Review of Monochromatic Ellipsometry: Emerging Technologies and Up-to-Date Applications

This work presents an overview of the latest advancements in monochromatic ellipsometry, tracing its evolution from early null ellipsometry to widely commercialized rotating ellipsometry, multichannel ellipsometry, microellipsometry, and recently developed approaches such as metasurface-based and spatially modulated ellipsometry. Instead of being regarded as an “old” technology, monochromatic ellipsometry has witnessed the emergence of numerous novel techniques over the past decade. However, these advancements are often overshadowed by the vast literature on spectroscopic ellipsometry, leaving emerging methods underrecognized and resulting in continued reliance on earlier generations of the technology. To address this gap, this work reviews the most recent advancements in monochromatic ellipsometry and their corresponding application examples. It also discusses future trends to further facilitate the adoption of monochromatic ellipsometry in academia and industry.