Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Ellipsometry is a powerful tool used for the characterization of thin films and multi-layer semiconductor structures. This book deals with fundamental principles and applications of spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Beginning with an overview of SE technologies the text moves on to focus on the data analysis of results obtained from SE, Fundamental data analyses, principles and physical backgrounds and the various materials used in different fields from LSI industry to biotechnology are described. The final chapter describes the latest developments of real-time monitoring and process control which have attracted significant attention in various scientific and industrial fields.

Ellipsometry is an experimental technique for determining the thickness and optical properties of thin films. It is ideally suited for films ranging in thickness from sub-nanometer to several microns. Spectroscopic measurements have greatly expanded the capabilities of this technique and introduced its use into all areas where thin films are found: semiconductor devices, flat panel and mobile displays, optical coating stacks, biological and medical coatings, protective layers, and more. While several scholarly books exist on the topic, this book provides a good introduction to the basic theory of the technique and its common applications. The target audience is not the ellipsometry scholar, but process engineers and students of materials science who are experts in their own fields and wish to use ellipsometry to measure thin film properties without becoming an expert in ellipsometry itself.

This book provides a basic understanding of spectroscopic ellipsometry, with a focus on characterization methods of a broad range of solar cell materials/devices, from traditional solar cell materials (Si, CuInGaSe2, and CdTe) to more advanced emerging materials (Cu2ZnSnSe4, organics, and hybrid perovskites), fulfilling a critical need in the photovoltaic community. The book describes optical constants of a variety of semiconductor light absorbers, transparent conductive oxides and metals that are vital for the interpretation of solar cell characteristics and device simulations. It is divided into four parts: fundamental principles of ellipsometry; characterization of solar cell materials/structures; ellipsometry applications including optical simulations of solar cell devices and online monitoring of film processing; and the optical constants of solar cell component layers.

A one-of-a-kind text offering an introduction to the use of spectroscopic ellipsometry for novel material characterization In Introduction to Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of Thin Film Materials: Instrumentation, Data Analysis and Applications, a team of eminent researchers delivers an incisive exploration of how the traditional experimental technique of spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to characterize the intrinsic properties of novel materials. The book focuses on the scientifically and technologically important two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (2D-TMDs), magnetic oxides like manganite materials, and unconventional superconductors, including copper oxide systems. The distinguished authors discuss the characterization of properties, like electronic structures, interfacial properties, and the consequent quasiparticle dynamics in novel quantum materials. Along with illustrative and specific case studies on how spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to study the optical and quasiparticle properties of novel systems, the book includes: Thorough introductions to the basic principles of spectroscopic ellipsometry and strongly correlated systems, including copper oxides and manganites Comprehensive explorations of two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides Practical discussions of single layer graphene systems and nickelate systems In-depth examinations of potential future developments and applications of spectroscopic ellipsometry Perfect for master’s- and PhD-level students in physics and chemistry, Introduction to Spectroscopic Ellipsometry of Thin Film Materials will also earn a place in the libraries of those studying materials science seeking a one-stop reference for the applications of spectroscopic ellipsometry to novel developed materials.

Spectroscopic ellipsometry has been applied to a wide variety of material and device characterizations in solar cell research fields. In particular, device performance analyses using exact optical constants of component layers and direct analyses of complex solar cell structures are unique features of advanced ellipsometry methods. This second volume of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry for Photovoltaics presents various applications of the ellipsometry technique for device analyses, including optical/recombination loss analyses, real-time control and on-line monitoring of solar cell structures, and large-area structural mapping. Furthermore, this book describes the optical constants of 148 solar cell component layers, covering a broad range of materials from semiconductor light absorbers (inorganic, organic and hybrid perovskite semiconductors) to transparent conductive oxides and metals. The tabulated and completely parameterized optical constants described in this book are the most current resource that is vital for device simulations and solar cell structural analyses.

This book presents and introduces ellipsometry in nanoscience and nanotechnology making a bridge between the classical and nanoscale optical behaviour of materials. It delineates the role of the non-destructive and non-invasive optical diagnostics of ellipsometry in improving science and technology of nanomaterials and related processes by illustrating its exploitation, ranging from fundamental studies of the physics and chemistry of nanostructures to the ultimate goal of turnkey manufacturing control. This book is written for a broad readership: materials scientists, researchers, engineers, as well as students and nanotechnology operators who want to deepen their knowledge about both basics and applications of ellipsometry to nanoscale phenomena. It starts as a general introduction for people curious to enter the fields of ellipsometry and polarimetry applied to nanomaterials and progresses to articles by experts on specific fields that span from plasmonics, optics, to semiconductors and flexible electronics. The core belief reflected in this book is that ellipsometry applied at the nanoscale offers new ways of addressing many current needs. The book also explores forward-looking potential applications.

The Handbook of Ellipsometry is a critical foundation text on an increasingly critical subject. Ellipsometry, a measurement technique based on phase and amplitude changes in polarized light, is becoming popular in a widening array of applications because of increasing miniaturization of integrated circuits and breakthroughs in knowledge of biological macromolecules deriving from DNA and protein surface research. Ellipsometry does not contact or damage samples, and is an ideal measurement technique for determining optical and physical properties of materials at the nano scale. With the acceleration of new instruments and applications now occurring, this book provides an essential foundation for the current science and technology of ellipsometry for scientists and engineers in industry and academia at the forefront of nanotechnology developments in instrumentation, integrated circuits, biotechnology, and pharmaceuticals. Divided into four parts, this comprehensive handbook covers the theory of ellipsometry, instrumentation, applications, and emerging areas. Experts in the field contributed to its twelve chapters, covering various aspects of ellipsometry.