Polarized angular dependence of out-of-plane light-scattering measurements for nanoparticles on wafer

Bidirectional ellipsometry has been developed as a technique for distinguishing among various scattering features near surfaces. The polarized angular dependence of out-of-plane light-scattering by the nanoparticles on wafer is calculated and measured according to Rayleigh limit. These calculations and measurements yield angular dependence of bidirectional ellipsometric parameters for out-of-plane scattering. The experimental data show good agreement with theoretical predictions for different diameter of nanoparticles. The results suggest that improvements for accuracy are possible to perform measurements of scattering features from nanoparticles. The angular dependence and the polarization of light scattered by nanoparticles can be used to determine the size of nanoparticulate contaminants on silicon wafers.