Product Code: PIC06_M404

Optical Surface Profilometry of Low Reflectance Materials – Evaluation as a Laser Processing Diagnostic
Authors:
Adam Joyce, Department of Physics; Sydney Australia
Deb Kane, Macquarie University; Sydney Australia
Presented at PICALO 2006

Optical surface profilometry is a technique which has advantages over other profilometry techniques (stylus profilometry, AFM) of being non contact and being able to profile comparatively large areas in a single "z-scan". Thus, it is employed in monitoring surface quality and measuring surface form in high technology manufacturing processes and quality assurance, as well as in research and development contexts. Its application to optical materials has been limited due to issues relating to the low reflectance of the surfaces. Results of a feasibility study for profiling laser induced optical damage and "loose" microscopic sized pieces of optical material (either debris or particles introduced by design) will be reported. Progress on developing successful strategies for making quantitative measurements on these difficult samples has been achieved.