Ellipsometry

In semiconductor manufacturing, the precise control of thin films defines the success of every process step. Whether it’s the oxide thickness in a gate stack, the refractive index of a dielectric layer, or the uniformity of a multilayer coating - each nanometer matters.
Ellipsometry has therefore become one of the most powerful and indispensable tools for non-destructive, high-precision metrology in the semiconductor industry. It provides detailed information about film thickness, optical constants, composition,  and interface quality - all from the way polarized light interacts with a surface.

Ellipsometry measures the change in polarization of light upon reflection or transmission from a material. When polarized light strikes a surface, its p- (parallel) and s- (perpendicular) components undergo different amplitude and phase changes. By analyzing these changes, ellipsometry extracts the optical and structural properties of the sample with extraordinary precision - often better than 0.1 Å in film thickness.

This makes the technique central to process control and quality assurance in semiconductor manufacturing, from front-end deposition and etching to back-end packaging. It is routinely used to characterize:

• Gate oxides and dielectric stacks
• Photoresist and hard mask layers
• Epitaxial films and heterostructures
• Passivation coatings and wafer bonding interfaces

Because it is non-contact, rapid, and non-destructive, ellipsometry can be applied both in R&D environments and in high-volume production, ensuring consistent device performance and yield.

While early ellipsometers used broadband lamps and monochromators, the demands of today’s semiconductor industry - smaller feature sizes, faster measurements, and structured surfaces - have made lasers the illumination source of choice. Lasers bring unique advantages to both spectroscopic and imaging ellipsometry:

• High spatial coherence allows tight focusing, enabling measurements on patterned wafers or small device areas.
• High temporal coherence and narrow linewidths ensure accurate phase and amplitude detection in polarization measurements.
• Exceptional wavelength accuracy and power stability provide repeatable and drift-free data in production environments.
• Polarization purity (extinction ratios above 100:1) ensures clean and precise analysis of the p and s components.
• Tunable laser sources allow rapid scanning across a wide spectral range, expanding the method to full spectroscopic ellipsometry with high spectral resolution.

These properties make laser-based ellipsometry far more sensitive, compact, and versatile than traditional lamp-based approaches - ideally suited for the nanometer and sub-nanometer precision required in advanced semiconductor processes.

1. Single-wavelength ellipsometry

Uses a fixed laser (traditionally HeNe at 632.8 nm or a diode laser at 405–785 nm) for fast, high-precision film thickness monitoring on production tools.

• Advantages: Compact, fast, and cost-efficient.
• Typical lasers:
  • single-frequency diode lasers (power 1–10 mW, linewidth < 1 MHz)
  • Polarization extinction ratio > 100:1 for accurate Ψ and Δ measurement
• Applications: Real-time monitoring of oxide, nitride, or resist layer thickness; CMP (Chemical Mechanical Planarization/Polishing) endpoint detection; process uniformity control.

2. Spectroscopic ellipsometry

Extends the technique across a broad wavelength range (typically 190–2000 nm) to measure optical constants (n, k) and multilayer stacks.

• Laser types:
  • Tunable diode lasers or supercontinuum sources with acousto-optic or filter-based wavelength selection
  • Optical parametric oscillators (OPOs) or frequency-doubled/frequency-quadrupled solid-state lasers for DUV to NIR coverage
• Performance:
  • Wavelength accuracy < 0.001 nm
  • Linewidth < 1 MHz
  • Power stability < 0.1%
• Applications: High-k/metal gate characterization, optical constant modeling of complex multilayers, and composition analysis of advanced films.

3. Imaging ellipsometry

Combines ellipsometry with microscopy and scanning optics to provide spatially resolved 2D or 3D maps of film thickness and refractive index.

• Lasers: Visible and NIR CW sources (405–1064 nm) with excellent beam quality and low speckle (e.g. using SKILL speckle reduction).
• Resolution:
  • Lateral: < 1 µm (spot size limited)
  • Vertical (film thickness): < 0.1 nm
• Applications: Patterned wafer analysis, defect localization, non-uniformity mapping, and local thin-film metrology.

As semiconductor architectures evolve - from planar transistors to 3D structures and advanced packaging - ellipsometry continues to adapt through new laser-based approaches:

In-line and real-time ellipsometry

Compact, high-speed laser ellipsometers are being integrated directly into process tools.

• Requirements: Fast modulation (>kHz), miniaturized optics, and robust wavelength stabilization.
• Benefit: Continuous monitoring of thin-film growth and etch processes without interrupting production.

Infrared and THz ellipsometry

By extending the spectral range into the mid-infrared and terahertz, ellipsometry can probe free-carrier absorption, dopant profiles, and buried interface properties.

• Laser sources: Tunable OPOs
• Applications: Non-destructive dopant and conductivity mapping in 3D structures.

Ultrafast and time-resolved ellipsometry

Using femtosecond lasers, researchers now study carrier dynamics and photoinduced changes in semiconductor materials.

• Benefit: Understanding ultrafast phenomena critical to optoelectronic device performance.

Laser-based ellipsometry has become an essential metrology pillar of the semiconductor industry. Its ability to determine layer thickness and optical constants with sub-angstrom precision makes it a cornerstone for both research and high-volume manufacturing.

Whether in spectroscopic form for complete material characterization or in imaging mode for spatially resolved process control, lasers provide the coherence, stability, and spectral purity required for the most demanding measurements.

From visible to deep-UV, from static to in-line, from laboratory analysis to production monitoring - lasers enable ellipsometry to see the invisible, ensuring every nanometer of a semiconductor device meets perfection.

As semiconductor technology moves toward ever thinner, more complex, and three-dimensional structures, the role of lasers in ellipsometric inspection will continue to expand - driving the next generation of precision, performance, and process insight.