Laser scanning microscope apparatus, and surface shape measuring method thereof

A laser scanning microscope apparatus having a light deflecting unit that gathers light from a laser light source on a sample to be examined through an objective lens and can scan the sample to be examined independently in a surface direction with the laser light, a photo-detecting unit for detecting an amount of light that transmits an optical diaphragm arranged in a position conjugate to a focal position of the objective lens and is reflected from the sample to be examined, a Z scanning mechanism for changing a relative distance, in a direction of an optical axis of the objective lens, between the sample to be examined and the objective lens, and a controlling unit for obtaining height information at each scanning point of the sample to be examined by obtaining the relative distance that maximizes an intensity output from the photo-detecting unit, which is obtained when the sample to be examined is scanned with the light from the laser light source, when the relative distance is changed by the Z scanning mechanism, comprising:

• an illumination optics system of the laser scanning microscope, which is arranged to share the objective lens within an optics system of the microscope;
• a two-dimensional image capturing unit for capturing an image with light from the illumination optics system;
• and
• an arithmetic processing unit for obtaining a plurality of height profiles of one line acquired by scanning the sample to be examined in a state of a line with the light deflecting unit while shifting the plurality of height profiles in a scanning direction by a predetermined amount, for obtaining an intensity image with the two-dimensional image capturing unit when obtaining a height profile, and for obtaining one height profile and one intensity image based on the pluralities of height profiles and intensity images.

A laser scanning microscope apparatus having a light deflecting unit that gathers light from a laser light source on a sample to be examined through an objective lens and can scan the sample to be examined independently in a surface direction with the laser light, a photo-detecting unit for detecting an amount of light that transmits an optical diaphragm arranged in a position conjugate to a focal position of the objective lens and is reflected from the sample to be examined, a Z scanning mechanism for changing a relative distance, in a direction of an optical axis of the objective lens, between the sample to be examined and the objective lens, and a controlling unit for obtaining height information at each scanning point of the sample to be examined by obtaining the relative distance that maximizes an intensity output from the photo-detecting unit, which is obtained when the sample to be examined is scanned with the light from the laser light source, when the relative distance is changed by the Z scanning mechanism, comprising:

• illumination optics system means of the laser scanning microscope, which is arranged to share the objective lens within an optics system of the microscope;
• two-dimensional image capturing means for capturing an image with light from the illumination optics system means;
• and
• arithmetic processing means for obtaining a plurality of height profiles of one line acquired by scanning the sample to be examined in a state of a line with the light deflecting unit while shifting the plurality of height profiles in a scanning direction by a predetermined amount, for obtaining an intensity image with the two-dimensional image capturing means when obtaining a height profile, and for obtaining one height profile and one intensity image based on pluralities of height profiles and intensity images.

A method for measuring a surface shape of a sample to be examined with a laser scanning microscope having a light deflecting unit that gathers light from a laser light source on a sample to be examined through an objective lens and can scan the sample to be examined independently in a surface direction with the laser light, a photo-detecting unit for detecting an amount of light that transmits an optical diaphragm arranged in a position conjugate to a focal position of the objective lens and is reflected from the sample to be examined, a Z scanning mechanism for changing a relative distance, in a direction of an optical axis of the objective lens, between the sample to be examined and the objective lens, and a controlling unit for obtaining height information at each scanning point of the sample to be examined by obtaining the relative distance that maximizes an intensity output from the photodetector (photo-detecting unit?), which is obtained when the sample to be examined is scanned with the light from the laser light source, when the relative distance is changed by the Z scanning mechanism, comprising:

• causing an operator to instruct a position desired to be measured within a microscope image of the sample to be examined;
• measuring a height profile of one line that passes through the instructed position;
• moving positions of the sample to be examined and the objective lens in a scanning direction of the measured height profile by a predetermined distance, and measuring a height profile in an extended line of the measured height profile;
• repeatedly moving the positions of the sample to be examined and the objective lens and repeatedly measuring a height profile in the extended line of the measured height profile until a moved length distance reaches a particular value;
• and
• generating one continuous height profile data by linking a plurality of measured height profiles.

A method for measuring a surface shape of a sample to be examined with a laser scanning microscope having a light deflecting unit that gathers light from a laser light source on a sample to be examined through an objective lens and can scan the sample to be examined independently in a surface direction with the laser light, a photo-detecting unit for detecting an amount of light that transmits an optical diaphragm arranged in a position conjugate to a focal position of the objective lens and is reflected from the sample to be examined, a Z scanning mechanism for changing a relative distance, in a direction of an optical axis of the objective lens, between the sample to be examined and the objective lens, and a controlling unit for obtaining height information at each scanning point of the sample to be examined by obtaining the relative distance that maximizes an intensity output from the photo-detecting unit, which is obtained when the sample to be examined is scanned with the light from the laser light source, when the relative distance is changed by the Z scanning mechanism, comprising:

• causing an operator to instruct a position desired to be measured within a microscope image of the sample to be examined;
• measuring a height profile of one line that passes through the instructed position, and capturing a two-dimensional intensity image at the measured position;
• relatively moving positions of the sample to be examined and the objective lens by a predetermined distance in a scanning direction when the height profile of one line is measured;
• measuring a height profile in an extended line of the measured height profile of one line at the relatively moved position, and capturing a two-dimensional image at the measured position;
• repeatedly measuring a height profile in the extended line and repeatedly capturing a two-dimensional image at the measured position until the relatively moved distance becomes a particular value or more;
• and
• generating one continuous height profile data and continuous image by linking pluralities of measured height profiles and two-dimensional intensity images.