A non-invasive method for measuring the refractive index, extinction coefficient and film thickness of absorptive thin films using spectral-domain optical coherent tomography is proposed, analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. Such an optical system employing a normal-incident beam of light exhibits a high spatial resolution. There are no mechanical moving parts involved for the measurement ...

An atomic force microscope was used to measure the loss tangent, tan , of a pressure-sensitive adhesive transfer tape as a function of frequency (0.01 to 10 Hz). For the measurement, the sample was oscillated normal to the surface and the response of the cantilever resting on the polymer surface (as measured via the photodiode) was monitored. Both oscillation amplitude and phase were recorded a...

We present an experimental set-up permitting Raman and luminescence spectroscopy studies in a commercial Physical Properties Measurement System (PPMS) from Quantum Design. Using this experimental set-up, gaseous, liquid and solid materials, in bulk or thin film form, may be investigated. The set-up is particularly suitable for the study of the spin-lattice coupling in strongly correlated oxide ...

We report an x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy study of the oxidation of Al(111) surfaces at room temperature, which reveals that the limiting thickness of an aluminum oxide film can be tuned by using oxygen pressure. This behavior is attributed to a strong dependence of the kinetic potential on the oxygen gas pressure. The coverage of oxygen anions on the surface of the oxide film depends on th...

Recent advances in non-contact strain measurement techniques and large-strain constitutive modeling of the Linear Low-Density Polyethylene film used in NASA Superpressure balloons, StratoFilm 420, are combined to provide a novel measurement technique for the tear propagation critical value of the J-integral. Previously these measurements have required complex test configurations and procedures....

This study presents a new approach for evaluation of oil-film pressure in hydrodynamic bearing. Oil-film pressure is one of the critical parameter which determines the performance of hydrodynamic bearing. In this research parameters of rotational speed, bearing load and oil-feed pressure are considered as model independent variables. Modelling and simulations are done in Matlab. The research sh...

Contact effects are a common impediment to electrical measurements throughout the fields of nanoelectronics, organic electronics, and the emerging field of graphene electronics. We demonstrate a novel method of measuring electrical conductance in a thin film of amorphous germanium that is insensitive to contact effects. The measurement is based on the capacitive coupling of a nanoscale metal-ox...