Scattering by layered structures with rough surfaces: comparison of polarimetric optical scatterometer measurements with theory.

A laboratory model of a layered structure with a rough upper surface (a glass microscope slide cut with a diamond saw) is used to obtain optical polarimetric data. Scatterometer measurements were made of all the Mueller matrix elements associated with light scattered in arbitrary directions. (A preliminary measurement of scattering from a smooth opaque gold film on a silicon wafer was used to validate the calculation of the Mueller matrix elements.) These measurements are compared with corresponding analytical solutions based on the full-wave approach. Physical interpretations of the analytical solutions that account for scattering upon reflection and transmission across rough interfaces are given in a companion paper. The agreement between calculations and measurements suggests that the full wave, polarimetric solutions can provide a reliable database for electromagnetic detection of rough surfaces in remote-sensing applications.