Ellipsometry of anisotropic surfaces

The behavior of a uniaxial anisotropic surface with an optic axis in the plane of the surface when examined by ellipsometry is presented. A method of calculation of the reflection properties of the surface and the null settings of the polarizer and analyzer for a conventional ellipsometer is described and shown to apply to experimentally measured surfaces. The measured values of the null settings are determined as a function of angle of rotation about a normal to the sample surface. The measured parameters are shown to give results that would be in error if the surface were assumed to be isotropic.