Abstract
The Semilab SE-2000 spectroscopic ellipsometer is a versatile thin film characterization instrument capable of spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements covering a large spectral range from ultraviolet to near infrared within a few seconds and into the mid-infrared in a few minutes. It is suitable for characterizing thin films from monolayers to complex multi-layer laminates and bulk materials. This article demonstrates the unique capabilities of the SE-2000 system by the wide spectral range investigation of Al doped ZnO layers on different substrates and with different layer structures. Using data fits to the Drude dispersion law, the electrical properties of Al:ZnO were determined despite the presence of other conductive layers. The results were corroborated with four-point-probe measurements on a single Al:ZnO layer deposited on a glass substrate.
Highlights
Spectroscopic ellipsometry provides a powerful method for characterizing thin film structures by investigating the change in light polarization upon reflection from a sample
Both the UV-VIS-NIR and the InfraRed Spectroscopic Ellipsometry (IRSE) measurement were performed at 75○ angle of incidence
The robustness of the model and the necessity of the wide wavelength range measurements can be seen on the multilayer structures, especially on the type C group where there is a silicon epitaxial (Si EPI) layer on the substrate
Summary
Spectroscopic ellipsometry provides a powerful method for characterizing thin film structures by investigating the change in light polarization upon reflection from a sample. As the measurement determines the complex ratio of the p and s polarization states (i.e., the parallel and perpendicular components relative to the plane of incidence, respectively), it does not require any reference sample, and the method can be considered an absolute measurement technique. The raw measurement data do not provide the sample parameters of interest, which are the layer thicknesses and optical dispersion of the layer materials. Direct mathematical inversion is only possible in limited cases, so, in general, the layer structure is modeled and the model parameters are fitted in order to match the simulated spectra with the measured ones.
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