Solid immersion lens structures and methods for producing solid immersion lens structures

• US 6,560,030 B2
• Filed: 08/10/2001
• Issued: 05/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Original Assignee: California Institute of Technology
• Inventors: Quake, Stephen R., Legrand, Olivier
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, THONG Q
• Application Number:
  US09/927,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20020024728A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 359/368-369, 359/385, 359/392, 359/396-398, 359/642, 359/808-811, 359/819-820
• US Class Current: 359/642
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 33/50 elastic or flexible for isostatic pressing B29C43/3642
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/02 for making articles of definite length, i.e. discrete articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/021 by casting in several steps
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 39/36 Removing moulded articles
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00394 Producing solid immersion lenses [SIL]
• CPC Class Codes: B29D 11/00432 Auxiliary operations, e.g. machines for filling the moulds B29D11/00125 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 21/00 Microscopes
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 3/00 Simple or compound lenses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 359/90 Methods

Abstract

A solid immersion lens structure is a translucent pliant elastomer cast to a desired shape and smoothness. A method for construction of a solid immersion lens structure includes providing a mold defining a lens shaped cavity in which a solid immersion lens is cast, casting a translucent liquid elastomeric material into the lens cavity, permitting the elastomeric material to set to form the solid immersion lens portion and removing the solid immersion lens portion from the mold. A specific material for use as the solid immersion lens is a translucent silicone elastomer of a refractive index greater than n=1.4, such as General Electric RTV 615.

Claims

1. A solid immersion lens structure comprising:

a solid immersion lens portion of a generally spherical shape and having a minimum transverse diameter not exceeding a maximum depth and a boundary margin less than said minimum transverse diameter defining undercut margins for forming a lens having a numerical aperture greater than unity and

a body portion integral with the solid immersion lens portion from which the solid immersion lens portion extends, the solid immersion lens portion being formed of a molded material in a mold, wherein said solid immersion lens portion can be separated from said mold without damaging either said solid immersion lens portion or said mold.

2. A solid immersion lens structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one of said solid immersion lens portion and said mold is sufficiently pliant such that the solid immersion lens portion can be removed from said mold.

3. A solid immersion lens structure as claimed in claim 2, wherein said diameter of the solid immersion lens portion does not exceed 4.5 mm.

4. A solid immersion lens structure as claimed in claim 3;

wherein the solid immersion lens portion and the body portion are a silicone elastomer.

5. A solid immersion lens structure as claimed in claim 4, wherein the solid immersion lens portion is frusto-spherical in shape.

6. A solid immersion lens structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body portion defines a passage extending therethrough, the passage defining a position in optical alignment with the solid immersion lens portion for receiving a sample in fixed juxtaposition to the solid immersion lens portion.

7. An imaging system comprising:

a microscope arrangement; and

a solid immersion lens structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. An imaging system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the microscope arrangement comprises a laser microscope.

9. A photon collection system comprising:

a photon counter;

optics for directing emitted photons to said photon counter; and

,

a solid immersion lens structure as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6.