Spectroscopic interference microscopy technique for measurement of layer parameters

A novel method is proposed for the measurement of layer parameters using sp ectroscopic double-beam interference microscopy.. The contribution of each partial wave reflected from the layer interfaces to the interferogram is tr eated separately and the total interferogram is obtained as their coherent sum. When an annulus aperture is used, an analytic expression is derived fo r the interferogram that allows fast direct comparison between measured and calculated spectra from which refractive indices and thickness of layers c an be determined simultaneously. Subnanometre accuracy of the film thicknes s measurement is shown to be possible.