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US 2003/0227623 A1Published application
Ellipsometry methods and apparatus using solid immersion tunneling
AssigneeRegents of the University of Minnesota
InventorsQiwen Zhan, James R. Leger
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A solid immersion tunneling ellipsometer and methods relating thereto may include a solid immersion apparatus (e.g., a prism or an objective lens in combination with a solid immersion lens) that facilitates optical tunneling and provide information that can be used in the determination of one or more characteristics (e.g., thickness, index of refraction, etc.) of samples (e.g., thin films, ultrathin films, etc.).
Claims31
An ellipsometry method comprising:
- receiving one or more ellipsometric signals corresponding to at least one ray of polarized light provided at an angle greater than a critical angle of a solid immersion apparatus, wherein the solid immersion apparatus comprises a surface located adjacent a thin film of a sample;
- determining one or more measured ellipsometric parameters as a function of the one or more ellipsometric signals for the at least one ray of the polarized light provided at an angle greater than the critical angle;
- and
- determining at least one characteristic of the thin film by fitting the one or more measured ellipsometric parameters to a model, wherein the model provides a relationship between the at least one characteristic for thin films and model ellipsometric parameters corresponding to the one or more measured ellipsometric parameters.
1 more element
An ellipsometer apparatus comprising:
- an interface apparatus operable to receive one or more ellipsometric signals corresponding to at least one ray of polarized light provided at an angle greater than a critical angle of a solid immersion apparatus, the solid immersion apparatus comprising a surface adapted to be positioned adjacent a thin film of a sample;
- and
- a processing apparatus operable to:
- determine one or more measured ellipsometric parameters as a function of the one or more ellipsometric signals for the at least one ray of the polarized light provided at an angle greater than the critical angle;
- and
- determine at least one characteristic of the thin film by fitting the one or more measured ellipsometric parameters to a model, wherein the model provides a relationship between the at least one characteristic for thin films and model ellipsometric parameters corresponding to the one or more measured ellipsometric parameters.
3 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.