Patent ID: 8345241

Claim:
An imaging ellipsometer or polarimeter system sequentially comprising, in the following order: a source (LS) of electromagnetic radiation; a collecting means (L 1 ) for directing electromagnetic radiation; a stage (STG) for supporting a sample (S); a first focusing means (L 2 ); a digital light processor (DLP); a second focusing means (L 3 ); and at least one detector element (DET); said imaging system further comprising polarization state generation (PSG) and polarization state analysis (PSA) means between said source of electromagnetic radiation and said sample, and between said sample and said at least one detector element, respectively; said digital light processor (DLP) comprising an array of a multiplicity of microscopic mirrors (MM), each said microscopic mirror (MM) being controllable to reflect incident electromagnetic radiation along at least two different loci; said collecting means, first focusing means and second focusing means all being selected from the group consisting of: a lens; a mirror; a system of lenses; a system of mirrors; a system comprising at least one lens and at least one mirror; such that in use said source (LS) of electromagnetic radiation provides an expanding beam (BI) of electromagnetic radiation to said collecting means (L 1 ), which in turn directs electromagnetic radiation onto a sample (S) placed on said stage (STG) for supporting a sample (S); and such that said first focusing means (L 2 ) generates an image of said sample (S) on said digital light processor (DLP); at least one of said microscopic mirrors (MM) in said digital light processor (DLP) being caused to be oriented to direct electromagnetic radiation incident thereupon to said second focusing means (L 3 ), which in turn focuses electromagnetic radiation provided thereto from said at least one microscopic mirror (MM) onto said at least one detector element (DET) while other of said microscopic mirrors (MM) direct electromagnetic radiation away therefrom.