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1st American Workshop on Ellipsometry

February 28 – March 3, 2027, in Lincoln, NE

Gold Sponsors

Welcome Message

Dear Ellipsometry Community in North America,

We cordially invite you to the 1st American Workshop on Ellipsometry (AWE-1) to be held February 28 – March 3, 2027, in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Lincoln offers a rich history in the science and engineering of ellipsometry dating back to 1904.  The workshop venue will be located on the Nebraska Innovation Campus.

AWE-1 is the inaugural workshop & exhibition organized and sponsored by the North American Ellipsometry Association (NAEA).  It is further endorsed by the American Vacuum Society (AVS) as the First Topical Conference & Exhibition of the Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Technical Group.  This meeting aims to bring together students, early-career professionals, and experienced leaders from various academic, public, and industrial sectors.  The main purpose is to provide a forum for beginners and experts alike to learn, exchange, and share scientific and technological knowledge, as well as recent advancements.  International participants are welcome and expressly encouraged.

AWE-1 is especially dedicated to the participation of undergraduate and graduate students, providing ample opportunities for scientific and technical discussions and professional networking, to help them become the next generation of talented ellipsometry users and innovators.  Accordingly, we aim to keep students’ attendance and lodging costs as affordable as possible, thanks to the generous support from our sponsors.

AWE-1 will feature distinguished Tutorial and Invited Speakers to cover a variety of introductory ellipsometry fundamentals, advanced concepts in instrumentation and data analysis, as well as specialized applications.  We will solicit contributed oral and poster presentations on a broad range of topics in ellipsometry, polarimetry, and related techniques that utilize polarized light to characterize bulk materials, thin films, surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures under both static and dynamic conditions.  A simultaneous Industry Exhibition will showcase the latest equipment developments.

We look forward to seeing you in Lincoln, NE, in early 2027!

Organizing Committee

Eva Schubert

(AWE-1 Vice Chair)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Yousra Traouli

(Student Liaison)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Preston Sorensen

(NAEA Student Liaison)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Marcel Junige

(Communication Chair)

University of Colorado Boulder

Rafał Korlacki

(Industrial Liaison)

J.A. Woollam Co., Inc.

Megan Stokey

(NAEA Treasurer)

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Ufuk Kılıç

(AVS · EL Chair)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Alyssa Mock

(NAEA Vice President)

Weber State University

Mathias Schubert

(AWE-1 Chair, NAEA President)

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

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Important Dates

Latest Announcements

  • Fourth Announcement

    The ellipsometry community in North America will meet at the 1st American Workshop on Ellipsometry (AWE-1), scheduled for February 28 – March 3, 2027, in Lincoln, Nebraska.

    AWE-1 aims to bring together students, early-career professionals, and experienced leaders from various academic, public, and industrial sectors.  The main purpose is to provide a forum for beginners and experts alike to learn, exchange, and share scientific and technological knowledge, as well as recent advancements. 

    AWE-1 is especially dedicated to the participation of undergraduate and graduate students to help them become the next generation of talented ellipsometry users and innovators.  Accordingly, we aim to keep students’ attendance and lodging costs as affordable as possible—thanks to the generous support of our Sponsors.
    Workshop Registration will be $200 for Students and $400 for Regular attendees.

    The Technical Program will include a broad range of topics in ellipsometry, polarimetry, and related techniques that utilize polarized light to characterize bulk materials, thin films, surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures under both static and dynamic conditions.
    Topics will cover theory, instrumentation & data analysis, and applications across physics, chemistry, materials science, and life sciences, as well as engineering and metrology.

    Please prepare abstracts according to the Author Instructions and
    submit via the Abstract Submission System
    before October 31, 2026!

    On Sunday, February 28, 2027, a half-day of complimentary Tutorials will kick off AWE-1.
    Afterward, a Welcome Reception will be held in the hospitable atmosphere of Morrill Hall (Nebraska State Museum) to welcome our community of new and experienced ellipsometry learners.

    From Monday through Wednesday, March 1–3, 2027, Oral and Poster Sessions will take place in the Conference Center on the Nebraska Innovation Campus, including an outstanding Keynote, 101 Lectures, and a lineup of excellent Invited Speakers.
    Coffee & Snacks will be served during Oral Session breaks Sunday through Wednesday.  Lunches will be served on Monday and Tuesday.  Refreshments will be served during the Poster Session(s).

    On Tuesday, March 2, 2027, the Workshop Dinner will bring all attendees to the Strategic Air Command & Aerospace Museum in Ashland, Nebraska, to foster personal networking between attendees, from first-time users to experts, including researchers, engineers, and developers.

    On Wednesday, March 3, 2027, an Awards Ceremony will recognize excellent achievements at different levels by honoring

    Please submit Award Nominations no later than December 31, 2026!

    On Monday and Tuesday, March 1–2, 2027, AWE-1 will feature a simultaneous Industry Exhibition showcasing the latest equipment developments in ellipsometry, polarimetry, and related techniques.

    To select a Sponsorship Level,
    discuss a custom sponsorship package, or
    reserve a Booth at the Industry Exhibition,
    please contact us via email at awe1@ellipsometry.us.

  • Third Announcement—Call for Award Nominations

    As part of the upcoming 1st American Workshop on Ellipsometry (AWE-1), to be held February 28 – March 3, 2027, in Lincoln, NE, we are pleased to announce this Call for Award Nominations.  The following Awards will recognize and honor excellent achievements at different levels.

    Award Categories

    NAEA Fellow

    For the purpose of providing recognition to deserving Members of the North American Ellipsometry Association (NAEA) who have made sustained and outstanding technical contributions in areas of interest to the Association, one current Member may be elected as a “Fellow of the Association.”  The nominee to be inducted as NAEA Fellow shall have made outstanding contributions in research, engineering, technical or managerial leadership, and/or education for a period of 10 years or more.

    Rasheed M. A. Azzam Medal

    The Rasheed M. A. Azzam Medal is intended to celebrate an individual or a group of individuals for recent, groundbreaking contributions to the field of ellipsometry and related techniques, whether through instrument innovations;  through academic, technical, or industrial applications;  or through mentorship, education, and outreach.

    Student Awards

    Student Awards are intended to recognize undergraduate or graduate students for best oral presentations and for best posters.  Multiple awardees are anticipated.

    Students must identify their undergraduate or graduate student status upon Abstract Submission to participate in the Student Award competitions.  All presenting authors who have indicated student status at the time of abstract submission are automatically considered.

    Nomination Instructions

    Please submit Nominations for the NAEA Fellow and/or for the Rasheed M. A. Azzam Medal to the Awards Committee at awards@ellipsometry.us.  Nominations and self-nominations are permitted.  Please click the respective link above to find more information about each Award, including the required materials for Award Nominations.

    Please submit Award Nominations no later than December 31, 2026!

    Award winners will be informed by February 14, 2027.  Student Award winners will be determined based on evaluations during the workshop.

    Thank you for helping us celebrate excellence in ellipsometry.  We look forward to your Nominations!

    Best regards,
    AWE-1 Awards Committee

Silver Sponsors

  • Event Venue

    AWE-1 will be held at the Conference Center on the Nebraska Innovation Campus (NIC) in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Lincoln is the state capital and second-largest city in Nebraska, located in the southeastern part of the state.  The main workshop events, such as Tutorials and Oral Sessions, will take place in the Auditorium.  Session breaks, Poster Sessions, and a simultaneous Industry Exhibition will take place in the adjacent Banquet Hall.

Scope & Topics

The Technical Program will include a broad range of topics in ellipsometry, polarimetry, and related techniques that utilize polarized light to characterize bulk materials, thin films, surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures under both static and dynamic conditions.
Topics will cover theory, instrumentation & data analysis, and applications across physics, chemistry, materials science, and life sciences, as well as engineering and metrology.

Tentative Topics

  • Machine Learning & AI
  • THz & Extreme UV
  • In Situ & Time-Resolved Methods
  • Imaging Ellipsometry
  • Advanced Data Analysis
  • Industrial Applications
  • Metrology
  • Advanced Materials Characterization

From Monday through Wednesday, March 1–3, 2027, Oral and Poster Sessions will take place in the Conference Center on the Nebraska Innovation Campus, including an outstanding Keynote and a lineup of excellent Invited Speakers.  The Keynote is intended to provide a high-level overview, summarizing developments in ellipsometry and related techniques over the past ~5 years, and looking ahead at a broad range of applications that will drive future advances.  Invited Talks are intended to introduce advanced concepts in instrumentation and data analysis, as well as specialized applications, that are highly topical or emerging.

Please find the up-to-date Schedule of Events in the Abstract Book.

Keynote

Shankar Krishnan

KLA Corporation

Film and Critical Dimension Metrology Challenges in the Semiconductor Industry

Invited Speakers

Hiroyuki Fujiwara

Gifu University, Japan

Advances in Deep Learning-Based Spectroscopic Ellipsometry

Ashley Bielinski

Argonne National Laboratory

In Situ Combination of Spectroscopic Ellipsometry and Calorimetry

Matthew R. Linford

Brigham Young University

Multi-Instrument Characterization of Thin Films: How and Why Ellipsometry Matters

Connie B. Roth

Emory University

Ellipsometry in Polymer Physics

Anis Attiaoui

Stanford University

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Across Length Scales: Quantum Confinement, Thermal Segregation, and Oxide Chemistry in Group-IV Heterostructures

Chung-Hwa Wang

Onto Innovation

Optical Critical Dimension Metrology with Spectroscopic Ellipsometry: The Workhorse of Process Control in Advanced Nodes

Bronze Sponsors

Tutorials & 101 Lectures

On Sunday, February 28, 2027, a half-day of complimentary Tutorials & 101 Lectures will kick off AWE-1.  101 Lectures are intended to introduce first-time users to basic ellipsometry concepts.  Tutorials are intended for distinguished lecturers to teach a variety of ellipsometry fundamentals, more advanced concepts in instrumentation and data analysis, as well as more specialized applications.

Gerald E. Jellison

Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Tutorial Working Title: ellipsometry 101, matrices, etc.

Stefan Zollner

New Mexico State University

Tutorial Working Title:  contributions of interband electronic transitions to the dielectric function

Tom Tiwald

J.A. Woollam Co., Inc.

Tutorial Working Title: Modeling Infrared & THz Ellipsometric Data – Substrates, Films, Powders & Liquids

Christos Argyropoulos

Pennsylvania State University

Tutorial: Advancing Electromagnetic Modeling Beyond Effective Medium Approaches for Linear and Nonlinear Optics and Photonics

James Hilfiker

J.A. Woollam Co., Inc.

101 Lecture:  Introduction to Ellipsometry for First-Time Users

Blaine Johs

Film Sense LLC

101 Lecture:  Introduction to In-Situ Ellipsometry

Awards

On Wednesday, March 3, 2027, an Awards Ceremony will recognize excellent achievements at different levels by honoring

  • one NAEA Fellow for outstanding contributions in research, engineering, technical or managerial leadership, and/or education for a period of 10 years or more.
  • an individual or group of individuals with the Rasheed M. A. Azzam Medal for recent, groundbreaking contributions to the field of ellipsometry and related techniques.
  • multiple undergraduate and graduate students with Student Awards for best oral presentations and for best posters.

Industry Exhibition

On Monday and Tuesday, March 1–2, 2027, AWE-1 will feature a simultaneous Industry Exhibition showcasing the latest equipment developments in ellipsometry, polarimetry, and related techniques that utilize polarized light to characterize bulk materials, thin films, surfaces, interfaces, and nanostructures under both static and dynamic conditions.  Novelties may cover instrumentation and data analysis concepts, as well as applications across physics, chemistry, materials science, life sciences, engineering, and metrology.