Self correcting floating sil tip
AssigneeDCG Systems, Inc.
InventorsJonathan Frank, Prasad Sabbineni
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An optics arrangement for a solid immersion lens (SIL) is disclosed. The arrangement enables the SIL to freely tilt. The arrangement includes a SIL having an optical axis extending from an engaging surface and a rear surface of the SIL; a SIL housing having a cavity configured to accept the SIL therein while allowing the SIL to freely tilt within the cavity, wherein the cavity includes a hole positioned such that the optical axis passes there-through, to thereby allow light collected by the SIL to propagate to an objective lens; and, a SIL retainer attached to the SIL housing and configured to prevent the SIL from exiting the cavity.
Claims22
1-20. (canceled)
A lens mount, comprising:
- a first lens housing defining an aperture extending along an axis from a front surface of the first lens housing to a rear surface of the first lens housing, wherein the aperture is configured to situate a lens along the axis proximate the front surface so that the lens is tiltable within the aperture;
- a first lens retainer situated to prevent the lens from exiting the aperture at the front surface of the first lens housing;
- and
- a flexure configured to enable resilient bending.
A method, comprising:
- situating a lens tiltably in a lens housing between a lens retainer and a resilient flexure;
- advancing the lens toward a sample to produce a lens tilt;
- and
- collecting light emitted from the sample with the lens.
The method of claim 41, further comprising moving the lens housing and an objective lens housing relative to one another to produce an image of the sample.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.