Spectroscopic ellipsometry has established its position as a high-precision optical-characterization technique -- nevertheless, the principles of ellipsometry are often said to be difficult, partly due to the lack of proper knowledge for polarized light used as a probe in ellipsometry. The objective of this book is to provide a fundamental understanding of spectroscopic ellipsometry particularly for researchers who are not familiar with the ellipsometry technique. Although some aspects of the technique are complicated, the understanding is not essentially difficult, if one comprehends the principles in order. Based on this point of view, this highly-illustrated book provides general descriptions for measurement and data analysis methods employed widely in spectroscopic ellipsometry. In order to comprehend spectroscopic ellipsometry, however, a fundamental knowledge for optics is required. In the book, therefore, "Principles of Optics" and "Polarization of Light" are described (Chapters 2 and 3). From these two chapters, the principles of spectroscopic ellipsometry presented in Chapter 4 can be understood more easily. The author focuses on data analysis in the next few chapters: in particular, the principles and physical backgrounds of ellipsometry analysis are discussed in detail in Chapter 5. Since there is growing interest for optical anisotropy, the data analysis of anisotropic materials is explained in Chapters 6 and the subsequent chapter presents examples of ellipsometry analyses for various materials used in different fields are described. In the final chapter, the applications of spectroscopic ellipsometry for growth monitoring and feedback control of processing are addressed.
This book will be appropriate as a text for students as well as researchers, in institutes and industrial laboratories, in providing practical information on the applications of spectroscopic ellipsometry.