Optical Characterization of Materials by Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

This chapter provides a brief introduction to ellipsometry starting with an overview of light polarization, definition of ellipsometric measurable quantities and instrumentation. It covers the applications of ellipsometry to "standard" systems as bulks, single layers, and multilayers. The key theoretical formulas and approaches are supported by selected case studies performed on real samples. The chapter presents a case study where the multilayer approach can be applied as an approximation for a nanocrystalline diamond film's inner structure. The objective is to emphasize the potentiality and complementarity of spectroscopic ellipsometry as a characterization tool of nanostructures. The chapter also deals with ellipsometry (scatterometry) characterization of a linear grating. The advantages and disadvantages together with the complementarity of ellipsometry with respect to conventional techniques are continuously mentioned to underscore the real value of the method.