Measurement technique for thin-film characterization

Abstract

A measurement device comprises a high permittivity dielectric resonator () with a low microwave loss tangent and having at least a first symmetry axis (z-i); an electrically conductive resonance chamber () containing and geometrically similar to the resonator () and having a second symmetry axis (z) coincident with the first symmetry axis (z-i); the resonance chamber () having a plurality of similar ports () orthogonal to the first symmetry axis (z-i), each such port () having a microwave antenna (), either to inject microwaves into the resonance chamber, thereby to excite an electric field in the resonator, or to receive microwaves from the resonance chamber; and a comparator circuit () connected to a first one (P) of the plurality of ports () to inject microwaves into the resonance chamber and to another (P, P) of the plurality of ports () to receive microwaves from the resonance chamber; wherein the measurement device further comprises an electrically conductive tuning screw () in electrical contact with the resonance chamber (), the tuning screw being at least partially positionable in the electric field thereby excited in the resonator; and a source of magnetism () to apply a magnetic field to a sample brought into proximity with a top surface () of the resonator () substantially parallel or anti-parallel to the first symmetry axis (z-i); and wherein one (P) of the other of the plurality of ports () to receive microwaves from the resonance chamber () is orthogonal to the first one (P) of the plurality of ports () to inject microwaves into the resonance chamber. Such a measurement device may be used to measure both the conductivity or sheet resistance of a thin film (), as well as the carrier mobility of the thin film, without contacting the resonator () with either the thin film or a substrate () on which the thin film is formed.