Patent ID: 6798511
Filing Date: 2004-09-28
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
An ellipsometer apparatus for use in providing an image of at least a portion of a sample, the ellipsometer apparatus comprising:an objective lens having a focal plane at which a sample plane of the sample is positioned; an illumination source for providing incident light normal to the sample plane, wherein the incident light comprises linearly polarized light incident on the objective lens, wherein the linearly polarized light comprises p and s wave components, wherein the objective lens focuses the incident linearly polarized light onto the sample, and further wherein at least a portion of the focused incident polarized light is reflected by the sample resulting in reflected light, the reflected light comprising p and s wave components corresponding, respectively, to the p and s wave components of the incident light focused on the sample; a spatial filter to modify at least a portion of the incident light or the reflected light, wherein the spatial filter is positioned at a plane of an exit pupil of the objective lens; and an analyzer portion for use in resolving a polarization state of the reflected light, and further wherein the analyzer portion is operable to generate polarization information based on the reflected light, wherein the polarization information is a function of the p and s wave components of the incident light having different reflectivities from the sample.