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- Uncertainty (3) (entfernen)
The fundamental quantities in the depth sensing hardness test are force and displacement. The penetration depth used for the calculation of a certain hardness parameter (for instance HU, Eq. (1)) makes it necessary to determine the contact point. As shown in the paper, fitting of the forcedisplacement curve, F(h), by a second order polynomial and extrapolating to F=0 is not always the right way to achieve a sufficiently small uncertainty of depth. The feature of that procedure is analysed by a simple mathematical model. In dependence of the testing force, the scatter of the experimental data, and the required limit of depth uncertainty, a profound selection of the fitting range, the fitting function, and the extrapolation function should be done.
Overlayers of SiO2 (nominally 4, 6 and 8 nm thick) on silicon, prepared by thermal oxidation, were investigated using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The thickness of these overlayers was obtained from a measurement of the photoelectron intensities originating from the substrate and the oxide overlayer by applying an appropriate quantitative model. The uncertainty budget of that thickness measurement method is given. The relative combined standard uncertainty of the method was found to be 15%. The effective attenuation lengths or the corresponding electron inelastic mean free paths are of considerable importance for both the estimated values of overlayer thickness and combined standard uncertainties. The XPS results were compared with ellipsometry data.
The meaning of calibration in general and in the field of isotopic measurements in particular is described, stressing the fundamental difference between calibration as an aim and tools to achieve calibration. The role of proper uncertainty budgeting as a prerequisite for establishing a calibrated measurement is explained. It leads to the recommendation that the quality of the uncertainty statement should be heavily weighed when ranking or judging calibrated isotopic measurement results evaluated by the Commission on Atomic Weight and Isotopic Abundances.