Patent attributes
The present invention relates to a thickness measurement method for thin films using microwaves. In the method, the Q-factors of a dielectric resonator are measured. The effective surface resistance (RSeff) of a superconductor or a conductor film and the loss tangent of a dielectric are determined using the Q-factor. The penetration depth λ for the superconductor film is measured using a dielectric resonator with a small gap between the superconductor film at the top of the resonator and the rest. The intrinsic surface resistance of superconductor films for calibration is determined using the measured RSeff and λ while the intrinsic surface resistance of a conductor film for calibration is determined using the measured RSeff and the nature of the intrinsic surface resistance being equal to the intrinsic surface reactance. The thickness of a superconductor or a conductor film is measured using a relation between the RSeff and the calibrated intrinsic surface resistance for superconductor films or conductor films.
