Polarized light scattering by dielectric and metallic spheres on silicon wafers

The polarization and intensity of light scattered by monodisperse polystyrene latex and copper spheres, with diameters ranging from 92 to 218 nm, deposited on silicon substrates were measured with 442-, 532-, and 633-nm light. The results are compared with a theory for scattering by a sphere on a surface, originally developed by others [Physica A 137, 209 (1986)], and extended to include coatings on the sphere and the substrate. The results show that accurate calculation of the scattering of light by a metal sphere requires that the near-field interaction between the sphere and its image be included in a complete manner. The normal-incidence approximation does not suffice for this interaction, and the existence of any thin oxide layer on the substrate must be included in the calculation.