MICROSCOPE AND OBSERVING METHOD

Title:

MICROSCOPE AND OBSERVING METHOD

Document Type and Number:

WIPO Patent Application WO/2007/043313

Kind Code:

A1

Abstract:

A microscope for acquiring information on a super-resolution image of an object with a high SN ratio and an observing method are provided. The microscope is characterized by comprising an illumination optical system (1, 2, 5, 6, 7 to 13) for illuminating the observation surface of a specimen (14) with a linear illuminating light beam (E), modulating means (4) for spatially modulating the illuminating light beam (E) in the linear direction, an image-forming optical system (13 to 6, 15) for focusing the light from the observation surface illuminated with the spatially modulated illuminating light beam so as to form an image, and a sensor (16) for detecting the light from the observation surface. Therefore, a confocal effect can be produced in the unstructured direction (Da) of the illuminated area (E). Thanks to this confocal effect, the substantial contract of the structured illumination of the illuminated area (E) is increased. Therefore, the modulated image of the illuminated area (E) can be detected with a high SN ratio.

Inventors:

OSAWA HISAO (JP)
OUCHI YUMIKO (JP)

Application Number:

PCT/JP2006/318874

Publication Date:

April 19, 2007

Filing Date:

September 22, 2006

Export Citation:

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Assignee:

NIKON CORP (JP)
OSAWA HISAO (JP)
OUCHI YUMIKO (JP)

International Classes:

G02B21/12

Foreign References:

JP2004199603A	2004-07-15
JP2002323660A	2002-11-08
JPH11242189A	1999-09-07
EP1248132A2	2002-10-09
EP1431795A1	2004-06-23

Other References: