Probe for near-field optical microscope, method for manufacturing the same and scanning near-field optical microscope
AssigneeSeiko Instruments Inc.
InventorHiroshi Muramatsu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A probe for a near-field optical microscope was conceived in which a tube is thermally bent in the form of a hook; a microscopic aperture of the tube which has been thermally extended and cut away is provided at an end thereof; a part of the tube opposite to the microscopic aperture is removed to form an aperture at the removed portion to thereby provide a structure having no obstacle in the space between said aperture at the end and a near-field optical microscope utilizing the same was configured.
Claims30
A probe for a near-field optical microscope, comprising:
- a tube;
- a tapered portion formed at a first end of the tube;
- a microscopic aperture formed at the tapered portion of the tube;
- a bent end portion formed in the tube and having the shape of a hook, the bent end portion including the tapered portion and the microscopic aperture;
- and a second aperture formed in the bent end portion of the tube opposite the microscopic aperture so that there is no obstacle in the space between the microscopic aperture and the second aperture.
A scanning near-field optical microscope comprising:
- a light source;
- an optical system;
- a probe;
- relative movement means for causing relative movement between the probe and a sample;
- and an optical detector;
- wherein the probe comprises a tube having a tapered portion at one end, a microscopic aperture formed in the tapered portion, a bent end portion formed in the tube and having the shape of a hook, the bent end portion including the tapered portion and the microscopic aperture, and a second aperture formed in the bent end portion of the tube opposite the microscopic aperture so that there is no obstacle in the space between the microscopic aperture and the second aperture.
A method for manufacturing a probe for a near-field optical microscopes comprising the steps of:
- sharpening an end of a tube and forming a tapered portion at one end thereof and a first aperture at a tip of the tapered portion;
- bending the tube near the one end to form a bent portion;
- forming a second aperture in the tube by removing a part of the tube in the bent portion opposite the first aperture formed in the bent portion until the hollow center of the tube is reached;
- and
- coating at least one of an outside surface and an inside surface of the tube in the tapered portion with a material which blocks an electromagnetic wave.
A method of manufacturing a probe for a near-field optical microscope comprising the steps of:
- sharpening an end of a tube and forming a tapered portion at one end thereof and a first aperture at a tin of the tapered portion;
- bending the tube near the one end to form a bent portion;
- coating the tube with an anti-etching thin film;
- removing the thin film coating from a part of the tube in the bent portion opposite the first aperture formed in the bent portion and removing the underlying portion of the tube in the part where the thin film coating is removed to a position short of the hollow in the tube;
- and
- performing etching with an etchant such that the etching removes the underlying portion of the tube in the part wherein the thin film coating has been removed and penetrates to the hollow of the tube.
A probe comprising:
- a tube;
- a tapered portion formed at a first end of the tube;
- a first aperture formed at the tapered portion of the tube;
- a bent end portion formed in the tube and having the shape of a hook, the bent end portion including the tapered portion and the first aperture;
- and a second aperture formed in the bent end portion of the tube opposite the microscopic aperture so that there is no obstacle in the space between the first aperture and the second aperture;
- wherein the tapered portion is formed by thermally extending the tube at a portion so that the tube becomes narrowed at the extended portion and cutting the tube at the extended portion when the diameter thereof reaches a desired value.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.