SOI characterization using AOTF polarimetric hyperspectral imaging

This paper presents a new technique to measure white light interference patterns as a function of wavelength and polarization for SOI characterization. This technique is not only capable of measuring layer thickness and uniformity, but also able to detect and map imperfections in the SOI structure. The measuring instrument is an acousto-optic tunable filter (AOTF) polarimetric hyperspectral imaging (PHI) system. Functionally, AOTF is a fast programmable, high-resolution spectral bandpass filter with polarization beamsplitting capability. With proper optics and focal plane arrays, one can use it to build an instrument capable of taking images as a function of wavelength and polarization.