Citation/Abstract

The optical properties of thin aluminum films were studied by means of the surface plasma wave excited by the attenuated internal reflection method on an aluminum film using the Kretschmann configuration. The data from the reflectivity for several incident angles was compared to the results calculated by Maxwell's equations. The data analysis provided the least squares fit of the experimental reflectivity data to the theory to determine the optical constants and thickness of the aluminum film as well as the aluminum oxide layer. Although the optical constants have been determined by the data analysis for the metal film coated on the substrate, the case of an aluminum film with an oxide layer on the surface could not be analyzed without generalizing the expressions for the pure aluminum film.