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US 8,941,831 B2Granted
Intra-cavity ellipsometer system and method
OwnerTheodore Peter Rakitzisinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A resonant optical cavity ellipsometer system is provided. The system can be used to conduct time-dependent arid sensitive measurement of ellipsometric parameters of matter. In a particular use, the system can provide time resolution of better than 1 microsecond. In a particular implementation, matter can be probed within the evanescent wave generated by intra-cavity total reflection.
Claims26
An ellipsometric system comprising:
- at least one light source structured and arranged to generate at least one first light pulse;
- at least one first-polarizer structured and arranged to polarize at least a portion of such at least one first light pulse into at least one first polarized light pulse;
- at least one closed stable optical cavity structured and arranged to generate a measurable ellipsometric phase shift in the at least one first polarized light pulse;
- at least one first light-detector;
- at least one second-polarizer structured and arranged to polarize at least a portion of such at least one first polarized light pulse into at least one second polarized light pulse and to polarize at least a portion of such at least one first polarized light pulse into at least one third polarized light pulse;
- and
- at least one second light-detector structured and arranged to detect such at least one third polarized light pulse;
- wherein the at least one first light-detector is structured and arranged to detect such at least one second polarized light pulse.
5 more elements
A method of measuring the ellipsometric angle δ of a test material, the method comprising the steps of:
- generating at least one first light pulse;
- polarizing the at least one first light pulse into at least one first polarized light pulse;
- injecting the at least one first polarized light pulse into at least one closed stable optical cavity so that test material situated to interact with the at least one first polarized light pulse, will partially absorb the at least one first polarized light pulse;
- polarizing at least a portion of the at least one first polarized light pulse that has exited the at least one closed stable optical cavity, into at least one second polarized light pulse;
- detecting the at least one second polarized light pulse;
- and
- calculating the ellipsometric angle δ of the test material from the detected second polarized light pulse.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.