J.A. Woollam
RC2
The Woollam RC2 is a spectroscopic ellipsometer for measuring thin film thickness and refractive indices. The Woollam RC2 accepts wafers up to 200 mm and uses a Xenon Arc lamp (75 W) with a wavelength range of 210 nm to 2500 nm.[1]
What it is
General reference — not yet source-verifiedSpectroscopic ellipsometers are optical metrology tools for noncontact characterization of thin films and bulk materials. Spectroscopic ellipsometers are used after deposition, oxidation, coating, or patterning steps to evaluate film thickness and optical response without consuming the sample. Spectroscopic ellipsometers commonly support process development, incoming material checks, and post-process verification in research and manufacturing environments.
How it works
The EPFL configuration accepts substrates up to 200 mm. The EPFL configuration uses a 75 W xenon arc lamp with a wavelength range from 210 nm to 2500 nm. The EPFL configuration provides a beam diameter of 3 to 4 mm without focusing probes and 120 microns with focusing probes. The EPFL configuration includes a motorized XY stage for mapping, motorized Z movement with autofocus, and an automatic tilt alignment routine.[1]
Where it fits in the process flow
General reference — not yet source-verifiedSpectroscopic ellipsometers sit in the metrology flow around thin-film formation and surface treatment steps. Spectroscopic ellipsometers are commonly used after growth, deposition, oxidation, etch modification, or coating steps to confirm whether the film stack matches the intended optical model. Spectroscopic ellipsometers also support iterative process tuning by feeding thickness and optical-constant data back to process engineers.
What can it run?
Process applications and technology nodes documented for this tool.
- Dielectric films such as silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, and amorphous silicon
- Semiconductor films
- Metallic films
- Organic layers such as carbon and photosensitive resists
What do the numbers mean?
Wafer handling7
- Substrate size
- Up to 200 mm wafers; chips with a surface larger than the cross section of the incident beam[1]
- Substrate size
- Up to 200 mm wafers; chips with surface bigger than incident beam cross-section[1]
- Substrate size
- Up to 200 mm wafers, chips with surface larger than incident beam cross section[1]
- Substrate size
- Up to 200 mm wafers; chips with a measurement surface larger than the incident beam cross section[1]
Optics & imaging3
- Wavelength range
- 193-1000 nm, 210-1000 nm, 210-1690 nm, 193-1690 nm, or 210-2500 nm depending on configuration[2]
Performance5
Control & software1
Configuration & options17
- Measurement capability
- Measures thicknesses and refractive indices of thin films (transparent or not)[1]
- Measureable material classes
- Dielectric and semiconductor films (silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, polysilicon, amorphous silicon); metallic films; organic layers such as carbon and photosensitive resists[1]
- Measurement principle
- Measures the ratio of reflection coefficients Rp/Rs expressed as Ψ and Δ; refractive index (n) and thickness (t) are resolved by an algorithm from measured Ψ and Δ values[1]
- Angle of incidence
- 45°-90° automated angle base; 20°-90° vertical automated angle base; about 65° focused base; 65° fixed angle base; 65° test base[2]
Where are the manuals?
Generated from public-source data on file. Enter your email to access — nothing is published; details are routed privately.
Not publicly documented
Field notes
No research found yet — worked with this tool? Share what you know.
Frequently asked questions
What does the J.A. Woollam RC2 measure?
The J.A. Woollam RC2 measures thin-film thickness and refractive index. The RC2 also supports standard spectroscopic ellipsometry, generalized ellipsometry, and Mueller matrix ellipsometry measurements.[1][2][3]
Not publicly documented
The following facts about the RC2 are absent from this record as of this revision. First-hand knowledge or a citation closes a gap; every submission is reviewed before publication.
No publicly documented production dates or lifecycle milestones (introduction, end of production, EOL) for the RC2 are on record.
Answerable by: OEM historical records or a trade-press announcement
No publicly documented variants, configuration options, or revision breakpoints of the RC2 are on record.
Answerable by: an OEM product catalog or an engineer who ordered or specified the tool
The control-system platform and OS era of the RC2 are not on record.
Answerable by: an engineer who operated it or OEM installation records
No publicly documented failure modes or field errata for the RC2 are on record.
Answerable by: a field service engineer, process engineer, or maintenance technician
The process node or technology generation of the RC2 is not on record.
Answerable by: an OEM datasheet or a fab qualification report
No research found yet — worked with this tool? Share what you know.
Sources & citations
Sources (4)Every fact above is drawn from these public sources
- [1]epfl.ch — epfl.chepfl.ch
- [2]jawoollam.com — jawoollam.comjawoollam.com
- [3]https://www.jawoollam.com/wp-content/uploads/rc2-brochure.pdf — jawoollam.comjawoollam.com
- [4]alpha-se-ellipsometer-1 - J.A. Woollam — jawoollam.com (May 12, 2026)web.archive.org
Last updated Oct 20, 2026.
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