Use of a full width array imaging sensor to measure real time film thicknesses on film manufacturing equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016370174-A1
Application number	US-201514743491-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 18, 2015
Priority date	Jun 18, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for providing film-thickness analysis with a spectrophotometer includes configuring an illuminator to emit a light beam at a film deposited on a substrate surface, configuring a linear sensor to receive light reflecting off the deposited film on the substrate surface via a gradient index lens and a linear variable filter, and configuring a processor to determine thickness of the film based on spectral reflectivity of the film received from the linear sensor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for providing film-thickness analysis with a spectrophotometer, the method comprising:
configuring an illuminator to emit a light beam at a film deposited on a substrate surface, the illuminator being positioned adjacent to the substrate surface; and configuring a linear sensor to receive light reflecting off the deposited film on the substrate surface via a gradient index lens and a linear variable filter, the linear sensor being positioned adjacent to substrate, the gradient index lens being placed in an optical path of the light beams reflecting off the substrate surface, and being positioned in between the substrate surface and a linear variable filter, and the linear variable filter being placed in the optical path of the light reflecting off the substrate surface, and being positioned between the linear sensor and the gradient index lens; and configuring a processor to determine thickness of the film based on spectral reflectivity of the film received from the linear sensor, wherein the linear variable filter is an optical filter having a bandpass coating and a property of the bandpass coating being varied across the length of the linear variable filter so as to shift a center wavelength of the linear variable filter linearly across the length of the linear variable filter.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a gap between the linear variable filter and the linear sensor.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear sensor is a full width array image sensor.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear sensor is an image sensor chip.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is at least one of a photoreceptor drum, a photoreceptor belt, an intermediate transfer belt, an intermediate transfer drum, an imaging drum, or a document.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the property of the bandpass coating is a thickness of the coating.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises a layer of a belt photoreceptor.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a web.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a time between emitting the light beam and determining a thickness of the film based on spectral reflectivity of the film received from the linear sensor defines a scan time.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the scan time is less than or equal to about 90 μs.

11 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
configuring the processor to execute instructions, the instructions comprising:
comparing the thickness of the film based on the spectral reflectivity to a predetermined thickness value; and
adjusting at least one deposition parameter to define an adjusted deposition parameter if a difference between the thickness of the film and the predetermined thickness is greater than a predetermined tolerance.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one deposition parameter comprises at least one of a substrate feed speed, an amount of film material deposited on the substrate, or a deposition time.

13 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the instructions further comprise:
determining thickness of a second portion of the film based on spectral reflectivity of the film received from the first linear sensor, wherein the second portion of the film is deposited based on the adjusted deposition parameters.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the film comprises a first film and the method further comprises:
configuring a second illuminator to emit a light beam at a second film disposed on the first film; configuring a second linear sensor at a different location than the first linear sensor to receive light reflecting off the second film disposed on the on the first film via a second gradient index lens and a second linear variable filter, the second linear sensor being positioned adjacent to the substrate, the second gradient index lens being placed in an optical path of the light reflecting off the a surface of the first film, and being positioned in between the first film's surface and a second linear variable filter, and the second linear variable filter being placed in the optical path of the light beams reflecting off the first film's surface, and being positioned between the second linear sensor and the second gradient index lens; and configuring the processor to determine a thickness of the second film, based on a spectral reflectivity of the second film received from the second linear sensor, wherein the second linear variable filter is an optical filter having a bandpass coating and a property of the bandpass coating being varied across a length of the second linear variable filter so as to shift a center wavelength of the second linear variable filter linearly across the length of the second linear variable filter.

15 . The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
configuring the processor to execute instructions, the instructions comprising:
comparing the thickness of the second film based on the spectral reflectivity to a predetermined thickness value; and
adjusting at least one deposition parameter if a difference between the thickness of the second film and the predetermined thickness value is greater than a predetermined tolerance.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the deposition parameter comprises at least one of a substrate feed speed, an amount of material deposited on the substrate as the second film, or a deposition time for depositing the second film.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a liquid on the substrate and drying the liquid to form the film.

18 . A method of fabricating a photoreceptor, comprising:
moving a substrate at a substrate feed speed through a film deposition system comprising at least one film deposition station; activating the at least one film deposition station to deposit a liquid on the substrate, an amount of the liquid defined by a deposition rate and a deposition volume; forming a first layer on the substrate from the liquid; providing light to an in-line spectrophotometer and obtaining spectroscopic response data representing at least one of the substrate and the first layer, the light having been reflected off at least one of a surface of the first layer and a surface of the substrate or having been transmitted through at least one of the first layer and the substrate, and determining, using at least one electronic processor and based on the spectrophotometric data, a thickness of at least one of the substrate and the first layer; comparing, using at least one electronic processor, the measured thickness value to a predetermined thickness value; and adjusting at least one of the substrate feed speed, the deposition rate, and the deposition volume.

19 . A system for obtaining thickness data of deposited films using a spectrophotometer during assembly of a photoreceptor, the system comprising:
a spectrophotometer configured to obtain spectroscopic response measurements of light reflected off a surface or transmitted through a surface of at least one of a substrate and a layer deposited over the substrate; at least one electronic processor communicatively coupled to the spectrophotometer and configured to:
determine, using at least one electronic processor and based on the spectrophotometric data, a thickness of at least one of the substrate and the layer, and
compare, using at least one electronic processor, the measured thickness value to a predetermined thickness value;
a substrate feeder for providing the

Assignees

• Xerox Corp

Inventors

• Bonino Paul S
• Herloski Robert P
• Lefevre Jason M

Classifications

• G01B11/0633

  using one or more discrete wavelengths · CPC title

• G01B11/0691

  of objects while moving (G01B11/0616 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G01B11/06 Primary

  for measuring thickness {; e.g. of sheet material (thickness measurement by thermal means G01B21/085)} · CPC title

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title

• G01B11/0616 Primary

  of coating · CPC title