What is the typical turnaround time for optical characterization results?

The typical turnaround times vary from project to project, though we do provide express testing.

How do I choose the ideal optical characterization technique for my material or application?

It depends on your material type and the desired results. Covalent is here to help you choose the right technique. Contact us, and we will walk you through the process.

Can I send multiple sample types, such as powders, liquids, and solid films, for analysis in one batch or project?

Yes. We accept multiple sample types and projects.

How does sample quality, such as surface roughness or contamination, affect the accuracy of optical measurements?

Surface roughness, contamination, or defects may affect the accuracy of the results; therefore, proper sample preparation is critical.

Do you offer consulting to help interpret optical characterization data and apply it to our project goals?

Absolutely! We offer consulting services to help interpret data, provide actionable insights, and guide design decisions.

Optical Characterization Services

What Is Optical Characterization Testing?

Every material either absorbs, reflects, transmits, or scatters light. Optical Characterization Testing precisely measures the optical and electronic properties of materials. It evaluates how these materials interact with light across the electromagnetic spectrum, allowing us to determine properties of thin films, coatings, displays, optical fibers, and more.

Understanding how a material interacts with light can provide information about its properties. Based on its refractive index and electronic properties, we can determine its contamination and purity levels, surface morphology (shape or texture), and likely behavior.

Optical characterization testing – laser beams passing through mirrors and lenses on optical bench to measure material light absorption and scattering properties

Why Invest in Optical Characterization Testing?

An object’s interaction with light says a lot about its behavior. Often, the way a material interacts with light is in its nature and is essential to its purpose. For example, the smoothness of an object may inform the contact that one surface makes with another, informing future design decisions. Optical characterization testing ensures product performance and reliability. This technique helps select the correct vendor, ensures consistency in material inputs, and ensures the functionality of parts as you move from R&D to production.

When Should Optical Characterization Testing Be Performed?

Optical Characterization Testing investment is beneficial in various areas, including:

Early in the R&D process, to ensure that material selection is appropriate.
Before launch, for performance certification and compliance/reliability evaluation.
In production for ongoing quality control, vendor/supplier selection, and evaluation.
In post-production for retrospective failure analysis, if field failures occur.

Industries That Use Optical Characterization Testing

Various industries benefit from optical characterization testing as it ensures product performance and reliability while accelerating research and development. Because most objects either interact with light as a core component of their functionality, incidentally encounter light through regular and repeated use, or function based on observable properties of how they interact with light.

Optical characterization testing has broad applications:

Semiconductors & Electronics

For thin film performance, contamination, and opto-electronic properties.

Energy & Photovoltaics

For solar cell material development, electrode coating evaluation, performance evaluation, and modeling.

Polymers & Plastics

To assess the transparency and structural composition of plastics.

Aerospace & Automotive

To assess coatings and composites in parts subjected to extreme conditions.

Optics

For evaluating the performance of materials intended for use as lenses, filters, and coatings in optical devices.

Pharmaceuticals & Biotechnology

To evaluate drug purity or protein structures.

Key Differentiators

Advantages

Optical Characterization is a highly flexible technique, since understanding how light interacts with objects relies on precise observation.

It is a non-destructive method and will preserve your sample.
It is a highly sensitive technique and can detect minute changes.
Fast, efficient, repeatable data collection makes testing quick and repeated analysis possible.
It is versatile across metals, semiconductors, polymers, and more.
You don’t need physical contact to observe or evaluate the sample.

Limitations

Optical characterization is limited by what we can see and by how we interpret what we see.

Surface-level/shallow insights: insights beyond the surface aren’t possible if light can’t penetrate samples.
Equipment to see and interpret light interactivity can be cost-prohibitive, highlighting the value of a laboratory like Covalent with access to a variety of equipment.
Interpretation and modeling complexity: deciphering results can be painstaking work that benefits from years of training and experience. Covalent’s scientists bring this to the table with PhD-educated experts who combine academic expertise with decades of real-world application and experience.

How Does Optical Characterization Testing Work?

Shine a light and illuminate dark corners: Optical characterization involves subjecting an object to light and seeing what happens. We can learn a lot about its behavior and interactions with light by exposing an object to different forms of light across the spectrum, from ultraviolet, visible, infrared, to laser.

Light may be absorbed, reflected, refracted, scattered, or emitted by the object. Even a lack of reaction may provide significant insight.
We take everything into account. We are interested in how much light an object absorbs, reflects, or emits, and what kind of light or wavelengths are affected. Each observation offers different insights into the material’s properties.

What Properties Are Measured in Optical Characterization Testing?

Optical characterization testing looks at how materials interact with light, offering insight into their physical, chemical, and structural properties. Many properties have multiple dimensions that impact material performance, device efficiency, and reliability.

Refractive Index: Measures how light bends as it passes through a material.
Extinction coefficients: Quantify the attenuation of light related to the absorption and scattering within an object.
Dielectric Functions: Represent a material’s response to electromagnetic fields.
Absorbance and Transmittance: Represent the amount of light absorbed by an object.
Reflectance: Measures the amount of light reflected from a given surface.
Optical Bandgap: The photon energy required to excite an electron from the valence band to the conduction band in a semiconductor.
Photoluminescence: The re-emitted light from a material after excitation by a source.
Surface Morphology: Surface texture and topography of a surface.
Crystallinity: The degree of long-range order of atomic structure in a material.

Types of Optical Characterization Testing

Spectroscopy: A flexible set of techniques that can evaluate absorbance, optical clarity, and chemical composition across various surface types.
Ellipsometry/Reflectometry: Techniques to evaluate material properties based on how light changes when reflected from a film or surface. It requires a reflective surface.
Microscopy and Imaging: Methods used to uncover surface details of a material, particularly when evaluating texture or roughness.
Scattering and Interference: Testing how light scatters when it interacts with a sample can inform understanding of the uniformity of a sample and other properties.

Alternatives to Optical Characterization Testing

An object’s interaction with light tells us a lot, but not everything. Therefore, it is supplemented by:

Structural and Mechanical Analysis: To understand how optical characterizations and properties affect real-world performance under stress or strain.
Chemical Analysis: To understand how optical properties influence a material’s interactions with the environment chemically.
Thermal Analysis: To analyze how thermal properties change according to optically observed variations, or how optical properties change after a sample is exposed to either extreme heat or temperature fluctuations.

How Are Results Tracked and Reported?

At Covalent, we support the project from the first email. We will help you choose the right method, advise on the best way to ship the samples, and discuss the scope of work with you. You can also request a live session in the lab or remotely. Our reports include:

High-resolution images, spectra, tables, and figures.
Quantified measurements with precision calibration, if required.
Raw data upon request.
Interpretation aligned to goals.
Information about used equipment and methods.

Our engineers will be happy to follow up on any questions or concerns you may have.

Why Choose Covalent for Optical Characterization Testing Services?

Covalent is the answer for all your optical characterization testing needs. Our cutting-edge lab is fully equipped with comprehensive tools, allowing for deep insight and optimal results. Our highly qualified team uses various methods to piece together the answers you need. We also offer live sessions where you can collaborate with our expert team, pinpoint your desired features, and select the right tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical turnaround time for optical characterization results?
The typical turnaround times vary from project to project, though we do provide express testing.
How do I choose the ideal optical characterization technique for my material or application?
It depends on your material type and the desired results. Covalent is here to help you choose the right technique. Contact us, and we will walk you through the process.
Can I send multiple sample types, such as powders, liquids, and solid films, for analysis in one batch or project?
Yes. We accept multiple sample types and projects.
How does sample quality, such as surface roughness or contamination, affect the accuracy of optical measurements?
Surface roughness, contamination, or defects may affect the accuracy of the results; therefore, proper sample preparation is critical.
Do you offer consulting to help interpret optical characterization data and apply it to our project goals?
Absolutely! We offer consulting services to help interpret data, provide actionable insights, and guide design decisions.

Techniques for Optical Characterization Testing

Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS): Evaluate particle sizes in suspensions or colloids by looking at how light scatters when it hits the sample.
Digital Optical Microscopy: Using sophisticated, sensitive cameras, magnifies surface features of a sample to reveal surface characteristics and defects, coating uniformity, texture, color, and more.
Photo-Induced Force Microscopy (PiFM): Detects forces induced by light at a nanoscale. It is one of Covalent’s most sophisticated optical characterization techniques available.
Raman Spectroscopy: Evaluate the chemical composition or crystallinity of a material.