Abstract
Most ellipsometry experiments are performed by shining polarized light onto a sample at a large angle of incidence, and the results are interpreted in terms of thin film thicknesses and isotropic optical functions of the film or substrate. However, it is possible to alter the geometrical arrangement, either by observing the sample in transmission or at normal-incidence reflection. In both cases, the experiment is fundamentally the same, but the interpretation of the results is considerably different. Both configurations can be used in conjunction with microscope optics, allowing for images to be made of the sample. The results of three examples of these different configurations using the two-modulator generalized ellipsometer (2-MGE) are reported: (1) spectroscopic birefringence measurements of ZnO, (2) electric field-induced birefringence (Pockels effect) in GaAs, and (3) normal-incidence reflection anisotropy of highly oriented pyrolytic graphite (HOPG).
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 47-51 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Applied Surface Science |
| Volume | 253 |
| Issue number | 1 SPEC. ISS. |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Oct 31 2006 |
Funding
Research was sponsored in part by the Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology, the Office of Basic Energy Sciences, the National Nuclear Security Administration and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, managed by UT-Battelle, LLC, for the U.S. Department of Energy under contract No. DE-ACO5-00OR22725.
Keywords
- Birefringence
- Ellipsometry
- Optical anisotropy
- Pockels effect