The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 18, 2013
Filed:
Jun. 07, 2001
Frederic Ferrieu, Meylan, FR;
Frederic Ferrieu, Meylan, FR;
Fahrenheit Thermoscope LLC, Las Vegas, NV (US);
Abstract
A spectroscopic ellipsometer comprising a light source () emitting a light beam, a polarizer () placed on the path of the light beam emitted by the light source, a sample support () receiving the light beam output from the polarizer, a polarization analyzer () for passing the beam reflected by the sample to be analyzed, a detection assembly which receives the beam from the analyzer and which comprises a monochromator () and a photodetector (), and signal processor means () for processing the signal output from said detection assembly, and including counting electronics (). Cooling means () keep the detection assembly at a temperature below ambient temperature, thereby minimizing detector noise so as to remain permanently under minimum photon noise conditions. It is shown that the optimum condition for ellipsometric measurement is obtained by minimizing all of the sources of noise (lamps, detection, ambient).