A method and system for determining the dielectric constant of a low-k
dielectric film on a production substrate include measuring the
electronic component of the dielectric constant using an ellipsometer,
measuring the ionic component of the dielectric constant using an IR
spectrometer, measuring the overall dielectric constant using a microwave
spectrometer and deriving the dipolar component of the dielectric
constant. The measurements and determination are non-contact and may be
carried out on a production device that is further processed following
the measurements.