Thin Film Characterization Using Rotating Polarizer Analyzer Ellipsometer with a Speed Ratio 1:3
- 1
- 2
- 3
Abstract
In a recent previous work, we proposed a rotating polarizer-analyzer ellipsometer (RPAE) in which the two elements are rotating synchronously in the same direction with a speed ratio 1:3. We applied this technique to bulk samples. In this work, we present theoretically the characterization of 100 nm SiO<sub>2</sub> thin film using this spectroscopic RPAE. We assume a structure consisting of air (ambient)/SiO<sub>2</sub> (thin film)/c-Si (substrate). The ellipsometric parameters ψ and Δ are calculated when a clean signal is received by the detector and when a hypothetical noise is imposed on this signal. The film thickness and the optical constants of the film are calculated for the noisy signal in the spectrum range 200 - 800 nm. The results are compared with the proposed thickness and with the accepted values for SiO<sub>2</sub> optical constants.
- Z. Liu, Y. Zhang, S. W. Kok, B. P. Ng and Y. C. Soh, “Near-Field Ellipsometry for Thin Film Characterization,” Optics Express, Vol. 18, No. 4, 2010, pp. 3298-3310. doi:10.1364/OE.18.003298
- D. Roy, “Optical Characterization of Multi-layer Thin Films Using the Surface Plasmon Resonance Method: A Six Phase Model Based on the Kretschmann Formalism,” Optics Communications, Vol. 200, No. 1-6, 2001, pp. 119-130.
- R. M. Azzam and N. M. Bashara, “Ellipsometry and Polarized Light,” North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1977.
- G. H. Tompkins, “Handbook of Ellipsometry,” William Andrew, Heidelberg, 2005. doi:10.1007/3-540-27488-X
- B. Sun, Y. Chen, P. Zhou, C. H. Xu, Y. F. Kong, Y. X. Zheng and L. Y. Chen, “Ellipsometric Study of the Optical Properties of Silicon-Based Si:SiO2 Composite Thin Films under Different Annealing Temperatures,” The Korean Physical Society, Vol. 49, No. 95, 2006, pp. 2184-2187.
- T. W. Oates, L. Ryves and M. M. Bilek, “Dielectric Functions of a Growing Silver Film Determined Using Dynamic in Situ Spectroscopic Ellipsometry,” Optics Express, Vol. 16, No. 4, 2008, pp. 2302-2314. doi:10.1364/OE.16.002302
- D. E. Aspnes, “Fourier Transform Detection System for Rotating Analyzer Ellipsometers,” Optics Communications, Vol. 8, No. 3, 1973, pp. 222-225. doi:10.1016/0030-4018(73)90132-6
- D. E. Aspnes, “High Precision Scanning Ellipsometer,” Applied Optics, Vol. 4, No. 1, 1975, pp. 220-228.
- A.R. Zaghloul and R.M. Azzam, “Single-Element Rotating Polarizer Ellipsometer: PSI Meter,” Surface Science, Vol. 96, No. 1-3, 1980, pp. 168-173. doi:10.1016/0039-6028(80)90301-5
- L. Vina, C. Umbatch, M. Cardona and L. Vodopyanov, “Ellipsometric Studies of Electric Interband Transitions in CdxHg1–xTe,” Physical Review B, Vol. 29, No. 12, 1984, pp. 6752-6760. doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.29.6752
- L. Y. Chen and D. W. Lynch, “Scanning Ellipsometer by Rotating Polarizer and Analyzer,” Applied Optics, Vo. 26, No. 24, 1987, pp. 5221-5228.
- L. Y. Chen, X. W. Feng, Y. Su, H. Z. Ma and Y. H. Qian, “Improved Rotating Analyzer-Polarizer of Scanning Ellipsometer,” Thin Solid Films, Vol. 234, No. 1-2, 1993, pp. 385-389.
- L. Y. Chen, X. W. Feng, Y. Su, H. Z. Ma and Y. H. Qian, “Design of a Scanning Ellipsometer by Synchronous Rotation of the Polarizer and Analyzer,” Applied Optics, Vol. 33, No. 7, 1994, pp. 1299-1305. doi:10.1364/AO.33.001299