Multiple-beam Interferometry of Surfaces and Films

This book explains the use of interferometry to measure surfaces and thin films. This is important for measurement of the surface roughness of manufactured products. This technique is discussed as a more cost effective means of determining these crucial measurements than by electron microscopy. By this means it is possible to study topography and thin films down to the molecular level. At the time of the publication of this book this technique was used for the characterization of cleavage, optical and dielectric properties of mica, optical properties of metallic films and thin films, and surface characterization of plastics. The book exams in detail examples such as quartz, mica surfaces and sheets, selenite, calcite, and diamonds, and the corresponding problems of cleavage lines, measurement of small angles, correlation of fringes, and the methods of calculation.