPIE 8493, Interferometry XVI: Techniques and Analysis, 849307 (September 13, 2012); doi:10.1117/12.930071; http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.930071
