| Class / Patent application number | Description | Number of patent applications / Date published |
|---|
| 850030000 | Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy [SNOM] or apparatus therefor, e.g., SNOM probes (EPO) | 30 |
| 20090205090 | OPTICAL COMPONENT OPERATING IN NEAR-FIELD TRANSMISSION - This is a near-field detection optical component operating in transmission. It includes at least one portion ( | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090249520 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NEAR-FIELD SPECTROSCOPY USING TARGETED DEPOSITION OF NANOPARTICLES - There is provided in one embodiment of the invention a method for analyzing a sample material using surface enhanced spectroscopy. The method comprises the steps of imaging the sample material with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to select an area of interest for analysis, depositing nanoparticles onto the area of interest with an AFM tip, illuminating the deposited nanoparticles with a spectrometer excitation beam, and disengaging the AFM tip and acquiring a localized surface enhanced spectrum. The method may further comprise the step of using the AFM tip to modulate the spectrometer excitation beam above the deposited nanoparticles to obtain improved sensitivity data and higher spatial resolution data from the sample material. The invention further comprises in one embodiment a system for analyzing a sample material using surface enhanced spectroscopy. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20100064396 | SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVING METHOD USING THE SAME - In a near-field scanning microscope using an aperture probe, the upper limit of the aperture formation is at most several ten nm in practice. In a near-field scanning microscope using a scatter probe, the resolution ability is limited to at most several ten nm because of the external illuminating light serving as background noise. Moreover, measurement reproducibility is seriously lowered by a damage or abrasion of a probe. Optical data and unevenness data of the surface of a sample can be measured at a nm-order resolution ability and a high reproducibility while damaging neither the probe nor the sample by fabricating a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having a nm-order optical resolution ability by combining a nm-order cylindrical structure with nm-order microparticles and repeatedly moving the probe toward the sample and away therefrom at a low contact force at individual measurement points on the sample. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100115673 | NEAR FIELD SCANNING MEASUREMENT-ALTERNATING CURRENT-SCANNING ELECTROCHEMICAL MICROSCOPY DEVICES AND MEHTODS OF USE THEREOF - Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include near-field scanning measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy devices, near-field scanning measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy systems, methods of using near-field scanning measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy, atomic force measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy (AFM-AC-SECM) devices, AFM-AC-SECM systems, methods of using AFM-AC-SECM, and the like. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100299791 | MECHANICALLY-COUPLED TUNING FORK-SCANNING PROBE VIBRATING SYSTEM - Provided is a mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system, the system including: a tuning fork vibrating due to an AC voltage applied thereto; a scanning probe attached to a side of the tuning fork and vibrating due to the tuning fork; and a contact member contacting a side surface of the scanning probe and adjusting a position of a contact point at which the contact member contacts with the scanning probe, to vary a natural frequency of a combination body in which the tuning fork and the scanning probe are combined with each other. A natural frequency of the mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system is closer to a natural frequency of the tuning fork itself by using a dynamic vibration control method using a contact member so that a energy loss of the mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system can be minimized, a quality factor of the mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system can be maximized, the quality factor can be actively controlled regardless of an environment of a specimen to be detected and both a specimen in air and a specimen in a liquid medium with high viscosity can be detected with high resolution. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100306888 | High Resolution Near Field Scanning Optical Microscopy - An optical fiber including a surface including a non-covalent multilayer including a light-absorbing material can be used to develop fluorescence microscopy with a lateral resolution of about 5 nm and possibly lower. The non-covalent multilayer can be a highly absorptive thin film, for example a film based on J-aggregates, which can be used with conventional Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20120096601 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL IMAGING - A system and method for optically imaging a sample. The method and system uses a controlled scatterer of light positioned in the near field of a sample. The extinguished power from an incident field, which illuminates both the sample and the controlled scatterer, is then measured as a function of the controlled scatterer position and is used to mathematically reconstruct an image of the sample. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120159677 | NEAR-FIELD SCANNING OPTICAL MICROSCOPE - A near-field scanning optical microscope is disclosed. The microscope includes a lighting component, a probe and an ellipsoidal mirror. The lighting component emits a light. The probe is disposed on one side of a testing sample, and the light is focused around a probe tip to draw the near-field light out. The ellipsoidal mirror has a first focal point and a second focal point, and the first focal point and the probe tip are disposed at the corresponding positions, and the near-field light drawn out from the probe tip is scattered from the first focal point inside the ellipsoidal mirror, and reflected and passed through the second focal point. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20130145507 | SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVING METHOD USING THE SAME - In a near-field scanning microscope using an aperture probe, the upper limit of the aperture formation is at most several ten nm in practice. In a near-field scanning microscope using a scatter probe, the resolution ability is limited to at most several ten nm because of the external illuminating light serving as background noise. Moreover, measurement reproducibility is seriously lowered by a damage or abrasion of a probe. Optical data and unevenness data of the surface of a sample can be measured at a nm-order resolution ability and a high reproducibility while damaging neither the probe nor the sample by fabricating a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having a nm-order optical resolution ability by combining a nm-order cylindrical structure with nm-order microparticles and repeatedly moving the probe toward the sample and away therefrom at a low contact force at individual measurement points on the sample. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20140165237 | Scanning Probe Microscope and Measurement Method Using Same - Disclosed is a measurement method of a scanning probe microscope based upon a measurement method of a scanning probe microscope for observing a shape and an optical property of a sample by exciting near-field light, scanning relative positions of the near-field light and the sample and detecting scattered light by the sample of the near-field light and having a characteristic that the near-field light is modulated to periodically vary the relative positions of the near-field light and the sample and that a frequency of modulation applied to the near-field light and an interference signal generated at a frequency for varying the relative positions of the near-field light and the sample are selectively extracted. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20150089694 | METHOD FOR MEASURING THE NEAR-FIELD SIGNAL - The present invention relates to a method for measuring the near-field signal of a sample in a scattering type near-field microscope and to a device for conducting said method. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150338439 | Systems and Methods for Non-Destructive Surface Chemical Analysis of Samples - Aspects of the present invention include systems, devices, and methods of surface chemical analysis of solid samples, and particularly it relates to methods of chemical analysis of molecular compounds located either on or within thin surface layer of solid samples. Even more particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to systems, devices, and non-destructive methods combining both high sensitivity and high spatial resolution of analysis of chemical compounds located or distributed on the surface of solid samples with obtaining most important information regarding vibration spectra of atoms and molecular groups contained in thin surface layer of solid samples. These objectives are realized by implementation of computer-assisted systems that carefully regulate the motion of, and force applied to probes of atomic force microscopes. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20160003868 | Method and Apparatus for Infrared Scattering Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy - This invention involves measurement of optical properties of materials with sub-micron spatial resolution through infrared scattering scanning near field optical microscopy (s-SNOM). Specifically, the current invention provides substantial improvements over the prior art by achieving high signal to noise, high measurement speed and high accuracy of optical amplitude and phase. Additionally, it some embodiments, it eliminates the need for an in situ reference to calculate wavelength dependent spectra of optical phase, or absorption spectra. These goals are achieved via improved asymmetric interferometry where the near-field scattered light is interfered with a reference beam in an interferometer. The invention achieves dramatic improvements in background rejection by arranging a reference beam that is much more intense than the background scattered radiation. Combined with frequency selective demodulation techniques, the near-field scattered light can be efficiently and accurately discriminated from background scattered light. These goals are achieved via a range of improvements including a large dynamic range detector, careful control of relative beam intensities, and high bandwidth demodulation techniques. In other embodiments, phase and amplitude stability are improved with a novel s-SNOM configuration. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160146731 | Method and Apparatus for Manipulating Near Field Using Light Scattering - An apparatus for manipulating surface near-field light resulting from light emitted from a light source that passes through a scattering layer is disclosed. Also, a method of finding a phase of incident light to cause constructive interference at a target spot using light scattering to manipulate the surface near-field. | 05-26-2016 |
| 20090205090 | OPTICAL COMPONENT OPERATING IN NEAR-FIELD TRANSMISSION - This is a near-field detection optical component operating in transmission. It includes at least one portion ( | 08-13-2009 |
| 20090249520 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NEAR-FIELD SPECTROSCOPY USING TARGETED DEPOSITION OF NANOPARTICLES - There is provided in one embodiment of the invention a method for analyzing a sample material using surface enhanced spectroscopy. The method comprises the steps of imaging the sample material with an atomic force microscope (AFM) to select an area of interest for analysis, depositing nanoparticles onto the area of interest with an AFM tip, illuminating the deposited nanoparticles with a spectrometer excitation beam, and disengaging the AFM tip and acquiring a localized surface enhanced spectrum. The method may further comprise the step of using the AFM tip to modulate the spectrometer excitation beam above the deposited nanoparticles to obtain improved sensitivity data and higher spatial resolution data from the sample material. The invention further comprises in one embodiment a system for analyzing a sample material using surface enhanced spectroscopy. | 10-01-2009 |
| 20100064396 | SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVING METHOD USING THE SAME - In a near-field scanning microscope using an aperture probe, the upper limit of the aperture formation is at most several ten nm in practice. In a near-field scanning microscope using a scatter probe, the resolution ability is limited to at most several ten nm because of the external illuminating light serving as background noise. Moreover, measurement reproducibility is seriously lowered by a damage or abrasion of a probe. Optical data and unevenness data of the surface of a sample can be measured at a nm-order resolution ability and a high reproducibility while damaging neither the probe nor the sample by fabricating a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having a nm-order optical resolution ability by combining a nm-order cylindrical structure with nm-order microparticles and repeatedly moving the probe toward the sample and away therefrom at a low contact force at individual measurement points on the sample. | 03-11-2010 |
| 20100115673 | NEAR FIELD SCANNING MEASUREMENT-ALTERNATING CURRENT-SCANNING ELECTROCHEMICAL MICROSCOPY DEVICES AND MEHTODS OF USE THEREOF - Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include near-field scanning measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy devices, near-field scanning measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy systems, methods of using near-field scanning measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy, atomic force measurement-alternating current-scanning electrochemical microscopy (AFM-AC-SECM) devices, AFM-AC-SECM systems, methods of using AFM-AC-SECM, and the like. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100299791 | MECHANICALLY-COUPLED TUNING FORK-SCANNING PROBE VIBRATING SYSTEM - Provided is a mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system, the system including: a tuning fork vibrating due to an AC voltage applied thereto; a scanning probe attached to a side of the tuning fork and vibrating due to the tuning fork; and a contact member contacting a side surface of the scanning probe and adjusting a position of a contact point at which the contact member contacts with the scanning probe, to vary a natural frequency of a combination body in which the tuning fork and the scanning probe are combined with each other. A natural frequency of the mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system is closer to a natural frequency of the tuning fork itself by using a dynamic vibration control method using a contact member so that a energy loss of the mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system can be minimized, a quality factor of the mechanically-coupled tuning fork-scanning probe vibrating system can be maximized, the quality factor can be actively controlled regardless of an environment of a specimen to be detected and both a specimen in air and a specimen in a liquid medium with high viscosity can be detected with high resolution. | 11-25-2010 |
| 20100306888 | High Resolution Near Field Scanning Optical Microscopy - An optical fiber including a surface including a non-covalent multilayer including a light-absorbing material can be used to develop fluorescence microscopy with a lateral resolution of about 5 nm and possibly lower. The non-covalent multilayer can be a highly absorptive thin film, for example a film based on J-aggregates, which can be used with conventional Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20120096601 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL IMAGING - A system and method for optically imaging a sample. The method and system uses a controlled scatterer of light positioned in the near field of a sample. The extinguished power from an incident field, which illuminates both the sample and the controlled scatterer, is then measured as a function of the controlled scatterer position and is used to mathematically reconstruct an image of the sample. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120159677 | NEAR-FIELD SCANNING OPTICAL MICROSCOPE - A near-field scanning optical microscope is disclosed. The microscope includes a lighting component, a probe and an ellipsoidal mirror. The lighting component emits a light. The probe is disposed on one side of a testing sample, and the light is focused around a probe tip to draw the near-field light out. The ellipsoidal mirror has a first focal point and a second focal point, and the first focal point and the probe tip are disposed at the corresponding positions, and the near-field light drawn out from the probe tip is scattered from the first focal point inside the ellipsoidal mirror, and reflected and passed through the second focal point. | 06-21-2012 |
| 20130145507 | SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVING METHOD USING THE SAME - In a near-field scanning microscope using an aperture probe, the upper limit of the aperture formation is at most several ten nm in practice. In a near-field scanning microscope using a scatter probe, the resolution ability is limited to at most several ten nm because of the external illuminating light serving as background noise. Moreover, measurement reproducibility is seriously lowered by a damage or abrasion of a probe. Optical data and unevenness data of the surface of a sample can be measured at a nm-order resolution ability and a high reproducibility while damaging neither the probe nor the sample by fabricating a plasmon-enhanced near-field probe having a nm-order optical resolution ability by combining a nm-order cylindrical structure with nm-order microparticles and repeatedly moving the probe toward the sample and away therefrom at a low contact force at individual measurement points on the sample. | 06-06-2013 |
| 20140165237 | Scanning Probe Microscope and Measurement Method Using Same - Disclosed is a measurement method of a scanning probe microscope based upon a measurement method of a scanning probe microscope for observing a shape and an optical property of a sample by exciting near-field light, scanning relative positions of the near-field light and the sample and detecting scattered light by the sample of the near-field light and having a characteristic that the near-field light is modulated to periodically vary the relative positions of the near-field light and the sample and that a frequency of modulation applied to the near-field light and an interference signal generated at a frequency for varying the relative positions of the near-field light and the sample are selectively extracted. | 06-12-2014 |
| 20150089694 | METHOD FOR MEASURING THE NEAR-FIELD SIGNAL - The present invention relates to a method for measuring the near-field signal of a sample in a scattering type near-field microscope and to a device for conducting said method. | 03-26-2015 |
| 20150338439 | Systems and Methods for Non-Destructive Surface Chemical Analysis of Samples - Aspects of the present invention include systems, devices, and methods of surface chemical analysis of solid samples, and particularly it relates to methods of chemical analysis of molecular compounds located either on or within thin surface layer of solid samples. Even more particularly, aspects of the present invention relate to systems, devices, and non-destructive methods combining both high sensitivity and high spatial resolution of analysis of chemical compounds located or distributed on the surface of solid samples with obtaining most important information regarding vibration spectra of atoms and molecular groups contained in thin surface layer of solid samples. These objectives are realized by implementation of computer-assisted systems that carefully regulate the motion of, and force applied to probes of atomic force microscopes. | 11-26-2015 |
| 20160003868 | Method and Apparatus for Infrared Scattering Scanning Near-field Optical Microscopy - This invention involves measurement of optical properties of materials with sub-micron spatial resolution through infrared scattering scanning near field optical microscopy (s-SNOM). Specifically, the current invention provides substantial improvements over the prior art by achieving high signal to noise, high measurement speed and high accuracy of optical amplitude and phase. Additionally, it some embodiments, it eliminates the need for an in situ reference to calculate wavelength dependent spectra of optical phase, or absorption spectra. These goals are achieved via improved asymmetric interferometry where the near-field scattered light is interfered with a reference beam in an interferometer. The invention achieves dramatic improvements in background rejection by arranging a reference beam that is much more intense than the background scattered radiation. Combined with frequency selective demodulation techniques, the near-field scattered light can be efficiently and accurately discriminated from background scattered light. These goals are achieved via a range of improvements including a large dynamic range detector, careful control of relative beam intensities, and high bandwidth demodulation techniques. In other embodiments, phase and amplitude stability are improved with a novel s-SNOM configuration. | 01-07-2016 |
| 20160146731 | Method and Apparatus for Manipulating Near Field Using Light Scattering - An apparatus for manipulating surface near-field light resulting from light emitted from a light source that passes through a scattering layer is disclosed. Also, a method of finding a phase of incident light to cause constructive interference at a target spot using light scattering to manipulate the surface near-field. | 05-26-2016 |
| 850031000 | Fluorescence (EPO) | 2 |
| 20090119808 | Molecular imaging and nanophotonics imaging and detection principles and systems, and contrast agents, media makers and biomarkers, and mechanisms for such contrast agents - The present invention relates to near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and near-field/far-field scanning microscopy methods, systems and devices that permit the imaging of biological samples, including biological samples or structures that are smaller than the wavelength of light. In one embodiment, the present invention permits the production of multi-spectral, polarimetric, near-field microscopy systems that can achieve a spatial resolution of less than 100 nanometers. In another embodiment, the present invention permits the production of a multifunctional, multi-spectral, polarimetric, near-field/far-field microscopy that can achieve enhanced sub-surface and in-depth imaging of biological samples. In still another embodiment, the present invention relates to the use of polar molecules as new optical contrast agents for imaging applications (e.g., cancer detection). | 05-07-2009 |
| 20160041200 | MICROSCOPY IMAGING - Among other things, an imaging device has a photosensitive array of pixels, and a surface associated with the array is configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels. | 02-11-2016 |
| 20090119808 | Molecular imaging and nanophotonics imaging and detection principles and systems, and contrast agents, media makers and biomarkers, and mechanisms for such contrast agents - The present invention relates to near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) and near-field/far-field scanning microscopy methods, systems and devices that permit the imaging of biological samples, including biological samples or structures that are smaller than the wavelength of light. In one embodiment, the present invention permits the production of multi-spectral, polarimetric, near-field microscopy systems that can achieve a spatial resolution of less than 100 nanometers. In another embodiment, the present invention permits the production of a multifunctional, multi-spectral, polarimetric, near-field/far-field microscopy that can achieve enhanced sub-surface and in-depth imaging of biological samples. In still another embodiment, the present invention relates to the use of polar molecules as new optical contrast agents for imaging applications (e.g., cancer detection). | 05-07-2009 |
| 20160041200 | MICROSCOPY IMAGING - Among other things, an imaging device has a photosensitive array of pixels, and a surface associated with the array is configured to receive a specimen with at least a part of the specimen at a distance from the surface equivalent to less than about half of an average width of the pixels. | 02-11-2016 |
| 850032000 | Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g., holders (EPO) | 14 |
| 20090276923 | Near-field scanning optical microscopy with nanoscale resolution from microscale probes - To date, the probes of scanning near-field optical microscopes were aimed at creating electromagnetic field characteristics that are maximally localized near a nano-sized point (miniature apertures and tips, fluorescent nano-particles and molecules, dielectric and metal corners). Alternatively, the probe field, which is distributed within a larger area, can ensure the super-resolution as well. For this purpose, the field spectrum should be enriched with high spatial frequencies corresponding to small sample dimensions. As examples of such near-field probes, we propose and theoretically study the models of optical fibers with end-faces containing sharp linear edges and randomly distributed nanoparticles. These probes are more robust than the conventional probes and their fabrication is not concerned with nanoscale precision. The probes enable waveguiding of light to and from the sample with marginal losses distributing and utilizing the incident light more completely. Numerical modeling shows that, even with substantial measurement noise, the suggested probes can resolve objects that are significantly smaller than the probe size and, in certain cases, can perform better than miniature nanoprobes. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20100154085 | Cantilever for Scanning Probe Microscope and Scanning Probe Microscope Equipped With It - A microscope including both an atomic force microscope and a near-field optical microscope and capable of performing electrochemical measurements and a cantilever for the microscope are disclosed. A pointed light transmitting material employed as the probe of an atomic force microscope is coated with a metal layer; the metal layer is further coated with an insulating layer; the insulating layer is removed only at the distal end to expose the metal layer; the slightly exposed metal layer is employed as a working electrode; and the probe can be employed not only as the probe of the atomic force microscope and the near-field optical microscope but also as the electrode of an electrochemical microscope. Consequently, the microscope can have the functions of an atomic force microscope, a near-field optical microscope and an electrochemical microscope. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20110010808 | PROTECTED METALLIC TIP OR METALLIZED SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY TIP FOR OPTICAL APPLICATIONS - The present invention generally relates to a protected metallic or metallized scanning probe microscopy tip for apertureless near-field optical applications which comprise a metallic tip or a metallic structure covering a scanning probe microscopy tip, protected by an ultrathin dielectric layer. In one embodiment, the protective layer is comprised of SiO | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110055984 | Tip-enhanced resonant apertures - Transmission efficiency and/or spatial resolution provided by resonant apertures can be enhanced by disposing a tip on part of the screen that extends laterally into the aperture. For example, a tip disposed on the ridge of a C-shaped aperture can dramatically improve performance. A spatial resolution of λ/50 has been experimentally demonstrated with this approach. The combination of high spatial resolution and high transmission efficiency provided by this approach enables many applications, such as near field optical probes for near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Another application is high resolution electron sources, where an photoelectron emitter can be disposed at or near a tip+aperture structure such that the high resolution optical near-field provides a correspondingly high resolution electron source. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110321204 | NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE, NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL PROBE, AND SAMPLE OBSERVATION METHOD - Provided is a scanning near-field optical microscope capable of obtaining in a highly sensitive manner, optical information having a spatial frequency higher than a spatial frequency corresponding to a wavelength of irradiation light. A scanning near-field optical microscope | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120005793 | NEAR FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE - The invention relates to a device for conducting near-field optical measurements of a specimen, a method for conducting near-field optical measurements and the use of the device. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20130298295 | NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL PROBE MANUFACTURING USING ORGANO-MINERAL MATERIAL AND SOL-GEL PROCESS - A method is provided for manufacturing near-field optical probes including at least one organo-mineral material with an organic part and a mineral part, the method including steps of irradiating at least partially the organo-mineral material with a radiation beam to polymerize the organic part in the irradiated areas, and polycondensing the mineral part by sol-gel process. Also disclosed are near-field optical probes and AFM and SNOM systems using the probes. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20140090118 | PROBES FOR MULTIDIMENSIONAL NANOSPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING AND METHODS OF FABRICATION THEREOF - This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to probes for multidimensional nanospectroscopic imaging. In one aspect, a method includes providing a transparent tip comprising a dielectric material. A four-sided pyramidal-shaped structure is formed at an apex of the transparent tip using a focused ion beam. Metal layers are deposited over two opposing sides of the four-sided pyramidal-shaped structure. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140096293 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING THERMAL ASSIST TYPE MAGNETIC HEAD - To reliably detect scattered light generated in the near field light generation area in the inspection of a thermal assist type magnetic head (herein after refer to magnetic head), the present invention provides a magnetic head inspection apparatus including: a scanning probe microscope including a cantilever having a probe with a magnetic film formed on the surface of the tip; a probe unit for supplying alternating current to a terminal formed in a magnetic head element, so that the laser beam is incident on the near field light emitting part; an imaging unit for taking an image of the probe unit and the magnetic head element; a scattered light detection unit for detecting the scattered light generated from the probe present in the generation area of the near field light of the magnetic head element, through a pinhole; and a signal processing unit for inspecting the magnetic head element. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140182021 | A MICRODEVICE FOR EMITTING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION - The present invention relates to a microdevice for emitting electromagnetic radiation, the microdevice being adapted so as to be controllable by electromagnetic radiation, such as light. The microdevice comprises a first electromagnetic radiation emitting unit arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation | 06-26-2014 |
| 20150355227 | OPTICALLY GUIDED MICRODEVICE COMPRISING A NANOWIRE - The present invention relates to a microdevice ( | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150377922 | SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVATION METHOD USING SAME - The purpose of the present invention is to increase the detection light amount of near-field light, which is generated in a liquid between a measurement probe and a sample-to-be-inspected, at the time of employing a near-field scanning microscope for measurement in a liquid, and to improve measurement reproducibility and the SN ratio of near-field light images. The present invention provides a scanning probe microscope comprising: a measurement probe that is relatively scanned over a sample-to-be-inspected; a laser beam irradiation system that irradiates the measurement probe with a laser beam; a sample cell that holds the sample-to-be-inspected and that transmits scattered light of near-field light generated between the measurement probe and the sample-to-be-inspected by the laser beam irradiation; and a detector that detects the scattered light that has passed through the sample cell. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20160033549 | FLEXIBLE NEAR FIELD OPTICAL IMAGING DEVICE INCLUDING FLEXIBLE OPTICAL HEAD WITH THIN FILM LAYER FOR FORMATION OF DYNAMIC OPTICAL NANO APERTURES - A near field optical imaging device includes: a light source for radiating light of a far field optical system; and an optical head including thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, combined with a measured object in one piece to generate a near field by a beam radiated from the light source, in which the measured object can be scanned in a depth direction by adjusting a depth of the near field, and the depth of the near field is adjusted by modifying a shape of an opening of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures by adjusting an amount of the light radiated from the light source. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160077127 | Active Probe For Near-Field Optical Microscopy And Its Manufacturing Process - The invention relates to an active probe for near-field optical microscopy, characterized in that it includes a metal or metallized tip (PM) at the apex of which a nanoscale body (NB) is located, the body having a polymer matrix capable of, or containing a host (MH) capable of, emitting under illumination, light (SH) at a wavelength different from that of the illumination. A process for manufacturing such a probe is also provided. | 03-17-2016 |
| 20090276923 | Near-field scanning optical microscopy with nanoscale resolution from microscale probes - To date, the probes of scanning near-field optical microscopes were aimed at creating electromagnetic field characteristics that are maximally localized near a nano-sized point (miniature apertures and tips, fluorescent nano-particles and molecules, dielectric and metal corners). Alternatively, the probe field, which is distributed within a larger area, can ensure the super-resolution as well. For this purpose, the field spectrum should be enriched with high spatial frequencies corresponding to small sample dimensions. As examples of such near-field probes, we propose and theoretically study the models of optical fibers with end-faces containing sharp linear edges and randomly distributed nanoparticles. These probes are more robust than the conventional probes and their fabrication is not concerned with nanoscale precision. The probes enable waveguiding of light to and from the sample with marginal losses distributing and utilizing the incident light more completely. Numerical modeling shows that, even with substantial measurement noise, the suggested probes can resolve objects that are significantly smaller than the probe size and, in certain cases, can perform better than miniature nanoprobes. | 11-05-2009 |
| 20100154085 | Cantilever for Scanning Probe Microscope and Scanning Probe Microscope Equipped With It - A microscope including both an atomic force microscope and a near-field optical microscope and capable of performing electrochemical measurements and a cantilever for the microscope are disclosed. A pointed light transmitting material employed as the probe of an atomic force microscope is coated with a metal layer; the metal layer is further coated with an insulating layer; the insulating layer is removed only at the distal end to expose the metal layer; the slightly exposed metal layer is employed as a working electrode; and the probe can be employed not only as the probe of the atomic force microscope and the near-field optical microscope but also as the electrode of an electrochemical microscope. Consequently, the microscope can have the functions of an atomic force microscope, a near-field optical microscope and an electrochemical microscope. | 06-17-2010 |
| 20110010808 | PROTECTED METALLIC TIP OR METALLIZED SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY TIP FOR OPTICAL APPLICATIONS - The present invention generally relates to a protected metallic or metallized scanning probe microscopy tip for apertureless near-field optical applications which comprise a metallic tip or a metallic structure covering a scanning probe microscopy tip, protected by an ultrathin dielectric layer. In one embodiment, the protective layer is comprised of SiO | 01-13-2011 |
| 20110055984 | Tip-enhanced resonant apertures - Transmission efficiency and/or spatial resolution provided by resonant apertures can be enhanced by disposing a tip on part of the screen that extends laterally into the aperture. For example, a tip disposed on the ridge of a C-shaped aperture can dramatically improve performance. A spatial resolution of λ/50 has been experimentally demonstrated with this approach. The combination of high spatial resolution and high transmission efficiency provided by this approach enables many applications, such as near field optical probes for near field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM). Another application is high resolution electron sources, where an photoelectron emitter can be disposed at or near a tip+aperture structure such that the high resolution optical near-field provides a correspondingly high resolution electron source. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110321204 | NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE, NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL PROBE, AND SAMPLE OBSERVATION METHOD - Provided is a scanning near-field optical microscope capable of obtaining in a highly sensitive manner, optical information having a spatial frequency higher than a spatial frequency corresponding to a wavelength of irradiation light. A scanning near-field optical microscope | 12-29-2011 |
| 20120005793 | NEAR FIELD OPTICAL MICROSCOPE - The invention relates to a device for conducting near-field optical measurements of a specimen, a method for conducting near-field optical measurements and the use of the device. | 01-05-2012 |
| 20130298295 | NEAR-FIELD OPTICAL PROBE MANUFACTURING USING ORGANO-MINERAL MATERIAL AND SOL-GEL PROCESS - A method is provided for manufacturing near-field optical probes including at least one organo-mineral material with an organic part and a mineral part, the method including steps of irradiating at least partially the organo-mineral material with a radiation beam to polymerize the organic part in the irradiated areas, and polycondensing the mineral part by sol-gel process. Also disclosed are near-field optical probes and AFM and SNOM systems using the probes. | 11-07-2013 |
| 20140090118 | PROBES FOR MULTIDIMENSIONAL NANOSPECTROSCOPIC IMAGING AND METHODS OF FABRICATION THEREOF - This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to probes for multidimensional nanospectroscopic imaging. In one aspect, a method includes providing a transparent tip comprising a dielectric material. A four-sided pyramidal-shaped structure is formed at an apex of the transparent tip using a focused ion beam. Metal layers are deposited over two opposing sides of the four-sided pyramidal-shaped structure. | 03-27-2014 |
| 20140096293 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSPECTING THERMAL ASSIST TYPE MAGNETIC HEAD - To reliably detect scattered light generated in the near field light generation area in the inspection of a thermal assist type magnetic head (herein after refer to magnetic head), the present invention provides a magnetic head inspection apparatus including: a scanning probe microscope including a cantilever having a probe with a magnetic film formed on the surface of the tip; a probe unit for supplying alternating current to a terminal formed in a magnetic head element, so that the laser beam is incident on the near field light emitting part; an imaging unit for taking an image of the probe unit and the magnetic head element; a scattered light detection unit for detecting the scattered light generated from the probe present in the generation area of the near field light of the magnetic head element, through a pinhole; and a signal processing unit for inspecting the magnetic head element. | 04-03-2014 |
| 20140182021 | A MICRODEVICE FOR EMITTING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION - The present invention relates to a microdevice for emitting electromagnetic radiation, the microdevice being adapted so as to be controllable by electromagnetic radiation, such as light. The microdevice comprises a first electromagnetic radiation emitting unit arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation | 06-26-2014 |
| 20150355227 | OPTICALLY GUIDED MICRODEVICE COMPRISING A NANOWIRE - The present invention relates to a microdevice ( | 12-10-2015 |
| 20150377922 | SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVATION METHOD USING SAME - The purpose of the present invention is to increase the detection light amount of near-field light, which is generated in a liquid between a measurement probe and a sample-to-be-inspected, at the time of employing a near-field scanning microscope for measurement in a liquid, and to improve measurement reproducibility and the SN ratio of near-field light images. The present invention provides a scanning probe microscope comprising: a measurement probe that is relatively scanned over a sample-to-be-inspected; a laser beam irradiation system that irradiates the measurement probe with a laser beam; a sample cell that holds the sample-to-be-inspected and that transmits scattered light of near-field light generated between the measurement probe and the sample-to-be-inspected by the laser beam irradiation; and a detector that detects the scattered light that has passed through the sample cell. | 12-31-2015 |
| 20160033549 | FLEXIBLE NEAR FIELD OPTICAL IMAGING DEVICE INCLUDING FLEXIBLE OPTICAL HEAD WITH THIN FILM LAYER FOR FORMATION OF DYNAMIC OPTICAL NANO APERTURES - A near field optical imaging device includes: a light source for radiating light of a far field optical system; and an optical head including thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, combined with a measured object in one piece to generate a near field by a beam radiated from the light source, in which the measured object can be scanned in a depth direction by adjusting a depth of the near field, and the depth of the near field is adjusted by modifying a shape of an opening of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures by adjusting an amount of the light radiated from the light source. | 02-04-2016 |
| 20160077127 | Active Probe For Near-Field Optical Microscopy And Its Manufacturing Process - The invention relates to an active probe for near-field optical microscopy, characterized in that it includes a metal or metallized tip (PM) at the apex of which a nanoscale body (NB) is located, the body having a polymer matrix capable of, or containing a host (MH) capable of, emitting under illumination, light (SH) at a wavelength different from that of the illumination. A process for manufacturing such a probe is also provided. | 03-17-2016 |
