A spectroscopic Mueller matrix ellipsometer based on two rotating Fresnel rhomb compensators with a nearly achromatic response and optimal retardance is described. In this instrument, the compensators rotate in a discrete manner instead of continuously rotating, and this allows for a well-conditioned measurement even for low intensity samples. Moreover, in this configuration, the exposure time of the CCD detector can be varied within orders of magnitude without interfering with the dynamics of the compensator rotation. An optimization algorithm determines the optimal set of discrete angles that allows the determination of the Mueller matrix in the presence of noise. The calibration of the instrument is discussed, and examples of experimentally determined Mueller matrices are provided.

This work expands the use of spectroscopic ellipsometry to surfaces with roughness that is similar to or larger than the wavelength of the incident light. By using a custom-built spectroscopic ellipsometer and varying the angle of incidence, we were able to differentiate between the diffusely scattered and specularly reflected components. Our findings demonstrate that measuring the diffuse component at specular angles is highly beneficial for ellipsometry analysis, as its response is equivalent to that of a smooth material. This allows for accurate determination of the optical constants in materials with extremely rough surfaces. Our results have the potential to broaden the scope and utility of the spectroscopic ellipsometry technique.

The complex optical constants and the subsurface damage layer of uniaxial doped 6H-SiC wafers are measured using Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry. A comparison is made between measurements on a single-sided polished wafer that can be treated as a semi-infinite substrate and on a double-sided polished wafer that is studied with the partial-wave theory. The refractive indices and extinction coefficients for ordinary and extraordinary directions are determined below the bandgap after point-by-point fitting of experimental Mueller matrices. The thickness of the subsurface damage layer caused by mechanical polishing and chemical mechanical polishing determined by ellipsometry is consistent with the result of transmission electron microscope. The ellipsometry results show that the analysis based on a double-sided polished wafer is more informative about the optical properties of 6H-SiC than that of the single-sided polished wafer as it renders information properties about the bulk properties of the material, for example, allowing the determination of the very weak absorption coefficient ($k\approx {10}^{-4}$ ) due to doping.

In this work, we derive closed-form expressions for determination of the linear birefringence and linear dichroism of uniaxial crystals utilizing transmission ellipsometry measurements at small angles of incidence in c -cut crystal substrates. The model-free method we use is an algebraic generalization of the method reported in Appl. Opt. 44, 3153 (2005).APOPAI 0003-6935 10.1364/AO.44.003153 The optical anisotropy of substrates of sapphire, 4H-SiC, and 6H-SiC single crystals is measured for illustration.