Abstract: A method for controlling the production of an object controlled by a gas panel, by performing an ellipsometric measurement on the object represented by its Mueller matrix; controlling, with a gas panel, the manufacture on the basis of the ellipsometric measurement. Certain parameters of the Mueller matrix are determined in advance, for characterizing the manufacture, and only these parameters are extracted from the ellipsometric measurement during manufacture, the parameters being two different parameters of the ellipsometric angles ? and ? and trigonometric functions thereof.

Abstract: The invention concerns a polarimetric system and a method of polarimetric measurement of the Mueller matrix coefficients of a sample (7). The polarimetric system contains an excitation section (1) emitting a light beam (2). Said light beam passes through a polarisation state generator (PSG) (5) and is focused on the sample (7) on a sample holder (3). After reflection on the sample surface (8), the beam goes through an analysis section (4) containing a polarisation state detector (PSD) or polarimeter (9) and detection means (10). According to the invention, the light beam (2) emitted by the excitation section (1) is in the spectral range from the far ultraviolet to the visible. The light beam propagates through the excitation section (1) up to through the analysis section (4) under a low partial pressure of far ultraviolet absorbing gases. The polarimetric system comprises one or more air tight chamber (17), said chambers containing said excitation section, said analysis section, and said sample holder.

Abstract: Method for real-time control of the fabrication of a thin-film structure comprising a substrate by ellipsometric measurement in which: variables directly linked to the ellipsometric ratio ?=tan? exp(i?) are measured; and the said variables are compared with reference values. The comparison relates to the length of the path traveled at a time t in the plane of the variables with respect to an initial point at time t0, for each layer participating in the thin-film structure.

Abstract: The invention is about an FTIR ellipsometry device and process for characterization of samples of complex biological materials, notably micro-organisms. According to the device part of the invention, the sample is a preparation by a deposition of the biological material on a substrate, the FTIR ellipsometry device has means to illuminate the sample on the substrate with variable wavelength infrared light and to produce at each predetermined value of the variable wavelength a measurement, the measurements defining a characterization spectrum, each measurement being one of the following values: ?, one of ellipsometric parameters in relation to a complex reflectivity ratio; ?, one of ellipsometric parameters in relation to a complex reflectivity ratio; a trigonometric function of ? and ?; or a derivative at any order of one of the previous values.

Abstract: A liquid crystal based polarimetric system, a process for the calibration of this polarimetric system, and a polarimetric measurement process intended for measuring the representative parameters of a sample in which the polarimetric system contains an excitation section emitting a light beam that passes through a polarization state generator (PSG) and onto a sample. After reflection or transmission by the sample, the beam goes through an analysis section with a polarization state detector (PSD). The PSG and PSD each have a first and a second liquid crystal elements LCj (j=1,2) having, for each LCj element of the PSG (respectively for each LCj element of the PSD), an extraordinary axis making an angle &thgr;j (resp. &thgr;′j) with respect to the polarization direction (i), and a retardation &dgr;j (resp (&dgr;′j) between its ordinary and extraordinary axes, the liquid crystals LCj elements being positioned in reverse order in the PSD with respect to the LCj elements of the PSG.

Abstract: A method for characterizing or controlling the production of a thin-layered component using optical methods. Acquired signals S1 and S2 are processed in order to obtain parameters x, &egr; of the deposited layers. The stacking is represented by the product of two Abeles matrices for each direction of polarisation s (perpendicular to the incidence plane) and p (parallel to the incidence plane): a known matrix Mos,p representing the support and matrix dMs,p representing a thin transparent layer being deposited.

Abstract: The invention concerns an apparatus for optically characterising a thin-layer material by backscattering Raman spectometry comprising a frame, a monochromatic excitation laser source (21), optical means (23, 24) directing a light flux emitted by the source towards the material to be characterised, provided with means (22) homogenising the distribution of energy per surface unit, over a minimum surface of some tens of square micrometers, and means for collecting (24) and selecting (27, 28) the light diffused by Raman effect. The apparatus further comprises reflectometric measuring means (3-14) integral with the Raman measuring means, including reflectometric excitation means (3-9) directed on the same sample zone as the Raman excitation means.

Abstract: The invention concerns a method for treating a surface for the protection and functionalisation of polymers (4) by gas plasma deposit in a confined chamber (10) of one or several silicon alloy layers (43). The silicon alloy is selected among silicon and its oxides, nitrides, oxynitrides; the deposit is performed at a temperature less than the degradation temperature of the polymer, and a physico—chemical surface pre-treatment by plasma is performed in the same chamber before the silicon alloy is deposited; the pre-treatment consisting in a surface treatment comprising etching a surface zone of the polymer and step which consists in depositing a polymeric carbon compound.

Abstract: In this method for the surface treatment of a metal part (12) for the purpose of deoxidizing it and/or cleaning it, a sealed chamber (16), in which the part to be treated is placed, is filled with a low-pressure reducing gas mixture, a static magnetic field is created in a region of the chamber (16) separate from the region in which the part (12) to be treated is placed and the gas mixture is excited by means of an electromagnetic wave injected into the chamber (16) so as to generate a treatment plasma in the gas, the intensity of the static magnetic field corresponding to electron cyclotron resonance established in the chamber in a distributed manner.

Abstract: Method for real-time control of the fabrication of a thin-film structure comprising a substrate by ellipsometric measurement in which:

Abstract: A polarimeter includes a prism (32) for separating the incident light beam (21) having a Stokes vector (S) into a reflected beam (22) and a transmitted beam (23), the prism not inducing any interferential effect and the transmitted beam being subjected to at least a reflection internal to the prism. The polarimeter also include two final separators (3, 4) for separating respectively each of the reflected beam and the transmitted beam into at least two final beams (25-28), detecting means (5-8) for measuring the intensity levels of the final beams and a processing unit (9) producing the Stokes vector of the light to be measured. Preferably, the reflections internal to the prism (32) are either total reflections, or reflections on a thick absorbing layer. The invention also includes a method for measuring light beam polarization states.

Abstract: An optical component for modulation of polarization, a Mueller polarimeter and ellipsometer containing such an optical component. The optical component modulates a linearly polarized incident beam and returns a modulated beam. It includes a coupled phase modulator which modulates the incident beam twice in succession, the two modulations having the same frequency of &ohgr;/2&pgr;, and a coupling system modifying the polarization state of the light between the two modulations. The ellipsometer includes the means for detection of a measurement beam returned by a sample, which receives the modulated beam, in addition to a processing unit. The means of detection include a polarimeter producing n measured quantities representing the polarization states of the beam, and the processing unit produces m values for each of these quantities by Fourier transform, with n×m≧16 and m≧4, providing simultaneous access to the sixteen components of the Mueller matrix of the sample.

Abstract: An ellipsometer comprising several photodetectors and an electronic processing unit (4) produces a beam of light modulated at a modulation frequency (Fm) which is reflected by a sample. The photodetectors measure fluxes from parts of the reflected luminous beam, producing measured analog signals in input channels (6), and the electronic processing unit (4) calculates physical parameters of the sample. This electronic processing unit (4) comprises a multiplexing and digitizing unit (7) successively switching to the input channels (6) at a switching frequency (Fe) and a sequencer (19). The sequencer (19) comprises means (24, 35) to allow setting the switching frequency (Fe) as a multiple of the modulation frequency (Fm). The ellipsometer takes optical measurements in real time, in particular for depositing films on substrates.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method and a device for the ellipsometric measurement of physical parameters representative of a sample.The measured values I.sub.om, I.sub.sm and I.sub.cm are calculated (51, 52) from the signal (50) which represents the measured intensity I(t).In a first step (55, 57), initial theoretical values I.sub.st /I.sub.ot and I.sub.ct /I.sub.ot are produced from initial estimations (56) of the physical parameters. In a second step (58, 59) subsequent estimations (59) of physical parameters are determined from which subsequent theoretical values I.sub.st /I.sub.ot and I.sub.ct /I.sub.ot are deduced (55, 57). The second step is reiterated to an Nth estimation (59) of the physical parameters, so as to minimise the difference between the theoretical values and those measured.The physical parameters are evaluated (54) in the course of the Nth estimation.

Abstract: This invention concerns a spectroscopic ellipsometer modulated at a frequency (.omega..sub.m) intended for taking measurements of a sample (3). The spectroscopic ellipsometer is phase modulated, the sample being excited by external means (16) producing periodic, alternating excitation at a frequency (.OMEGA..sub.e). The measurement contains the ellipsometric parameter values (.psi., .DELTA.) of the sample, respectively in the presence of (.psi..sub.1, .DELTA..sub.1) and in the absence of (.psi..sub.2, .DELTA..sub.2) excitation of the sample, as a function of excitation frequency (.OMEGA..sub.e).

Abstract: The invention relates to an infrared ellipsometer intended to take measurements of a sample (1). An exciter group (3) of the ellipsometer includes a source (101), a Michelson interferometer (103), a polarizer (105), and an optical device (107) to align the source (101) and the sample (1). An analysis group (7) has a polarizer-analyzer (701), a detector (703), and an optical device (705) for aligning the sample (1) and the detector (703). This infrared ellipsometer also incorporates a phase modulator (8). An electronic devices (9) controls the modulator (8) and the Michelson interferometer (103), and receives the signal produced by the detector (703).