SPECTROSCOPIC ELLIPSOMETRY 

The ellipsometry is an optical technique devoted to the analysis of surfaces. It is based on the measurement of the variation of the polarization state of the light after reflection on a plane surface. The ellipsometry technique has been discovered one hundred years ago but it is only fifteen years ago, thanks to the development of electronic and computers that the technique expand largely in numerous fields.

The strong advantages of ellipsometry are its non destructive character, its high sensitivity due to the measurement of the phase of the reflected light, its large measurement range (from fractions of monolayers to micrometers ), and the possibilities to control in real time complex processes.

We must distinguish between single wavelength ellipsometry which can measure only two parameters and spectroscopic ellipsometry which can analyze complex structures such as multilayers, interface roughness, inhomogeneous layers, anisotropic layers and much more.

• Theoretical background

• Measurement techniques

• Signal treatment

• Calibration

• Extraction of physical parameters

• A standard instrument the ESVG model

Theory | Techniques | Signal | Calibration and Measurement | Parameters | ESVG Models