Ellipsometry manual

Manual null ellipsometry is accurate but infrequently done, due to the length of time needed to acquire sufficient data for any meaningffil materials analysis. Automated null ellipsometers are used, for example, in the infrared, but are still slow. Numerous versions of last automated ellipsometers have been built. Examples... 

Fig. 7.60. A manual ellipsometer. (Reprinted from W. Paik, Ellipsometry in Electrochemistry, in Modem Aspects of Electrochemisty, Vol. 25, J.

Archer, R.J. Manual on Ellipsometry. Chicago Gaertner Scientific Corp., 1968. 

Clearly ellipsometry has much to reconunend it for studies in modified electrodes however until recently its application to electrochemical problems was restricted by several severe problems. Firstly it is not mathematically straightforward to extract optical data from parameters measured by ellipsometers. Secondly collecting each data point used to involve tedious and slow manual determination. In the last 15 years however, two developments have overcome these problems the development of inexpensive microcomputers and automation of the data collection process. The only drawback now remaining is the capital cost of suitable equipment, and even this is declining rapidly as new and simpler types of ellipsometer become available. 

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