*Instruments SA. JOBIN YVON
Recent advances in thin film technology, especially in semiconductor one, are providing new opportunities and challenges for the development and application of spectroscopic ellipsometry in thin film metrology. Nowadays precise determination of film thicknesses, optical properties and surface morphology are extremely important to produce high quality devices . The article shows why spectroscopic phase-modulated ellipsometry is extensively used for the characterization of materials (insulators, semiconductors and metals). Main application fields, particularly in semiconductor technology, of this popular optical technique are discussed. Through typical examples accuracy and sensivity aspects are illustrated.