Sub-sampling low coherence scanning interferometry and its application: refractive index measurements of a silicon wafer

Abstract

In this investigation, refractive indices of a silicon (Si) wafer were measured by low-coherence scanning interferometry adopting the sub-sampling technique to reduce measurement time. Based on Fourier domain analysis method, the sub-sampled correlogram was analyzed and the refractive indices were calculated by the simple refractive index model and curve fitting of the phase extracted from the sub-sampled correlogram. In the experiment to verify the proposed technique, near-infrared light emitted by a super-luminescent diode with 1050nm center wavelength was used as an optical source because it is partially transparent to an undoped Si wafer. As the result of measuring an undoped double-side polished Si wafer, group and phase refractive indices were successfully obtained with the sub-sampled correlogram, and the deviations from the reference value were within 0.001.