The random noise and the systematic errors caused by azimuthal errors of the optical elements, i.e., the polarizer, the analyzer, or the compensator, would lead to measurement errors in the Mueller matrix ellipsometer (MME). In this paper, we develop the two-channel MME of the optical configuration PC_r1SC_r2Wp by replacing the analyzer with a Wollaston prism. In the two-channel MME, two intensity spectra would be acquired simultaneously due to the separation and orthogonal polarization of two light beams by the Wollaston prism and are combined to deduce the Mueller matrix. Two figures of merit are derived to evaluate the effects of random noise and systematic errors on the Mueller matrix measurement, and numerical simulations demonstrate that the two-channel MME can give access to higher accuracy by reducing measurement errors due to random noise and systematic errors.

Date Published: 31 January 2013
PDF: 8 pages
Proc. SPIE 8759, Eighth International Symposium on Precision Engineering Measurement and Instrumentation, 875954 (31 January 2013); doi: 10.1117/12.2014581

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 8759:
Eighth International Symposium on Precision Engineering Measurement and Instrumentation
Jie Lin, Editor(s)