Workshops will take place on Thursday, June 10, 2027. More details to be added shortly.
Workshop A – Spectroscopic Ellipsometry – Case Studies and Tricks of the Trade
Workshop instructors: James N. Hilfiker (J.A. Woollam Co., Inc.), Bill Baloukas (Polytechnique Montréal)
Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) is a proven optical characterization technique for thin film characterization using light polarization. It is primarily used to determine film thickness and material optical properties such as the refractive index and extinction coefficient. Its applications also include the characterization of surface roughness, index gradients, compound compositions, multi-layer stacks, doping concentrations, anisotropy, metamaterials, and multiple other properties associated with the optical response of surfaces. The commercially available wavelength range is now very wide and extends from the vacuum ultra-violet (140 nm) to the terahertz (~3 mm). In addition, the implementation of Mueller matrix SE allows for the characterization of anisotropic samples that may be depolarizing and cross-polarizing.
This one-day workshop will cover the following topics:
- An overview of the fundamentals of SE.
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Standard to advanced applications of SE by a case studies approach including:
o SE, from thin films to multilayers.
o Obtaining the optical constants in a wide spectral range.
o Mueller matrix SE for anisotropic samples.
o Automated modeling approaches - Q&A session: Questions sent by the participants 1 week prior to the workshop will be addressed.
- Hands-on laboratory session using RC2-XI and IR-VASE instruments.
During the laboratory session, it will be possible to test a limited number of your own samples. If interested, please contact Bill Baloukas at bill.baloukas@polymtl.ca.