AVS 49th International Symposium
    Applied Surface Science Wednesday Sessions
       Session AS-WeM

Invited Paper AS-WeM3
Progress in Spectroscopic Ellipsometry: Applications from Vacuum Ultraviolet to Infrared

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 9:00 am, Room C-106

Session: Optical Methods and High-k Dielectrics Characterization
Presenter: J.N. Hilfiker, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
Authors: J.N. Hilfiker, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
C.L. Bungay, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
R.A. Synowicki, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
T.E. Tiwald, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
C.M. Herzinger, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
B. Johs, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
G. Pribil, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
J.A. Woollam, J. A. Woollam Co., Inc.
Correspondent: Click to Email
Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is a non-contact and non-destructive optical technique for thin film characterization. In the past ten years, it has migrated from the research laboratory into the semiconductor, data storage, display, communication, and optical coating industries. The wide acceptance of SE is a result of its flexibility to measure most material types: dielectrics, semiconductors, metals, superconductors, polymers, biological coatings, and even multi-layers of these materials. Measurement of anisotropic materials has also made huge strides in recent years. Traditional SE measurements cover the ultraviolet, visible, and near infrared wavelengths. This spectral range is now acquired within seconds with high accuracy due to innovative optical configurations and new CCD detection. In addition, the wavelength range has recently been expanded both into the vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and the mid infrared. This wide spectral coverage was achieved by utilizing new optical elements and detections systems, along with UV or FTIR light sources. Modern instrumentation is now available with unprecedented flexibility promoting a new range of possible applications. For example, the VUV spectral region is uniquely capable of characterizing lithographic materials for 157nm photolithography. The VUV also provides increased sensitivity for thin layers (e.g. gate oxides or self-assembled monolayers) and allows investigation of high-energy electronic transitions. The infrared spectral region contains new information about semiconductor doping concentration, phonon absorption, and molecular bond vibrations. In this work, we review the latest progress in spectroscopic ellipsometry hardware and software. Areas of significant application in both research and industrial fields will also be surveyed.