This book presents and introduces ellipsometry in nanoscience and nanotechnology making a bridge between the classical and nanoscale optical behaviour of materials. It delineates the role of the non-destructive and non-invasive optical diagnostics of ellipsometry in improving science and technology of nanomaterials and related processes by illustrating its exploitation, ranging from fundamental studies of the physics and chemistry of nanostructures to the ultimate goal of turnkey manufacturing control. This book is written for a broad readership: materials scientists, researchers, engineers, as well as students and nanotechnology operators who want to deepen their knowledge about both basics and applications of ellipsometry to nanoscale phenomena. It starts as a general introduction for people curious to enter the fields of ellipsometry and polarimetry applied to nanomaterials and progresses to articles by experts on specific fields that span from plasmonics, optics, to semiconductors and flexible electronics. The core belief reflected in this book is that ellipsometry applied at the nanoscale offers new ways of addressing many current needs. The book also explores forward-looking potential applications.

Presents a clear systematic molecular-based description of nonlinear optical polarization analysis of chemical and biological assemblies.

Ellipsometry is a powerful tool used for the characterization of thin films and multi-layer semiconductor structures. This book deals with fundamental principles and applications of spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). Beginning with an overview of SE technologies the text moves on to focus on the data analysis of results obtained from SE, Fundamental data analyses, principles and physical backgrounds and the various materials used in different fields from LSI industry to biotechnology are described. The final chapter describes the latest developments of real-time monitoring and process control which have attracted significant attention in various scientific and industrial fields.

Ellipsometry is an experimental technique for determining the thickness and optical properties of thin films. It is ideally suited for films ranging in thickness from sub-nanometer to several microns. Spectroscopic measurements have greatly expanded the capabilities of this technique and introduced its use into all areas where thin films are found: semiconductor devices, flat panel and mobile displays, optical coating stacks, biological and medical coatings, protective layers, and more. While several scholarly books exist on the topic, this book provides a good introduction to the basic theory of the technique and its common applications. The target audience is not the ellipsometry scholar, but process engineers and students of materials science who are experts in their own fields and wish to use ellipsometry to measure thin film properties without becoming an expert in ellipsometry itself.

Polarized light is a pervasive influence in our world—and scientists and engineers in a variety of fields require the tools to understand, measure, and apply it to their advantage. Offering an in-depth examination of the subject and a description of its applications, Polarized Light, Third Edition serves as a comprehensive self-study tool complete with an extensive mathematical analysis of the Mueller matrix and coverage of Maxwell’s equations. Links Historical Developments to Current Applications and Future Innovations This book starts with a general description of light and continues with a complete exploration of polarized light, including how it is produced and its practical applications. The author incorporates basic topics, such as polarization by refraction and reflection, polarization elements, anisotropic materials, polarization formalisms (Mueller–Stokes and Jones) and associated mathematics, and polarimetry, or the science of polarization measurement. New to the Third Edition: A new introductory chapter Chapters on: polarized light in nature, and form birefringence A review of the history of polarized light, and a chapter on the interference laws of Fresnel and Arago—both completely re-written A new appendix on conventions used in polarized light New graphics, and black-and-white photos and color plates Divided into four parts, this book covers the fundamental concepts and theoretical framework of polarized light. Next, it thoroughly explores the science of polarimetry, followed by discussion of polarized light applications. The author concludes by discussing how our polarized light framework is applied to physics concepts, such as accelerating charges and quantum systems. Building on the solid foundation of the first two editions, this book reorganizes and updates existing material on fundamentals, theory, polarimetry, and applications. It adds new chapters, graphics, and color photos, as well as a new appendix on conventions used in polarized light. As a result, the author has re-established this book’s lofty status in the pantheon of literature on this important field.