Multiple wavelength polarization-modulated ellipsometer with phase-generated carrier

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising rotating the direction of polarization of each laser beam.

Claim 4

The method of claim 2, wherein the direction of polarization of each laser beam is rotated 45° in a plane perpendicular to the direction of beam propagation.

Claim 5

The method of claim 1, wherein the optical phase difference modulation is provided by a birefringent polarization element which provides optical path differences for components of laser beams of different directions of polarization and different wavelengths.

Claim 6

The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis step comprises measuring the amplitudes and phases of the harmonics of the detected signal.

Claim 7

The method of claim 1, wherein the optical phase difference between the polarized components of the first and second laser beams are modulated at first and second frequencies, the method further comprising detecting the laser beams at their frequencies of intensity and optical phase difference modulation essentially simultaneously.

Claim 8

The method of claim 1, wherein the intensity modulations are provided by driving a first and second laser diode by a ramp current waveform.

Claim 9

The method of claim 1, wherein the intensity modulations are provided by driving a first and second laser diode by a sine current waveform.

Claim 10

The method of claim 1, further comprising separating the modulated laser beams into a probe beam which is directed onto the sample and a reference beam, and separately detecting the probe and reference beams.

Claim 11

The method of claim 1, further comprising splitting the laser beam reflected from the sample into two laser beams with different polarizations and separately detecting each laser beam.

Claim 12

The method of claim 1, wherein the detection step comprises detecting laser beams reflected from the sample.

Claim 13

The method of claim 1, wherein the detecting step comprises detecting beams transmitted by the sample.

Claim 14

The method of claim 1, further comprising generating a third laser beam having a third wavelength, a third optical frequency modulation and a third intensity modulation, polarizing the third laser beam in a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions of polarization, and modulating the optical phase difference between the polarized components of the third beam.

Claim 15

The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second laser beams are generated simultaneously.

Claim 16

The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second laser beams are generated in sequence.

Claim 17

The method of claim 1, further comprising computing the ratio of the amplitudes of the harmonics corresponding to the frequencies of intensity modulation and the frequencies of optical phase difference modulation for each laser beam.

Claim 20

The method of claim 17, further comprising splitting the probe beam after it interacts with the sample into two beams with different polarizations and separately detecting each beam.

Claim 21

The method of claim 18, further comprising splitting the reference beam into two beams with different polarizations and separately detecting each beam.

Claim 22

The method of claim 17, further comprising generating a third polarized laser beam having a wavelength, an optical frequency modulation and an intensity modulation different than the at least two laser beams and modulating the optical phase difference between the polarized components of the third beam.

Claim 27

The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second modulated currents are derived by: determining the desired output of the laser diodes; determining a theoretical signal required to achieve the desired output; estimating the distortions which can modify the desired output; determining an adjustment to the theoretical signal to compensate for the known distortions; further adjusting the theoretical signal until the desired output is achieved.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22, wherein the first and second modulated currents are empirically determined.

Claim 29

The method of claim 22, wherein the synchronous demodulation step comprises a plurality of demodulation techniques.

Claim 30

The method of claim 22, further comprising: after the subjecting step, splitting the laser beams into a reference beam and a probe beam, wherein the probe beam is directed onto the sample; separately detecting the reference beam; comparing signals derived from the detected reference beam with expected reference values; and adjusting the synchronously demodulated signals based on the difference between the signals derived from the detected reference beam and the expected reference values.

Claim 33

The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising at least one controller which modulates a current driving the laser diodes.

Claim 34

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the coupling optics comprises a half-wave plate between the first and second polarizers and the birefringent polarization element such that the first and second polarized laser beams pass through the half-wave plate prior to passing through the element.

Claim 35

The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the coupler optics comprises: a beam folding prism between the first polarizer and the birefringent element; a polarizing beam splitter cube between the second polarizer and the birefringent element and between the prism and the birefringent element, such that the prism reflects the first polarized laser beam through the cube, to the element, and the cube reflects the second polarized laser beam to the element, such that the first and second laser beams propagate in the same direction and coincide in space when they exit the cube.

Claim 36

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the coupler optics comprises a quarter-wave plate, wherein the first and second polarized laser beams pass through the quarter-wave plate prior to passing through the element.

Claim 37

The apparatus of claim 31, wherein the coupler optics comprises: a beam folding prism between the first polarizer and the infringement element; a polarizing beam splitter cube between the second polarizer and the birefringent element and between the prism and the birefringent element, such that the prism reflects the first polarized laser beam through the cube, to the element, and the cube reflects the second polarized laser beam to the element, such that the first and second laser beams propagate in the same optical direction and coincide in space when they exit the cube.

Claim 38

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the coupling optics comprises: a beam folding prism between the first polarizer and the birefringement element; and a polarizing beam splitter cube between the second polarizer and the birefringent element and between the prism and the birefringent element, such that the prism reflects the first polarized laser beam through the cube, to the element, and the cube reflects the second polarized laser beam to the element, such that the first and second laser beams propagate in the same optical direction and coincide in space when they exit the cube.

Claim 39

The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the birefringent element is rotated with respect to the cube.

Claim 40

The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising a beam splitter cube downstream of the birefringent element in the direction of beam propagation, the beam splitting cube splitting the laser beams output from the element into a probe beam directed toward the sample and a reference beam.

Claim 41

The apparatus of claim 35, wherein the detector proximate the sample collects the laser beams which interact with the sample, the apparatus further comprising a second detector for collecting the reference beam.

Claim 42

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the detector is a balanced photodetector.

Claim 43

The apparatus of claim 37, wherein the balanced photodetector comprises a polarizing beam splitter cube and a second and third detector to collect the laser beams at a first and second angle.

Claim 44

The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the polarizing beam splitter cube is a Wollaston prism.

Claim 45

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the birefringent element comprises a first polarizing beam splitter cube, a second polarizing beam splitter cube, and a prism, arranged such that laser beams with the first direction of polarization pass through the first and second cube and laser beams with the second direction of polarization are reflected from the first cube, through the prism, to the second cube.

Claim 46

The apparatus of claim 27, wherein the birefringent element is one piece.

Claim 47

An ellipsometer comprising: a first laser diode which emits a first laser beam at a first wavelength; a second laser diode which emits a second laser beam at a second wavelength; at least one current controller driving the first and second laser diodes with modulated current at first and second frequencies, respectively; a first polarizer positioned downstream of the first laser diode having a first direction of polarization; a second polarizer positioned downstream of the second laser diode having a second direction of polarization, the first and second directions of polarization being perpendicular to each other; a beam turning prism located downstream of the first polarizer; a polarizing beam splitting cube positioned downstream of the second polarizer; a birefringent element; the prism and the cube being positioned between the polarizing beam splitting cube and the birefringent element, such that the prism reflects the first laser beam through the cube and the cube reflects the second laser beam in the same direction as the first laser beam, wherein the first and second optical beams coincide in space and each have first and second polarized components with respect to the optical axis of the birefringent element; the birefringent element introducing an optical path difference between the first and second polarized components of each laser beam; a detector, wherein the laser beam output from the element interacts with a sample and is collected by the detector; and a synchronous demodulator operatively connected to the detector.

Claim 48

An ellipsometer comprising: a first laser diode which emits a first laser beam at a first wavelength; a second laser diode which emits a second laser beam at a second wavelength; at least one current controller driving the first and second laser diodes with modulated current at first and second frequencies, respectively; a first polarizer positioned downstream of the first laser diode having a first direction of polarization; a second polarizer positioned downstream of the second laser diode having a second direction of polarization, the first and second directions of polarization being perpendicular to each other; a beam turning prism located downstream of the first polarizer; a polarizing beam splitting cube positioned downstream of the second polarizer; a birefringent element; the prism and the cube being positioned between the polarizing beam splitting cube and the birefringent element, such that the prism reflects the first laser beam through the cube and the cube reflects the second laser beam in the same direction as the first laser beam, wherein the first and second optical beams coincide in space and each have first and second polarized components with respect to the optical axis of the birefringent element; the birefringent element introducing an optical path difference between the first and second polarized components of each laser beam; a detector, wherein the laser beam output from the element interacts with a sample and is collected by the detector; and a synchronous demodulator operatively connected to the detector.

Claim 49

The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising a half-wave plate between the cube and the element.

Claim 50

The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising a quarter-wave plate between the cube and the element.

Claim 51

The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the birefringent element is rotated with respect to the cube.

Claim 52

The apparatus of claim 42, further comprising a beam splitting cube downstream of the element, the beam splitting cube splitting the laser beam exiting the element into a first portion which is directed onto the sample and a second portion, the apparatus further comprising a second detector for collecting the second portion.

Claim 53

The apparatus of claim 42, wherein the birefringent element comprises a first polarizing beam splitter cube, a second polarizing beam splitter cube, and a prism, arranged such that laser beams with the first direction of polarization pass through the first and second cube and laser beams with the second direction of polarization are reflected from the first cube, through the prism, to the second cube.

Claim 56

The apparatus of claim 48, further comprising; a third laser diode providing a third laser beam at a different wavelength, different optical frequency modulation and different intensity modulation than the first two laser beams; and a third polarizer.

Claim 57

The apparatus of claim 49, further comprising a beam splitter cube downstream of the birefringent element, to split the laser beam output from the birefringent element into a probe beam directed toward the sample and a reference beam, the apparatus further comprising a detector to detect the reference beam.

Claim 60

The apparatus of claim 51, further comprising means for splitting the modulated laser beams into a probe beam which is directed onto the sample, and a reference beam.

Claim 61

The apparatus of claim 52, wherein the means for synchronously demodulating the detected signals demodulates the sample signal with the reference signal.

Claim 62

The apparatus of claim 51, further comprising means for separately detecting the reference beam.

Claim 63

The apparatus of claim 54, wherein the means for synchronously demodulating the detected signals demodulates the sample signal with the reference signal.