A method is provided for estimating scattering and includes providing a
distribution expression that includes first, second, and third integrals
over a source solid angle, a sample area, and detector solid angle
respectively, and an integrand that includes a differential-scattering
profile; approximating the first and second integrals to be the second
integral, wherein the source electromagnetic radiation is approximated to
be collimated; approximating the second and third integral to be the
third integral, wherein a detector for detecting the electromagnetic
radiation scattered from the surface is approximated to be a point
detector; transforming the coordinates of the third integral over
detector solid angle to be a fourth integral over a single dimension in
cosine space, wherein the surface is approximated to be shift invariant;
differentiating the fourth integral with respect to the single dimension
to generate the differential-scattering profile; and generating an
optical system design based on the differential-scattering profile.