PROCESS EXAMINING SURFACE OF SOLID Russian patent published in 1999 - IPC

FIELD: inspection of quality of surface by optical methods. SUBSTANCE: invention can find use in optical instrumentation to inspect quality of preparation of surfaces of substrates of integrated- optical devices, laser mirrors and so on. Proposed process examining surface of solid includes formation of homogeneous bonding layer on examined flat surface of sample from surface-active material which thickness is less that penetration thickness of field of surface electromagnetic waves generated across boundary " bonding layer-sample " into layer of material and recording of spatial distribution of p-component of radiation emitted from surface " bonding layer-environment ". Radiation of surface electromagnetic waves generated by thermal oscillations of atoms of surface layer of sample is recorded simultaneously in several beams of monochromatic radiation with different frequencies outgoing from surface " bonding layer-environment " at angles computed by formula , where i is number of beam and and n_i are valid part of effective refractive index of surface electromagnetic wave and absolute refractive index of environment at given frequency correspondingly. EFFECT: generation of more reliable information not distorted by probing radiation form surface of sample, recording of radiation in i beams resulting in simultaneous visualization of inhomogeneities of different values and in selection of contrast of their image. 2 dwg