Characterization of grating structures by Mueller polarimetry in presence of strong depolarization due to finite spot size

In this paper, we present an approach based on Mueller polarimetry for dimensional characterization of periodic structures with sample sizes smaller than the illuminating beam spot. The relevant theoretical background based on Mueller matrix formalism is presented. The sample, a photoresist grating box surrounded by silicon substrate, was measured in conical configuration by means of a spectroscopic Mueller polarimeter whose beam was illuminating both the grating and the substrate. By translating the boundary between these two regions through the beam we could follow the depolarization effect related to the incoherent superposition of the light reflected by the grating and the substrate. The grating's optical response was modeled by rigorous coupled-wave analysis. The optimized geometrical parameters of the grating (the line width, the grating depth, and the side-wall angle) show very good consistency for all sample positions with 15% or more of the spot area covered by the grating. Another source of depolarization, the finite spectral resolution of the polarimeter was also taken into account in the analysis, leading to a good quantitative agreement with the sharp "depolarization lines" observed in the measured Mueller spectra.