Spectroscopic ellipsometer without rotating components
US6753961B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Sep 18, 2001 |
| Grant date | Jun 22, 2004 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 1, 2022 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N2021/213
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A spectroscopic ellipsometer having a multiwavelength light source, spectrometer (or wavelength-scanning monochromator and photodetector), a polarizer and polarization analyzer, and one or more objectives in the illumination and collection light paths, further comprises a stationary polarization modulator that modulates the light polarization versus wavelength. Modulator can be an optically active crystal rotating the linear polarization plane by a different angle for each wavelength or a non-achromatic waveplate retarder that varies the relative phase delay of the polarization components periodically over wavelength. The measured spectrum can be used to characterize selected features or parameters of a sample, e.g. by comparison with one or more theoretical spectra.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.