The Measurement of the Optical Constants of Thin Solid Films in the Infrared

Abstract

A technique previously described for the measurement of the optical constants of thin liquid films in the infrared has been extended to free-standing films of polymers. It is established that the computational procedure can cope effectively with the more severe dispersion distortion generated by the large refractive index changes at the solid-air interfaces. The method is illustrated by simulation studies on bands having a damped harmonic oscillator profile and on films of three commercial polymers (Lexan, Trogamid-T, and Saran).