title: Quantitative optical recognition of highly reproducible ultrathin oxide films in microelectrochemical anodization.
abstract: Automatized microelectrochemical investigations are achieved using a scanning droplet cell. The area reproducibility for a 100 mum oxide spot is found to be better than 1%, a value typically difficult to reach even in macroscopic samples. A systematic change in color appearance is seen for oxide films with a thickness ranging from 14 to 27 nm. Analysis of optical images yields a strictly linear relation between relative transmission and anodization charge and thus allows determination of the oxide thickness with a remarkable precision better than 0.5 nm at an absolute film thickness value that is at least a factor of 20 smaller than the wavelength of light.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Eisenforschung GmbH, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 40237 Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrei Ionut
authors.initials: AI
authors.lastname: Mardare
authors.forename: Achim Walter
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Hassel