Image processing: application to the characterization of thin films

Abstract

Image processing and digital image acquisition became on last decades most valuable tools in the characterization of materials. The strong development of micro and nano sciences and technologies on recent years brought special demands to the non-invasive inspection and characterisation of thin films and nanostructures. Digital image processing can be successfully applied to different types of microscopy’ images but also together with other characterization methods like microtopography spectroscopy or lifetime measurements. On this communication we will report on the work developed on the field at University of Minho at the Department of Physics’ Microtopography Laboratory with samples provided by the department’ Functional Coatings Group.