KSEMAW: an open source software for the analysis of spectrophotometric, ellipsometric and photothermal deflection spectroscopy measurements [version 2; peer review: 2 approved]

Abstract

The optical behavior of devices based on thin films is determined by complex refractive index and thickness of each slab composing the stack; these important parameters are usually evaluated from photometric and/or ellipsometric spectral measurements, given a model of the stack, by means of dedicated software. In the case of complex multilayer devices, generally a number of simpler specimens (like single-film on substrate) must be preliminarily characterized. This paper introduces the reader to a new open source software for thin film characterization finally released after about 30 years of development. The software has already been used in various fields of physics, such as thin film optical filters, architectural glazing, detectors for high energy physics, solar energy, and, last but not least, photovoltaic devices. Code source files, MS Windows executable, user manual as well as a sample of working directories populated with assorted files can be freely downloaded from the kSEMAW GitHub repository.

Keywords

• thin film
• optical characterization
• complex refractive index
• film thickness
• spectrophotometric measurements
• ellipsometric measurements
• eng