A unique tunable polarimetric scatterometry system has been developed by upgrading a Schmitt Measurement Systems Complete Angle Scatter Instrument (CASI) to produce a Dual-Rotating-Retarder full-Mueller-matrix polarimeter. The system has been enhanced by automation, addition of multiple, tunable, laser light sources, an improved sample positioning and orientation interface, and enhanced data-analysis software. A primary application of this system is the characterization of novel nano- and micro-structured materials, such as photonic crystals, plasmonic structures and optical meta-materials, which often display very narrow-band performance. The ability to characterize these materials both at and away-from their resonances is a clear advantage. The specific project goals are to demonstrate (1) a novel nano- and micro-structured-material-characterization full-polarimetric-diffuse-ellipsometry technique suitable to measure desired material properties with stated uncertainty limits for novel optical material structures of interest, and (2) the incorporation of predictive computational codes that estimate the electro-magnetic property values for novel nano- and micro-structured-material designs and concepts of interest.

Date Published: 1 September 2010
PDF: 11 pages
Proc. SPIE 7792, Reflection, Scattering, and Diffraction from Surfaces II, 779209 (1 September 2010); doi: 10.1117/12.859870

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 7792:
Reflection, Scattering, and Diffraction from Surfaces II
Zu-Han Gu; Leonard M. Hanssen, Editor(s)