A small and high-speed polarization analysis device and ellipsometer
having no driving section are provided by overlapping one polarizer array
rendered by arranging a plurality of polarizer regions of mutually
different optical axis directions in the form of stripes and one
wavelength plate array rendered by arranging a plurality of wavelength
plate regions of fixed retardation and mutually different optical axis
directions in the form of stripes so that the respective stripes of the
plurality of polarizer regions and of the plurality of wavelength plate
regions intersect one another and by disposing a light-receiving element
array so that the intensities of light that has passed through the
matrix-like intersection parts can be individually measured. As a method
of analyzing a two-dimensional intensity distribution pattern that is
observed by the light-receiving element array of the polarization
analysis device, either one of (or both of) the algorithms of a method
that determines incident polarized waves by mathematically fitting
pattern shapes or performing database matching or a method that performs
a Fourier transform on pattern shapes and determines incident polarized
waves from the frequency components is (are) used. Furthermore, if
necessary, more accurate polarization analysis is also possible by
adopting a signal processing method that removes signals from
light-receiving element regions that receive unnecessary scattered light
and diffracted light.