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EP0112401A1 Expired / Lapsed EP ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Optical near-field scanning microscope

Assignee: International Business Machines Corp
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Filing: 1982-12-27
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-12-27
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Abstract

Abstract The optical near-field scanning microscope comprises an <<objective>> (7) attached to the conventional vertical adjustment appliance (6) and consisting of an optically transparent crystal having a metal coating with an aperture at its tip with a diameter of less than one wavelength of the light used for illuminating the object (4). Connected to the aperture-far end of the <<objective>> (7) is a photodetector (11) via an optical filter (9) and an optical fiber glass cable (10). Scanning the object (4) is done by appropriately moving the support (3) along x/y-coordinates. <??>The resolution obtainable with this microscope is about 10 times that of state-of-the-art microscopes.

Inventors

  • 👤 Dieter Wolfgang Dr. Pohl

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction EP
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-10-31 05:43
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01Q; G01Q20/00; B; B82; B82Y; B82Y20/00; B82Y35/00; G01Q60/00; G01Q60/18; G01Q60/22; G02; G02B; G02B26/00; G02B26/08; G02B26/10; G02B26/103; G02B6/00; G02B6/24; G02B6/26; G02B6/262; Y; Y10; Y10S; Y10S977/00; Y10S977/84; Y10S977/849; Y10S977/86; Y10S977/862

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 5
Claim 1
Independent Claim 85 words
Optical near-field scanning microscope comprising an aperture with arrangements for mutual scanning displacement between the aperture and the object to be viewed at a controllable distance therebetween, a photodetector optically connected to said aperture, and a light source, characterized in that the aperture (7) consists of a transparent body (14) covered with an opaque layer (17) into which an opening (19) is formed the diameter of which is small compared to the wavelength of the light used for illuminating the object (4) to be viewed.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 85 words
Optical near-field scanning microscope comprising an aperture with arrangements for mutual scanning displacement between the aperture and the object to be viewed at a controllable distance therebetween, a photodetector optically connected to said aperture, and a light source, characterized in that the aperture (7) consists of a transparent body (14) covered with an opaque layer (17) into which an opening (19) is formed the diameter of which is small compared to the wavelength of the light used for illuminating the object (4) to be viewed.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 60 words
Microscope according to claim 1, characterized in that the aperture (7) consists of a pyramid-shaped transparent crystal (14) with its triangular facets (16) covered with an opaque metal layer (17) which at the apex (15) of the crystal (14) is removed so as to form a pupil (19) of between 10 and 500 nm side length of the crystal (14).
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 54 words
Microscope according to claim 1, characterized in that the objective (7) consists of an optical glass fiber the cladding at the tip of which has partially been replaced by an essentially opaque coating having a hole of between 10 and 500 nm diameter centered with the axis of the core of said glass fiber.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 47 words
Microscope according to any one of claims 1 through 3, characterized in that the aperture (7) is mounted on a holder (6) for mutual displacement with respect to the object (4) at a controlled distance smaller than the optical wavelength of the light illuminating the object (4).

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3187627A Cited
DE1232367B Cited
US3497694A Cited
US3705755A Cited
US4240692A Cited
EP0052892A2 Cited

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