As a technician who has worked in the field of thin film measurement for many years, I often encounter customers asking:“Film thickness testerHow to choose? ”Indeed, facing a wide variety of devices in the market, how to choose a film thickness tester that truly suits their application needs is a challenge faced by many researchers and engineers. Improper selection may not only waste budget, but also affect the research and development process and product quality. Today, based on years of industry experience, I will provide you with a clear selection guide to help you easily find the suitable measurement solution.
Measurement material and film type: Do you need to measure transparent/semi transparent films (such as oxides, polymers, photoresists) or metal coatings? Is it a single-layer film or a complex multi-layer film structure? What are the reflection and transmission characteristics of the material? For example, for smooth thin films such as SiNx, TiO2, ITO in the semiconductor industry, a light reflection film thickness gauge is a commonly used choice.
Thickness range: What is the approximate thickness range of the film to be tested? Is it at the nanometer level (such as 1nm to tens of nanometers), micrometer level, or thicker (such as reaching millimeter level)? The thickness range covered by devices with different principles varies greatly.
Measurement accuracy and speed requirements: How high are your requirements for the accuracy and repeatability of measurement results? Is it used for laboratory research and development that requires high-precision data, or for production lines that require fast online monitoring? For example, certain models of equipment can achieve a measurement accuracy of 0.02nm and a measurement speed of several points per second.
Sample state and size: Is the sample solid, liquid, or gaseous (such as air box thickness)? What is the size of the sample and is it necessary to measure large-sized samples such as wafers? For example, some models can support measurement of wafers with a maximum diameter of 450 millimeters or even 12 inches.
Do you need mapping analysis: Do you only need to measure thickness at a single point, or do you need to obtain a mapping of the thickness distribution of the film to analyze uniformity? This determines whether to choose a single point model or a multi-point automatic surveying model.
Thickness range and accuracy: Confirm whether the equipment fully covers your thickness measurement range and pay attention to its nominal measurement accuracy and repeatability. For example, some devices can cover a range from 5nm to 2mm with sub nanometer level accuracy.
Spot size: The spot determines the spatial resolution of the measurement. For samples that require measurement of small feature areas (such as specific patterns on pattern wafers) or have rough surfaces, small spot (such as micrometer level) accessories are particularly important.
Sample stage and automation capability: Based on the sample size and measurement efficiency requirements, consider whether a manual sample stage, an automatic XY sample stage, or a large-sized carrier stage is needed. If multi-point mapping analysis is required, a model with an automatic platform and specialized surveying software should be selected.
Software and Database: Powerful analysis software and rich material databases can greatly improve measurement efficiency and accuracy. Good software should support functions such as single-layer/multi-layer film analysis, custom material models, historical data management, and report generation.
Scalability and support: Consider possible new requirements in the future, whether the device supports adding microscopes, transmittance measurement accessories, small spot lenses, etc. Meanwhile, it is crucial for suppliers to provide timely professional technical support, application support, and after-sales service.
Brand and Product Line: Choose a brand with deep accumulation in the field of thin film measurement, whose product stability and technological maturity are usually more guaranteed. As a partner of related measuring equipment in China, Unicon Technology Co., Ltd. (Yiying Technology) can provide a variety of film thickness measurement solutions ranging from single point desktop to fully automatic Mapping, meeting diverse needs from research and development to production.
Technical support and service network: Does the supplier have a professional technical team and can they provide full process services such as free pre-sales testing, in sales application training, and rapid after-sales response? Are there service outlets nationwide that support localized services? These are the key to ensuring the long-term stable operation of the equipment. Younikon Technology has branches in Shanghai, Dongguan, Tianjin and other places, and has established a service network covering the whole country.
Industry application cases: Understand whether suppliers have successful cases in your peers or similar application fields, which can intuitively demonstrate the applicability of their solutions.
Internal requirement sorting: Convene relevant personnel to clarify and document all requirements according to the key points in Part 1.
Preliminary screening of suppliers: 3-5 candidate suppliers are preliminarily screened through online searches (such as searching for "film thickness gauge", "thin film thickness measurement"), industry recommendations, and other methods.
Technical communication and sample testing: Deeply communicate technical details with suppliers and provide real samples for free testing. This is a direct and effective way to verify whether the device is truly suitable for your application.
Comprehensive evaluation and decision-making: Compare various testing reports, match schemes, prices, service terms, etc., conduct a comprehensive evaluation, and make the final choice.
WeChat Official
Support
