Methods for the express nondestructive measurement of the thickness of
coatings (films) deposited on a polycrystalline substrate using a gen
eral-purpose diffractometer are described. The methods involve measuri
ng the attenuation of the integral intensity of the diffraction lines
of the substrate (one or two diffraction orders) in the coating. The m
ethod was checked by measuring the thickness of an aluminum film (13 m
um) on nickel and a coating of titanium nitride deposited on 40Kh stee
l. The results obtained agree well with the results obtained by direct
methods. The procedures described enable one to measure coating thick
ness from tenths to tens of micrometers.