Rigorous coupled wave analysis (RCWA) interprets 3D whitelight interference microscopy profiles and reveals the dimensions of optically-unresolved surface features. Measurements of silicon etch depth of a 450-nm pitch grating structure correlate to atomic force microscopy with R 2 = 0.995 and a repeatability of 0.11nm. This same technique achieves a <1nm sensitivity to 80-nm lateral widths of 190-nm pitch gratings using a 570-nm mean wavelength.