Mueller Matrix Ellipsometric Approach on the Imaging of Sub-Wavelength Nanostructures

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00177016%3A_____%2F22%3AN0000088" target="_blank" >RIV/00177016:_____/22:N0000088 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216305:26620/22:PU147230

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2021.814559/" target="_blank" >https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphy.2021.814559/</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2021.814559" target="_blank" >10.3389/fphy.2021.814559</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Mueller Matrix Ellipsometric Approach on the Imaging of Sub-Wavelength Nanostructures

Original language description

Conventional spectroscopic ellipsometry is a powerful tool in optical metrology. However, when it comes to the characterization of non-periodic nanostructures or structured fields that are much smaller than the illumination spot size, it is not well suited as it integrates the results over the whole illuminated area. Instead, imaging ellipsometry can be applied. Especially imaging Mueller matrix ellipsometry is highly useful in nanostructure characterization and defect inspection, as it is capable to measure the complete Mueller matrix for each pixel in a microscope image of the sample. It has been shown that these so-called Mueller matrix images can help to distinguish geometrical features of nanostructures in the sub-wavelength regime due to visible differences in off-diagonal matrix elements. To further investigate the sensitivity of imaging Mueller matrix ellipsometry for sub-wavelength sized features, we designed and fabricated a sample containing geometrical nanostructures with lateral dimensions ranging from 50 to 5,000 nm. The structures consist of square and circular shapes with varying sizes and corner rounding. For the characterization of their Mueller matrix images, we constructed an in-house Mueller matrix microscope capable of measuring the full Mueller matrix for each pixel of a CCD camera, using an imaging system and a dual-rotating compensator configuration for the ellipsometric system. The samples are illuminated at 455 nm wavelength and the measurements can be performed in both transmission and reflection. Using this setup, we systematically examine the sensitivity of Mueller matrix images to small features of the designed nanostructures. Within this contribution, the results are compared with traceable atomic force microscopy measurements and the suitability of this measurement technique in optical nanometrology is discussed. AFM measurements confirm that the fabricated samples closely match their design and are suitable for nanometrological test measurements. Mueller matrix images of the structures show close resemblance to numerical simulations and significant influence of sub-wavelength features to off-diagonal matrix elements.

Czech name

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Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

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OECD FORD branch

21100 - Other engineering and technologies

Project

Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2022

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Frontiers in Physics

ISSN

2296-424X

e-ISSN

2296-424X

Volume of the periodical

9

Issue of the periodical within the volume

21 January 2022

Country of publishing house

CH - SWITZERLAND

Number of pages

12

Pages from-to

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UT code for WoS article

000751455800001

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85124087791