Near field scanning optical microscopy
First Claim
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1. Apparatus for near-field microscopy, comprising:
- a tapered, generally tubular pipette having an axial central opening, an upper body portion and a lower tip portion, a tapered glass wall coated with an opaque, metallic layer, and a submicron aperture at the end of said tip portion;
means for mounting said pipette for controlled axial motion, in a z direction;
stage means for receiving a sample to be observed;
means for moving said stage means in an x-y plane with respect to said aperture; and
means for determining the proximity of said aperture to the surface of a sample, and for activating said means for mounting said pipette to move said aperture with respect to a sample to position the surface of the sample within the near-field region of said aperture.
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Abstract
An aperture probe in the form of a tapered metal-coated glass pipette having a thin tip provides near-field access to a sample for near-field microscopy. The pipette is formed from a glass tube drawn down to a fine tip, and then coated, as by evaporation, by a metallic layer. The central opening of the tube is drawn down to a submicron diameter, and the metal coating is formed with an aperture at that opening. Aperture diameters down to 500 Angstroms diameter are provided. Also disclosed is a microscope utilizing the pipette aperture for scanning near-field imaging of samples.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. Apparatus for near-field microscopy, comprising:
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a tapered, generally tubular pipette having an axial central opening, an upper body portion and a lower tip portion, a tapered glass wall coated with an opaque, metallic layer, and a submicron aperture at the end of said tip portion; means for mounting said pipette for controlled axial motion, in a z direction; stage means for receiving a sample to be observed; means for moving said stage means in an x-y plane with respect to said aperture; and means for determining the proximity of said aperture to the surface of a sample, and for activating said means for mounting said pipette to move said aperture with respect to a sample to position the surface of the sample within the near-field region of said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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20. Apparatus for near-field microscopy, comprising:
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a pipette having a glass wall forming an upper body portion and a lower elongated tip portion and including an axially extending opening terminating in a submicron aperture at the lower end of said tip portion; an opaque metallic layer on the outer surface of said glass wall and surrounding said submicron aperture; means for mounting said pipette for motion with respect to a sample; and means for moving said pipette to position at least a portion of said sample within the near field region of said aperture. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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Specification