Stress profile determination of thin films by microellipsometry

-An optical system was developed to determine the stress profile of transparent thin films by measuring the phase difference between two electromagnetic waves produced by a photoelastic modulator. The system analysis is done by the Mueller matrix of each of its optical components. The calibration and stability of the system are also analyzed. The equipment measures retardation in the range of 1-1500 Å with a spatial resolution of 30 µm