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Optical measurements of transmittance in the far infrared region performed on crystalline silicon wafers exhibit partially coherent interference effects appropriate for the determination of thicknesses of the wafers. The knowledge of accurate spectral and temperature dependencies of the optical constants of crystalline silicon in this spectral region is crucial for the determination of its thickness and vice versa. The recently published temperature dependent dispersion model of crystalline silicon is suitable for this purpose. Because the linear thermal expansion of crystalline silicon is known, the temperatures of the wafers can be determined with high precision from the evolution of the interference patterns at elevated temperatures.

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The optical characterization of gadolinium fluoride (GdF3) films is performed in a wide spectral range using heterogeneous data-processing methods (the ellipsometric and spectrophotometric measurements for five samples with thicknesses ranging from 20 to 600 nm are processed simultaneously). The main result of the characterization is the optical constants of GdF3 in the range from far infrared to vacuum ultraviolet, both in the form of a table and in the form of dispersion parameters of the universal dispersion model (UDM). Such reliable data in such a broad spectral range have not been published so far. The GdF3 films exhibit several defects related to the porous polycrystalline structure, namely, surface roughness and a refractive index profile, which complicate the optical characterization. The main complication arises from the volatile adsorbed components, which can partially fill the pores. The presented optical method is based on the application of the UDM for the description of the optical response of GdF3 films with partially filled pores. Using this dispersion model, it is possible to effectively separate the optical response of the host material from the response of the adsorbed components. Several recently published structural and dispersion models are used for optical characterization for the first time. For example, a model of inhomogeneous rough films based on Rayleigh–Rice theory or asymmetric peak approximation with a Voigt profile for the phonon spectra of polycrystalline materials.

Dispersion models are necessary for precise determination of the dielectric response of materials used in optical and microelectronics industry. Although the study of the dielectric response is often limited only to the dependence of the optical constants on frequency, it is also important to consider its dependence on other quantities characterizing the state of the system. One of the most important quantities determining the state of the condensed matter in equilibrium is temperature. Introducing temperature dependence into dispersion models is quite challenging. A physically correct model of dielectric response must respect three fundamental and one supplementary conditions imposed on the dielectric function. The three fundamental conditions are the time-reversal symmetry, Kramers-Kronig consistency and sum rule. These three fundamental conditions are valid for any material in any state. For systems in equilibrium there is also a supplementary dissipative condition. In this contribution it will be shown how these conditions can be applied in the construction of temperature dependent dispersion models. Practical results will be demonstrated on the temperature dependent dispersion model of crystalline silicon.