Attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus

• US 7,492,460 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2006
• Issued: 02/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jasco Corporation
• Original Assignee: Jasco Corporation
• Inventors: Soga, Noriaki, Koshoubu, Jun
• Primary Examiner(s): Toatley, Jr.; Gregory J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Merlino; Amanda H
• Application Number:
  US11/337,817
• Publication Number:
  US 20060164633A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/445
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/021 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/552 Attenuated total reflection

Abstract

The present invention provides an attenuated-total-reflection (“ATR”) measurement apparatus that collects light onto a contact surface between a sample and an ATR prism at an incident angle greater than or equal to a critical angle and measures total-reflection light from the contact surface. The attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus according to the invention includes: a light-irradiating system for emitting the light which is collected onto the contact surface; a photodetector for detecting the total-reflection light from the contact surface; an aperture for restricting the light which the photodetector detects to only light from a specific measurement site in the contact surface; and a detection-side scanning mirror provided in a light path extending from the ATR prism to the aperture.

Claims

1. An attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus for collecting light onto a contact surface between a sample and an ATR prism at an incident angle greater than or equal to a critical angle and for measuring total-reflection light from the contact surface, comprising:

light-irradiating system for emitting the light which is collected onto the contact surface;

a photodetector system for detecting the total-reflection light from the contact surface;

an aperture for restricting the light which the photodetector system detects to only light from a specific site in the contact surface, to set the specific site as a measurement site;

a detection-side scanning mirror provided in a light path extending from the ATR prism to the aperture; and

an irradiation-side scanning mirror for guiding the light from the light-irradiating system to the ATR prism;

wherein the irradiation-side scanning mirror is configured to allow the orientation of a reflecting surface thereof to be changed independent of the detection-side scanning mirror, and the irradiated position on the contact surface is changed by moving the reflecting surface of the irradiation-side scanning mirror with respect to the irradiation light from the light-irradiating system, and

wherein the detection-side scanning mirror is configured to allow the orientation of a reflecting surface thereof to be changed independent of the irradiation-side scanning mirror, and the measurement site in the contact surface, which is to be measured with the photodetector system, is changed by moving the reflecting surface of the detection-side scanning mirror with respect to the total-reflection light from the contact surface, to perform mapping measurement in the contact surface.

2. An attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the orientation of the reflecting surface of the detection-side scanning mirror.

3. An attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a controller for controlling the orientation of the reflecting surface of the detection-side and irradiation-side scanning mirror.

4. An attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a microscope optical system for collecting light onto the contact surface and for collecting light from the contact surface.

5. An attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photodetector system is formed of a single-element detector.

6. An attenuated-total-reflection measurement apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the photodetector system is formed of a one-dimensional multi-element detector.