Ultra-broadband UV microscope imaging system with wide range zoom capability

A high numerical aperture, broad spectral region catadioptric optical system comprising:

• a focusing lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with lens surfaces thereof disposed at first predetermined positions along an optical path of the system and having curvatures and said positions selected to focus ultraviolet light at an intermediate image within the system, and simultaneously to also provide in combination with the rest of the system, high levels of correction of both image aberrations and chromatic variation or aberrations over a wavelength band including at least one wavelength in the UV range;
• a field lens group with a net positive power aligned along said optical path proximate to said intermediate image, the field lens group including a plurality of lens elements with different dispersions, with lens surfaces disposed at second predetermined positions and having curvatures selected to provide substantial correction of chromatic aberrations including at least secondary longitudinal color and primary and-secondary lateral color of the system over said wavelength band;
• a catadioptric relay group, including a combination of at least two reflective surfaces and at least one refractive surface disposed at third predetermined positions and having curvatures selected to form a real image of said intermediate image, such that, in combination with said focusing lens group, primary longitudinal color of the system is substantially corrected over said wavelength band;
• and
• a zooming tube lens group which can zoom or change magnification without changing its higher-order chromatic aberrations, and with lens surfaces thereof disposed at fourth predetermined positions along an optical path of the system, wherein at least one of the non-zooming groups of the high numerical aperture catadioptric optical system substantially compensates over said wavelength band for uncorrected, but stationary higher-order chromatic aberration residuals of the zooming tube lens group.

A high numerical aperture, broad spectral region catadioptric optical system comprising:

• a focusing lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with refractive surfaces having curvatures and positions selected to focus ultraviolet light at an intermediate image within the system, and simultaneously to also provide in combination with the rest of the system, high levels of correction of both image aberrations and chromatic variation of aberrations over a wavelength band including at least one wavelength in the UV range;
• a field lens group with a net positive power aligned along said optical path proximate to said intermediate image, the field lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with refractive surfaces having curvatures selected to provide substantial correction of chromatic aberrations including at least secondary longitudinal color and primary and secondary lateral color of the system over said wavelength band;
• a catadioptric relay group, including a combination of at least two reflective surfaces and at least one refractive surface having curvatures selected to form a real image of said intermediate image, such that, in combination with said focusing lens group, primary longitudinal color of the system is substantially corrected over said wavelength band;
• and
• a tube lens group which can zoom or change magnification without changing its higher-order chromatic aberrations, and with refractive surfaces, wherein at least one of the non-zooming groups of the high numerical aperture catadioptric optical system substantially compensates over said wavelength band for uncorrected, but stationary higher-order chromatic aberration residuals of the zooming tube lens group.

A high resolution, broadband UV imaging system comprising:

• a detector array which can receive an image over a range of ultraviolet wavelengths;
• a broadband UV radiation source providing a ultraviolet wavelength band;
• and
• a catadioptric optical system comprising:
• a focusing lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with refractive surfaces having curvatures and positions selected to focus ultraviolet light at an intermediate image within the system, and simultaneously to also provide in combination with the rest of the system, high levels of correction of both image aberrations and chromatic variation of aberrations over a wavelength band including one wavelength in the UV range,
• a field lens group proximate to said intermediate image, the field lens group including a plurality of lens elements with refractive surfaces having curvatures selected to provide substantial correction of chromatic aberrations including at least secondary longitudinal color and primary and secondary lateral color of the system over said wavelength band,
• a catadioptric relay group, including a combination of at least two reflective surfaces and at least one refractive surface having curvatures selected to form a real image of said intermediate image, such that, in combination with said focusing lens group, primary longitudinal color of the system is substantially corrected over said wavelength band, and
• a zooming tube lens group which can zoom or change magnification without changing its higher-order chromatic aberrations, and with a plurality of refractive surfaces, wherein at least one of the non-zooming groups of the high numerical aperture catadioptric optical system substantially compensates over said wavelength band for uncorrected, but stationary higher-order chromatic aberration residuals of the zooming tube lens group.

A high numerical aperture, broad spectral region catadioptric optical system comprising:

• a focusing lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with refractive surfaces thereof disposed to focus ultraviolet light within the system, and simultaneously to also provide in combination with the rest of the system, high levels of correction of both image aberrations and chromatic variation of aberrations over a wavelength band including at least one wavelength in the UV range;
• a field lens group with a net positive power, the field lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with refractive surfaces having curvatures selected to provide substantial correction of chromatic aberrations including at least secondary longitudinal color and primary and secondary lateral color of the system over said wavelength band;
• a zooming tube lens section which can zoom or change magnification without substantially changing its higher-order chromatic aberrations;
• and
• a non-zooming catadioptric objective lens section which provides means for substantially compensating for uncorrected, but stationary higher-order chromatic aberration residuals of said zooming tube lens section.

A method for constructing a high numerical aperture, broad spectral region catadioptric optical system comprising the steps of:

• providing a focusing lens group including a plurality of lens elements, with refractive surfaces thereof disposed at first predetermined positions along an optical path of the system and having curvatures and said positions selected to focus ultraviolet light at an intermediate image within the system, and simultaneously to also provide in combination with the rest of the system, high levels of correction of both image aberrations and chromatic variation of aberrations over a wavelength band including at least one wavelength in the UV range;
• providing a field lens group with a net positive power aligned along said optical path proximate to said intermediate image, the field lens group including a plurality of lens elements formed from at least two different refractive materials with different dispersions, with refractive surfaces of the lens elements of the field lens group disposed at second predetermined positions and having curvatures selected to provide substantial correction of chromatic aberrations including at least secondary longitudinal color and primary and secondary lateral color of the system over said wavelength band;
• forming a real image with a catadioptric relay group, including a combination of at least two reflective surfaces and at least one refractive surface disposed at third predetermined positions and having curvatures selected to form a real image of said intermediate image, such that, in combination with said focusing lens group, primary longitudinal color of the system is substantially corrected over said wavelength band;
• and
• zooming with a zooming tube lens group which can zoom or change magnification without changing its higher-order chromatic aberrations, and with lens surfaces thereof disposed at fourth predetermined positions along an optical path of the system, wherein at least one of the non-zooming groups of the high numerical aperture catadioptric optical system substantially compensates over said wavelength band for uncorrected, but stationary higher-order chromatic aberration residuals of the zooming tube lens group.