High resolution fiber optic probe for near field optical microscopy and method of making same
US5664036A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Oct 12, 1995 |
| Grant date | Sep 2, 1997 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Oct 12, 2015 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
- CPC primaryY10S977/862
- WIPO fieldMicro-structural and nano-technology
- WIPO sectorChemistry
Abstract
The near field optical microscopy probe has a conically tapered tip formed from the inner core of a fiber optic cable. The tapered tip protrudes longitudinally from the outer cladding and has a metallized optically opaque coating over all the tip except for the light-emitting aperture at the tip apex. The optical probe is manufactured by wet chemical etching. The protruding conical tip tapers at an acute angle on the order of about 15.degree. to 60.degree., such that the tip length is on the order of a few wavelengths. By this construction, illumination traverses only a very small nonpropagating mode or evanescent mode region with resulting high optical efficiency. The probe and specimen may be supercooled, causing the metallized coating to be highly conductive and therefore optically opaque. The result is a high efficiency, high resolution probe suitable for such demanding applications as DNA sequencing.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.