Method of simultaneously determining gauge and orientation of polymer films
AssigneeKollmorgen Technologies Corporation
InventorsDavid Zelmanovic, Stanley J. Kishner
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In the manufacture of a multilayer polymer film, the thickness and degree of orientation are simultaneously measured. A beam of infrared radiation having predetermined wavelengths is either transmitted through or reflected by the polymer film to be measured and received by a photodetector. The photodetector provides an electrical output signal which can be analyzed to determine the thickness and degree of orientation.
Claims28
Method of determining, simultaneously, the thickness and absorption coefficients of each of the materials in a multilayer structure, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the first optical absorbance of each material of said multilayer structure at two or more wavelengths;
- and
- analyzing said first optical absorbances to simultaneously determine the thicknesses and absorption coefficients of said materials and, from said absorption coefficients, determine the degree of orientation of each said material.
Method, as recited in clam 6, further comprising the step of determining the barrier properties of said materials from said absorption coefficients.
Method of determining, simultaneously, the thickness and absorption coefficients of a single layer film, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the optical absorbance of said film at two or more wavelengths;
- and
- analyzing said absorbances to simultaneously determine the thickness and absorption coefficients of said film and, from said absorption coefficients, determine the degree of orientation of said film.
Method of measuring, simultaneously, the thickess and absorption coefficients of a single layer film, comprising the steps of:
- measuring the optical absorbances of said film at a single wavelength for two mutually perpendicular polarizations;
- and
- analyzing said absorbances to simultaneously determine thickness and absorption coefficients of said film.
Apparatus for determining, simultaneously, the thickness and absorption coefficients of each of the materials in a multilayer structure, comprising:
- means for measuring the first optical absorbance of each material at two or more wavelengths;
- and
- means for analyzing said first optical absorbances to simultaneously determine the thicknesses and absorption coefficients of said materials and, from said absorption coefficients, determine the degree of orientation of each said material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.