• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.1-4
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• 2003

We have developed a rotating compensator spectroscopic ellipsometer (RCSE). As the ellipsometry measures a change in the polarization state of a light wave upon non-normal reflection from surface, the degree of sensitivity is enhanced greatly through the detection of relative phase change. RCSE acquires additional information from the non-ideal surface of sample and operates over the photon energy range from 1.5 to 4.5 eV. We applied RCSE to measure the optical properties of films and the line-width of patterned PR films on crystalline silicon.

• Proceedings of the Optical Society of Korea Conference
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• 2001.02a
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• pp.256-259
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• 2001

Rotating-compensator type ellipsometer was developed for spectroscopic measurements. For accurate data reduction, the azimuths of transmission axises of polarizer and analyzer, and the angular position of the fast axis of compensator should be determined through calibration process. In this paper, we present various calibration methods.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.172-179
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• 2021

A near-normal-incidence ellipsometer (NNIE) is suggested as an optical critical dimension (OCD) measurement system that is highly sensitive to the bottom defect of a sample with high-aspect-ratio structured patterns. Incident light passes through a polarizer and a phase retarder in sequence, and the reflected light from the sample also passes through them, but in reverse order. The operating principle of this NNIE, where a single polarizer and a single phase retarder are shared by the incident and reflected light, is studied, and a method to determine the ellipsometric constants from the measured intensities at proper combinations of the azimuthal angles of polarizer and retarder is presented.

• Proceedings of the Korea Crystallographic Association Conference
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• 2002.11a
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• pp.38-39
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• 2002

Spectroscopic ellipsometer(SE)는 박막의 두께, 굴절률, 흡수율, 에너지 갭, 결정상태, 밀도, 표면 및 계면의 거칠기 등에 관한 유용한 정보들을 제공한다. (1-3) SE는 빛을 탐침으로 사용하기 때문에 비파괴적이고 비접촉식 박막물성 측정방법이며 편광변화에 대한 상대적 물리량을 측정함으로써 정밀도와 재연성이 매우 높은 장점들을 갖고 있다. 따라서 SE는 반도체 메모리 소자, 평판 디스플레이, DVD와 CD와 같은 데이터 저장장치 등을 제작하는 공정에서 박막에 관련된 공정계측장비로 사용되고 있다. 특히, 최근의 차세대 반도체 소자 개발에 관한 연구 등(4-6)에서는 수 nm 두께의 다양한 초박막들에 관한 물성연구가 주관심사이기 때문에 최고의 성능을 갖는 계측장비와 기술이 요구되고 있다. 따라서 본 연구에서는 그림과 같은 편광자(polarizer)-시료(sample)-검광자(analyzer)로 구성된 PSA구조의 표준기용 rotating-analyzer SE를 제작하게 되었다. 현재까지 개발된 ellipsometer의 수많은 종류들 중에서 null 형, rotating element 형, 그리고 phase modulation 형이 가장 많이 사용되고 있다. 여기서 element란 polarizer, analyzer, 또는 compensator와 같은 광 부품들을 지칭하는데 이 중 하나 또는 둘을 회전시키기 때문에 그 종류 또한 매우 많다. 이들 중에서 회전검광자형 ellipsometer는 입사각 정렬이 우수하고, 파장에 무관한 편광기만 사용하므로 비교적 넓은 광량자 에너지영역에서 정확도 높은 데이터를 얻을 수 있기 때문에 박막 상수의 정밀측정에 가장 적합하다. 특히, 본 연구에서 제작된 ellipsometer에는 간섭계 장치, polarizer tracking,(2) zone average,(1) 그리고 low-pass filter 등을 사용함으로써 측정오차를 최대한 줄이는 노력을 하였다.

• Journal of the Semiconductor & Display Technology
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• v.2 no.4
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• pp.23-26
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• 2003

The general users find difficulties in using ellipsometers. Thus, the object of this study is to construct an ellipsometer with simple operation principle. We developed an ellipsometer which does not require alignment and calibration before measuring sample. A basis structure model after rotating a compensator spectroscopic ellipsometry, the fixed incidence angle at $70^{\circ}$. This ellipsometer does not demand calibration, because the plane of incidence is not changed due to the novel sample holder structure. The results for various standard samples were compared with those from conventional RCSE to test the performance of this instrument. Also repeated measurements were performed to test the precision of the calibration coefficient in a plane of incidence fixed.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.201-209
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• 2022

The previously developed microspot spectroscopic ellipsometer (SE) is upgraded to a microspot SE compatible with the atomic force microscope (AFM). The focusing optical system of the previous microspot SE is optimized to incorporate an AFM head. In addition, the rotating compensator ellipsometer in polarizer-sample-compensator-analyzer configuration is adopted in order to minimize the negative effects caused by beam wobble. This research leads to the derivation of the expressions needed to get spectro-ellipsometric constants despite the fact that the employed rotating compensator is far from the ideal achromatic quarter-wave plate. The spot size of the developed microspot SE is less than 20 ㎛ while the AFM head is mounted. It operates in the wavelength range of 190-850 nm and has a measurement accuracy of δΔ ≤ 0.05° and δΨ ≤ 0.02°, respectively. Fast measurement of ≤3 s/sp is realized by precisely synchronizing the azimuthal angle of a rotating compensator with the spectrograph. The microspot SE integrated with an AFM is expected to be useful in characterizing the structure and optical properties of finely patterned samples.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society Of Semiconductor Equipment Technology
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• 2003.12a
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• pp.18-22
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• 2003

일반사용자들은 ellipsometer를 사용이 어려운 장비로 인식하고 있다. 본 연구는 초보자들이 손쉽게 사용할 수 있는 ellipsometer를 제작하는데 목적이 있다. 시편을 측정하기 전에 반드시 해야 할 과정인 alignment와 calibration을 하지 않고 측정할 수 있도록 제작하였다. 기본 구조는 rotating compensator spectroscopic ellipsometry를 이용하였으며 , 입사각을 70도로 고정시키고 기존의 sample holder 구조를 바꾸어 어떠한 시편을 놓아도 입사면이 변하지 알게 하여 calibration 이 요구되지 않는 ellipsometer를 개발하였다. 장비의 성능과 정밀도를 검사하기 위하여 여러 가지 표준시료를 측정하여 일반 RCSE와 측정결과를 비교하였다. 또한 고정된 입사면의 calibration값의 신뢰도를 검사하기 위하여 반복적으로 측정할 때마다 시편을 재배치하여 실험하였다.

• Current Optics and Photonics
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.428-434
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• 2023

The compensators used in spectroscopic ellipsometers are usually assumed to be ideal linear waveplates. In reality, however, they are elliptical waveplates, because they are usually made by bonding two or more linear waveplates of different materials with slight misalignment. This induces systematic error when they are modeled as linear waveplates. We propose an improved calibration method based on an optical model that regards an elliptical waveplate as a combination of a circular waveplate (rotator) and a linear waveplate. The method allows elimination of the systematic error, and the residual error of optic axis measurement is reduced to 0.025 degrees in the spectral range of 450-800 nm.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.15 no.6
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• pp.527-530
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• 2004

Using a polarimetry based on the rotating analyzer ellipsometer, a technique of measuring off-alignment angle between the slow-axis of the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) polarizing plate and the transmission axis of the compensating plate attached to the polarizing plate is proposed. It is anticipated that this technique will reduce the optic axis off-alignment error coming from the process of attaching the compensating plate to the LCD polarizing plate markedly, and therefore will help maintain the quality of LCD display image uniformly.