Surface characterization by spectroscopic infrared ellipsometry

Summary For ellipsometry in the infrared range the advantages of Fourier-transform spectroscopy can be exploited when the experimental procedure is based on photometry. The measured intensities are interpretable in terms of the so-called ellipsometric parameters which describe the polarization state of the radiation after having been reflected from the sample. These parameters in turn are correlated with the optical constants of the sample such as the dielectric function or the complex refractive index as well as with its geometrical structure. The potential of spectroscopic infrared ellipsometry for the characterization of surfaces and surface films is demonstrated by examples including compounds with spectral intervals of strong absorption and assemblies of semiconductor films.