Quartz Crystal MicroBalance (QCM)

Abstract

This project aims to measure the thickness of thin films using a quartz crystal microbalance(QCM). The thin films of interest are grown using magnetron sputtering at the eMagic Lab. In particular, Au will be deposited on a 10mm x 10mm x 0.5mm MgO(001) substrate. Thickness measurements are important in characterizing the sample, and it is helpful to get an estimate of the thickness which serves as a reference when fitting data from spectroscopic ellipsometry(SE). We can corroborate the measurements with atomic force microscopy(AFM) and SE data.

Team members

Tan Jhoon Yong

Idea

Measurements of the thickness of thin films are essential to get a preliminary idea of the thin-film interference effects. Getting a more accurate measurement of the thickness allows us to probe the optical properties of thin films better with SE data fitting.

Sample Preparation

7 samples of varying thicknesses of Au are deposited on a 10mm x 10mm x 0.5mm MgO(001) substrate using magnetron sputtering in an Ar-filled chamber. Insitu thickness measurement results are as follows: 20.6nm, 12.4nm, 8.3nm, 4.2nm, 2.1nm, 1.0nm.

Setup

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Measurements

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