CHARACTERIZATION EQUIPMENT
ELLIPSOMETRY
Description
Ellipsometry is a non-contacting, non-destructive technique for the measurement of surfaces and very thin films on surfaces using elliptically polarized light. No other measuring technique is as direct or inherently as precise as ellipsometry. Quality ellipsometers can detect film and surface conditions of under an Angstrom thick.
Ellipsometry is superior to alternate methods of thin film measurement such as reflectometry because two parameters (DELTA and PSI) instead of one (intensity) are independently determined in any single measurement. This fact permits the film refractive index to be measured in addition to the film thickness. Two independent parameters also place tighter constraints on models representing more complicated films. In addition, ellipsometric measurements are insensitive to intensity fluctuations of the source, temperature drifts of electronic components, and macroscopic roughness which can be a serious problem in reflectometry but not in ellipsometry, for which absolute intensity measurements are not required.
Available Instrumentation
Gaertner L116C Variable Angle Ellipsometer
Nanospec Ellipsometer
J.A. Woollam VASE Spectroscopic Ellipsometer
Training
Training - Every Thursday 10:30 am - 11:30 am
