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Picometer Ellipsometer: Computer & Software

The hard- and software that controls the Picometer Ellipsometer is designed to be easy to use while being highly flexible and reliable. The user always has direct control over all measurement parameters. Analog controls have been retained where they provide the most comfortable way of accessing instrument parameters, as for the settings of the lock-in amplifiers and the ellipsometer arms. All components are interfaced to the host computer through a microcontroller that acts as an independent instrument controller and data logger. The microcontroller ensures true real-time operation and minimizes the risk of data loss by keeping a copy of the last measured data until it has been saved by the host computer. Microcontroller and host computer are linked by a standard serial connection, which makes it easy to run the Picometer Ellipsometer from notebook computers without the need of extra hardware.

Picometer Ellipsometer Operation

The control software on the host computer is based on the IgorPro data analysis package by WaveMetrics. The Picometer Ellipsometer is controlled through a software extension that provides a graphical user interface to the instrument from within IgorPro. This approach gives the user online access to advanced data visualization and analysis capablities. IgorPro provides publication-quality graphics immediately after the measurement is finished. Standard analysis functions include numeric differentiation and integration, peak fitting, FFT, and more. Data can be represented as real or complex numbers in up to 4 dimensions, including image processing capabilities.

Ellipsometric data can be represented as Re(r) and Im(r), or as the ellipsometric angles y and D. The software provides simulation of ellipsometric data for analysis of measurements.

IgorPro is fully customizable through its built-in programming language. No knowledge of IgorPro is required to run the Picometer Ellipsometer. However, by capturing the measured data directly into a plotting and analysis program, the tedious process of exporting and importing data between separate acquisition and analysis software is bypassed, and the user has the opportunity to analyse the measured data immediately after it is measured.

The Picometer Ellipsometer control software runs on a Pentium II under WindowsNT. Additional information about IgorPro can be obtained through Beaglehole Instruments or WaveMetrics' internet site.