Abstract
Photoacoustic imaging of microscopic metal film test structures on a surface acoustic wave device at 76-MHz light modulation frequency is reported. The samples are evaporated on a YZ LiNbO3 crystal surface and are scanned through the focus spot of a mode-locked dye laser beam. The optically generated surface acoustic waves are detected by means of a resonant interdigital transducer. Synchronization of the focus spot position to the corresponding piezoelectric signal yields a high resolution photoacoustic image of the samples (lateral resolution 5 μm).