This year we proudly celebrated a milestone — the 25th Annual J. A. Woollam Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Workshop and CompleteEASE software course.
For more than three decades, our partners at the J. A. Woollam Company have been at the forefront of spectroscopic ellipsometry. Since their founding in 1987, they have driven innovation with over 200 patents, and remain dedicated exclusively to advancing ellipsometry for both research and industry.
The 2025 event was hosted at the University of Glasgow, beginning with a one-day spectroscopic ellipsometry workshop, followed by a three-day intensive course on the CompleteEASE software. It was great to see so many people come together for lively discussions and learning. We were even treated to an impromptu magic show by attendee ‘CD’.
“I found the J.A. Woollam Spectroscopic Ellipsometry workshop and course very helpful. Dr. Jianing and Dr. Nina are excellent experts, knowledgeable and patient. The course started with the basics and built up to advanced topics step by step. After four days of training, I feel much more confident in making proper measurements and building reliable models for different materials and layers. I would strongly recommend this course to anyone looking to begin using ellipsometry in their research or work.”
Xinya Xu, Nanophotonics Engineer – Spectacles Team (Snap Inc.)
Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Workshop
The one-day workshop welcomed both newcomers and experienced users of ellipsometry. The program covered:
- Fundamentals of ellipsometric data analysis
- Applications in research and production
- Cutting-edge and emerging applications
Participants also enjoyed technical presentations from J.A. Woollam application engineers, who shared insights into:
- Theory
- Applications
- Products
- Live Demonstrations
“The J.A. Woollam Ellipsometry training course I attended was informative and well-structured. The trainers were hands-on, clear in their explanations, and always ready to help.”
Alice Mason, Malvern Optical
CompleteEASE Course
The three-day CompleteEASE training course gave attendees a practical and interactive opportunity to master ellipsometric data analysis. Each participant engaged with real-world examples and benefited from direct interaction with instructors and peers.
Course topics included:
- Ellipsometry overview & CompleteEASE navigation
- Transparent materials and non-idealities
- B-Spline function
- General oscillator modelling
- Thin absorbing films & multi-sample analysis
- Mapping and dynamic data analysis
Agendas
See the Workshop and CompleteEASE Course Agendas here
Meet the Speakers
Dr Jianing Sun
Jianing received her Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor. She holds Master and Bachelor degrees in Chemical Engineering from Tsinghua University in China. Her Ph.D. research involved characterising low-dielectric constant thin films using Positronium Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS). She worked as a process engineer on back-end processes and characterisations in the semiconductor industry and lecturer at University of Nebraska before joining J.A. Woollam Company in 2008 as an Applications Engineer.
Nina Hong (Ph.D.)
Nina Hong, Ph.D., received her doctorate in physics from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She also holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in physics from Hanyang University (South Korea). Her doctoral research centered on room-temperature solid-state neutron detectors utilising boron-rich carbon thin films, involving extensive material characterisation. Since joining the J.A. Woollam Company in July 2012, Nina has specialised in anisotropic materials characterisation using Mueller matrix spectroscopic ellipsometry, with recent research interests including flexible optical devices, anisotropic crystals, and metamaterials.
“The J.A. Woollam CompleteEASE Software Training Course is extremely valuable for what I do on a daily basis. The sessions were well structured, practical, and directly relevant to my work, enhancing both my understanding and efficiency in using the software for analysis. I gained a great deal of insight and practical knowledge that I can apply immediately. Thank you for an excellent course.”
Fasihullah Khan, University of Sheffield
All attendees earned a certificate of completion, confirming their achievement in mastering advanced ellipsometry analysis with CompleteEASE.
“I had a very pleasant stay in Glasgow and really enjoyed the Woollam workshop and hands-on training course. I learned a lot about ellipsometry and CompleteEASE in particular. Shayz and Joe were great hosts and Jianing and Nina fantastic instructors. Thanks to this training we can now unlock our ellipsometer’s wide-ranging capabilities, which will aid our process development and related work tremendously.”
René Dost, University of Sheffield
Looking Ahead
The 25th anniversary made this year’s event extra special, and we’re already looking forward to next year’s 26th Annual Workshop & Course.
If you’d like to be among the first to receive an invitation, make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list.
Your Application, Our Expertise
Our Technical Director, Dr. Shayz Ikram, is always available to discuss how ellipsometry can support your research or production challenges.
📩 Email Shayz today to start the conversation.
