Abstract
Growth and changes of electronically conducting polypyrrole (PPy) in the form of thin films polymerized on metal electrodes were investigated by electrochemical and in situ three-parameter ellipsometry methods at the wavelength of 632.8 nm. Although the optical equations produced multiple sets of solution, it was possible to determine a unique set of thickness and the optical constants of a film by auxiliary measurements and/or physical reasoning. The changes in the thickness and the optical properties of the polymers during polymerization and electrochemical oxidation/reduction was successfully followed by the three-parameter ellipsometric technique. The optical properties of the polymers continuously changed as the film grew. The imaginary part of the refractive index of polypyrrole seemed to be dominantly determined by the existence of an absorption band around the visible range.