Method for determining physical properties of a multilayered periodic structure

A method of determining physical properties of a multilayered periodic structure, comprising steps of:

• (a) illuminating a real periodic structure and performing at least one of (i) measuring at least one of reflectivity or transmittance of the real periodic structure in response to the illumination or (ii) measuring at least one physical property related to reflectivity or transmittance of the real periodic structure;
• (b) performing at least one of (i) calculating at least one of reflectivity or transmittance of a virtual periodic structure corresponding to the real periodic structure in response to the illumination or (ii) calculating at least one physical property related to at least one of reflectivity or transmittance of the virtual periodic structure in response to the illumination,
• by setting the virtual periodic structure having a repeated shape, one-dimensionally, two-dimensionally or three-dimensionally and at least a horizontally repeating period and a plurality of vertically stacked layers including middle layers among the vertically stacked layers, wherein at least three substances occur in each horizontally repeated period, and
• by calculating physical properties related to the reflectivity and the transmittance of the virtual periodic structure by using a refractive index of each of the at least three substances forming the virtual periodic structure;
• and
• (c) comparing the at least one physical property related to the reflectivity and the transmittance being measured in the step (a) with the corresponding at least one physical property related to the at least one of reflectivity or transmittance being calculated in the step (b).