Non-invasive Measurements of the Thickness of YBCO Thin Films by Using Microwave Resonators: Roles of the Uncertainty in the Calibration Film Thickness

마이크로파 공진기를 이용한 YBCO 박막 두께의 비파괴적 측정: 캘리브레이션 박막 두께의 불확도의 역할

  • Kim, Myung-Su (Department of Physics and Center for Wireless Transmission Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Jung, Ho-Sang (Department of Physics and Center for Wireless Transmission Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Yang, Woo-Il (Department of Physics and Center for Wireless Transmission Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Lee, Sang-Young (Department of Physics and Center for Wireless Transmission Technology, Konkuk University)
  • Received : 2012.08.13
  • Accepted : 2012.08.22
  • Published : 2012.08.31

Abstract

Microwave metrology for the thickness of metallic or superconductive films provides a new way to measure the film thickness in a non-invasive way by using microwave resonators, with the measurement accuracy affected by standard uncertainties in the resonator quality factor, temperature-dependent resonant frequency and the dimensions of the resonators. Here we study effects of the standard uncertainty in the thickness, $t_{cal}$, of a calibration $YBa_2Cu_3O_{7-{\delta}}$ (YBCO) film on the measured thicknesses, $t_{RF}$, by using a ~ 40 GHz microwave resonator. For the study, we used five YBCO films having the thicknesses of 70 - 360 nm, for which relative standard uncertainties in $t_{RF}$ due to that in $t_{cal}$ are obtained. The standard uncertainty in $t_{cal}$ was determined with the surface roughness of the film taken into account. It appeared that relative standard uncertainty in $t_{cal}$ significantly affects the $t_{RF}$ values, with the values of 1% (5%) in the former resulting in those of 1-2% (5-9%) for the latter at 10 K. Our results show that, for realizing relative standard uncertainties less than 5% in $t_{RF}$ for all the YBCO films, the surface roughness of the calibration films should be small enough to realize a relative standard uncertainty of less than 2.7% in $t_{cal}$.

마이크로파 측정법으로 ~40 GHz의 공진주파수를 지닌 공진기를 이용하여 비파괴적으로 YBCO 초전도체 박막의 두께를 측정할 경우 calibration용 YBCO 박막의 두께의 불확도가 마이크로파로 측정된 두께의 불확도에 미치는 영향을 70 - 360 nm 두께를 지닌 5 개의 YBCO 박막에 대해 연구하였다. Calibration용 박막으로는 약 150 nm의 두께를 지닌 박막이 사용되었는데, 이 박막의 두께의 불확도는 박막 표면의 거칠기를 고려하여 결정하였다. 본 연구 결과, calibration용 박막의 불확도가 마이크로파로 측정된 박막의 두께에 상당한 영향을 준다는 것을 확인하였으며, ~ 40 GHz에서 연구에 사용된 모든 박막에 대해 측정 두께가 5% 이내의 상대 불확도를 지니기 위해서는 calibration용 박막의 두께의 상대 표준불확도가 2.7% 이내의 값을 가져야 함을 알 수 있었다. 본 연구 결과는 마이크로파를 이용하여 박막의 두께를 측정할 경우 측정 두께의 상대 불확도의 목표치를 구현하기 위해서는 표면 거칠기로 인한 두께의 불확도가 일정 값 이하인 박막 만이 calibration용 박막으로 사용될 수 있음을 보여준다.

Keywords

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