Fresnel Diffraction Measuring Device for Thin Layer Swelling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sensor configurations for measuring the swelling of thin layers, such as polyelectrolyte multilayers, are typically large, complex, and expensive, and often interfere with the sample, leading to inaccurate measurements as they can only provide independent information about thickness and layer quality, making it difficult to separately measure thickness and structural changes, which can result in false positives or negatives.
Innovation Solution
A measuring device and method utilizing Fresnel diffraction to evaluate the diffraction images of objects coated with sensor layers, where environmental properties like temperature, pressure, or pH influence the layer thickness, which in turn affects the diffraction pattern, allowing for the indirect measurement of these properties by analyzing the Fresnel diffraction patterns.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional sensor configurations are used to measure layer swelling, then measurement capability is provided, but the device becomes large, complex, and expensive
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces complex mechanical sensor configurations with an optical measurement system based on Fresnel diffraction. A simple optical setup consisting of a light source and detector measures the diffraction pattern of light passing through or reflecting from the layer, enabling thickness and structural measurements without mechanical contact or complex instrumentation.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates an optical copy or representation of the layer structure through the Fresnel diffraction pattern. The diffraction pattern serves as an optical imprint that encodes information about the layer thickness and internal structure, allowing measurement without physically interacting with or disturbing the sample.
2Measurement precision
If conventional sensor methods are used, then some measurement data is obtained, but the sample is influenced and measurement accuracy decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The optical diffraction method creates a non-invasive optical copy of the layer structure. Light waves pass through or reflect from the layer without physically disturbing it, capturing the Fresnel diffraction pattern that represents the layer's thickness and structure. This eliminates mechanical contact and associated sample interference.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces light waves as an intermediary between the measurement system and the sample. The optical field acts as a mediator that carries information about the layer structure without physically interacting with or altering the sample, enabling contactless and non-invasive measurement.
3Measurement precision
If conventional sensor arrangements are used, then thickness measurement is possible, but separate measurement of structural changes cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The Fresnel diffraction pattern contains segmented or distributed information about different aspects of the layer structure. By analyzing different features of the diffraction pattern (such as fringe spacing, intensity distribution, and pattern morphology), the system can separately extract thickness information and structural information that would otherwise be conflated in conventional measurements.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention transitions from one-dimensional thickness measurement to two-dimensional spatial frequency analysis of the diffraction pattern. The Fresnel diffraction pattern provides spatial frequency information that encodes both thickness and structural characteristics in different dimensional aspects, allowing simultaneous extraction of multiple parameters through Fourier analysis or other signal processing methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables accurate, non-invasive measurement of environmental properties by correlating changes in the sensor layer's diffraction pattern with the measured variables, such as temperature, pressure, or pH, without the need for large or complex sensor setups, providing independent measurements of layer thickness and structural changes.
Implementation Method 1
measuring device (100) for measuring a measurand (300) by means of a diffraction measurement, characterized in that an object (20) is located between the radiation source (10) and the radiation detector (25) in the beam path of the radiation source (10), the object (20) generating a diffraction pattern (22) which is measured by the radiation detector (25), wherein the diffraction pattern (22) is a Fresnel diffraction pattern
Data Source
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Figure 5
AI summary
The invention relates to a measuring device for measuring a quantity by means of a diffraction measurement, comprising a radiation source (1) that emits radiation, an object (7-9) that is arranged in the beam path of the radiation source (1), and a radiation detector (5) that is arranged in the beam path of the radiation source (1) behind the object (7-9) and measures a diffraction pattern of the object (7-9), in particular a Fresnel diffraction pattern.It is proposed that the measured quantity is a property of an environment of the object (7-9), wherein the measured quantity influences an environment-dependent property of the object (7-9), such that the environment-dependent property of the object (7-9) reflects the measured quantity, while the environment-dependent property of the object (7-9) influences the diffraction pattern, so that the measured diffraction pattern of the object (7-9) reflects the environment-dependent property and thus also the measured quantity.