164 results about "Solid immersion lens" patented technology

A solid immersion lens integrated on a flexible support such as a cantilever or membrane is described, together with a method of forming the integrated structure.

Soft lithography with surface tension control is used to microfabricate extremely efficient solid immersion lenses (SILs) out of rubber elastomeric material for use in microscope type applications. In order to counteract the surface tension of the mold material in a negative mold that causes creep on a positive mold, material such as RTV is partially cured before use in order to allow the reticulation of polymer chains to change the viscosity of the uncured material in a controllable manner. In a specific embodiment, the techniques of soft lithography with surface tension control are used to make molded SILs out of the elastomer polydimethylsiloxane. The lenses achieve an NA in the range of 1.25. The principle of compound lens design is used to make the first compound solid immersion lens, which is corrected for higher light gathering ability and has a calculated NA=1.32. An important application of these lenses is integrated optics for microfluidic devices, specifically in a handheld rubber microscope for microfluidic flow cytometry.

A solid immersion tunneling ellipsometer and methods relating thereto may include a solid immersion apparatus (e.g., a prism or an objective lens in combination with a solid immersion lens) that facilitates optical tunneling and provide information that can be used in the determination of one or more characteristics (e.g., thickness, index of refraction, etc.) of samples (e.g., thin films, ultrathin films, etc.).

Microfabricated lenses, e.g., solid immersion lens (SIL) structures, are provided along with techniques for constructing these lens structures, as well as selected applications of such lens structures.

A landing system is provided for accurate placing of collection optics in a microscope. In one example, a solid immersion lens (SIL) is used for light collection, and the landing system is operated to place the SIL in contact with an IC. A proximity sensor is used for determining the SIL's position with respect to the IC. The arrangement is attached to a z-motion stage. During the placement procedure, the navigation is performed in steps and at each step the compression of the SIL is measured relative to its uncompressed state. When a measured compression exceeds a preset threshold, a SIL landing is recognized. In one example, after a landing is recognized, a further compression is imparted to the SIL in order to place the SIL in a focusing distance to the objective lens.

Microfabricated lenses, e.g., solid immersion lens (SIL) structures, are provided along with techniques for constructing these lens structures, as well as selected applications of such lens structures.

A sample (1) is mounted on a stage (11) with an analysis plate (2) interposed therebetween. A recess (2c) is provided in a main surface (2b) of the analysis plate (2), and a protrusion (2d) functioning as a solid immersion lens is provided on a bottom surface (2ca) of the recess (2c). The protrusion (2d) does not protrude from the main surface (2b) of the analysis plate (2). Because of provision of the analysis plate (2) which includes a solid immersion lens and is separate from the sample (1), an analysis range can be changed. Further, since the protrusion (2d) does not protrude from the main surface (2b) of the analysis plate (2), the sample (1) can be stably mounted on the stage (11) with the analysis plate (2) interposed therebetween.

In a particular embodiment, a solid immersion lens includes meta-material slabs formed from multiple layers of at least two different compositions. Each meta-material slab has a first effective index of refraction. The meta-material slabs are adapted to propagate an evanescent wave in a direction parallel to an axis to form a cone-shaped wave along the axis. The solid immersion lens further includes a core sandwiched between the meta-material slabs along the axis and having a second index of refraction that is less than the first effective index of refraction. The core directs surface plasmons that are excited by the cone-shaped wave to a focused area coincident with the axis.

A solid immersion lens holder 8A is provided with a base part 50 attached to an objective lens 21, and a lens holding part 60 provided with the base part 50, extending in a direction of optical axis L of the objective lens 21, and arranged to hold a solid immersion lens 6 at an end portion thereof. The lens holding part holds the solid immersion lens so that light emerging from the solid immersion lens to the base part side travels through a region outside the lens holding part and toward the base part, and the base part has a light passing portion 53 which transmits the light toward the objective lens. Since the lens holding part extends in the direction of the optical axis L of the objective lens, even in a case where an observation object 11 is observed as located on a bottom surface of recess 13, the lens holding part will be prevented from contacting a side wall 13a of the recess. As a result, it becomes feasible to observe the observation object up to a region closer to the vicinity of peripheral part 11a of the observation object. This provides a solid immersion lens holder allowing observation up to a region closer to a peripheral part of an observation object even in a case where the observation object is set in a recess of a sample.

An optical pickup device includes an objective lens (2), with a numerical aperture (NA) being not less than 1, having a solid immersion lens (1) which is made up by a spherical portion (1a) and a flat portion (1b) parallel to a surface (101a) of an optical disc (101). The component of the reflected light from the optical disc in the polarized state perpendicular to the polarized state of the reflected light which prevails when the distance between the surface of the optical disc and the flat portion of the solid immersion lens is zero is detected. The so detected light intensity is associated with the distance between the optical disc surface and the solid immersion lens to accurately detect the minute gap between the optical disc and the solid immersion lens.

A method of formation of nanowires at a surface of a substrate attached to a solid immersion lens. The method includes formation of a catalyst element at the surface of the substrate and growth of nanowires from the catalyst element formed at the surface of the substrate. The catalyst element is a metal nanoparticle and the formation of the catalyst element at the surface of the substrate deposits the metal nanoparticle using a light beam focused by the solid immersion lens at the surface of the substrate.