Sub-sampling low coherence scanning interferometry and its application: refractive index measurements of a silicon wafer

In this investigation, refractive indices of a silicon (Si) wafer were measured by low-coherence scanning interferometry adopting the sub-sampling technique to reduce measurement time. Based on Fourier domain analysis method, the sub-sampled correlogram was analyzed and the refractive indices were calculated by the simple refractive index model and curve fitting of the phase extracted from the sub-sampled correlogram. In the experiment to verify the proposed technique, near-infrared light emitted by a super-luminescent diode with 1050 nm center wavelength was used as an optical source because it is partially transparent to an undoped Si wafer. As the result of measuring an undoped double-side polished Si wafer, group and phase refractive indices were successfully obtained with the sub-sampled correlogram, and the deviations from the reference value were within 0.001. (C) 2013 Optical Society of America