The optimization of azimuth angle settings of a polarizer-compensator-sample-analyzer off-null ellipsometric sensor system to obtain maximum intensity changes with respect to changes in the properties of a sensing layer, with and without considering changes in a reflectance, is studied. Optimal conditions in the two cases are derived analytically under the assumption that linear relationships exist among the changes in the parameters of the sensing layer. The validity of these optimal conditions is verified by numerical examples. The advantage of using ellipsometry compared with reflectometry to readout sensing information for some sensing samples is also discussed. © 2004 Optical Society of America.

The sensitivities of porous silicon layers modified by copper deposition to low vapor concentrations of methanol, ethanol and 2-propanol are studied with spectroscopic ellipsometry. The porous silicon layers are prepared with electrochemical etching in hydrofluoric acid, and copper deposition is done in aqueous CuSO4. The ellipsometric vapor sensitivities, in terms of the ellipsometric spectral shifts due to gas exposures, of these samples and their oxides are studied and compared. It is shown that ellipsometric vapor sensitivities of porous silicon layers to alcohols are improved by copper deposition. It is also found that the oxidation of copper deposited in porous silicon layers shows improved selectivity to methanol. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.