NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20110004211: Simultaneous Noncontact Precision Imaging of Microstructural and Thickness Variation in Dielectric Materials Using Terahertz Energy

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12 United States Patent (10) Patent No.: US 7,876,423 B1
( )
Roth (45) Date of Patent: Jan. 25, 2011
(54) SIMULTANEOUS NONCONTACT PRECISION 6,853,926 132 2/2005 Alfano et al.
IMAGING OF MICROSTRUCTURAL AND 7,038,208 132 5/2006 Alfano et al.
THICKNESS VARIATION IN DIELECTRIC
7,119,339 132 10/2006 Ferguson et al.
MATERIALS USING TERAHERTZ ENERGY
7,145,148 132 12/2006 Alfano et al.
(75) Inventor: Donald J Roth, Rocky River, OH (US) 7,174,037 132 2/2007 Arnone et al.
(73) Assignee: The United States of America as
represented by the National
Aeronautics and Space (Continued)
Administration, Washington, DC (US)
OTHER PUBLICATIONS
(*) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this
"Simultaneous Non-Contact Precision Measurement of
patent is extended or adjusted under 35
Microstructural and Thickness Variation in Dielectric Materials
U.S.C. 154(b) by 154 days. Using Terahertz Energy" NASA TM-2008-2148997, Mar. 2008,
2008-214997, NASA STI, http://www.sti.nasa.gov, NASA Center
(21) Appl. No.: 12/163,382 for Aerospace Information (CASI) 7115 Standard Drive, Hanover,
MD 21076-1320.
(22) Filed: Jun. 27, 2008
(Continued)
(51) Int. Cl.
GOIN 21100 (2006.01) Primary Examiner Sang Nguyen
GOIB 11128 (2006.01) (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm Ruth H. Earp, III; Kenneth
(52) U.S. Cl . ......................................... 356/27; 356/630 Mitchell
(58) Field of Classification Search ................. 356/497,
(57) ABSTRACT
356/502, 630-636, 27-28.5; 73/655, 629,
73/622, 597, 593
See application file for complete search history.
A process for simultaneously measuring the velocity of tera-
(56) References Cited hertz electromagnetic radiation in a dielectric material
U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS sample without prior knowledge of the thickness of the
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4,533,829 A 8/1985 Miceli et al.
without prior knowledge of the velocity of the terahertz elec-
4,563,898 A * 1/1986 Kanda et al . .................. 73/606
tromagnetic radiation in the sample is disclosed and claimed.
5,307,680 A * 5/1994 Drescher-Krasicka ........ 73/606
5,549,003 A * 8/1996 Drescher-Krasicka ........ 73/606 The process evaluates, in a plurality of locations, the sample
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5,974,886 A * 11/1999 Carroll et al . ................. 73/598 focal point of the radiation source (transceiver) is initially
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determined for good measurements.
6,810,742 132 * 11/2004 Sauerland .................... 73/597
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1400
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US 7,876,423 B1
Page 2
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