Terahertz waves for thickness analyses

Modern components are often refined with complex layer systems. Or the component itself is made up of multiple materials. If the material thickness needs to be checked, usually destructive procedures need to be used. Unfortunately, this requires a lot of time and is not entirely suitable for production monitoring. With the help of terahertz waves which lie in the spectrum between infrared light and microwaves, the measurement of thickness becomes easier and more importantly nondestructive. The method introduced here regarding the terahertz thickness analysis calculates the thickness of the material based on the runtime differences of the partial reflected waves on material boundaries.