Abstract

Spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) performed in a wide spectral range is capable of monitoring various profile and material properties of periodically patterned nanostructures with high sensitivity, such as the period, width, depth and shape of patterned elements, native oxide overlayers, or the edge roughness of the patterned grooves [1]. We apply it to investigate the geometric properties of sinusoidally modulated surface-relief gratings, which are of high interest for many optical devices but has received almost no attention by SE. By comparing SE spetrca with simulations with varied geometrical parameters, we can determine both the relief shape and the native oxide overlayer developed on the grating surface.

© 2014 Japan Society of Applied Physics, Optical Society of America