SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPE AND SAMPLE OBSERVATION METHOD USING SAME

摘要

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.

主权项

1. A scanning probe microscope comprising:
a measurement probe to make scanning on a sample to be inspected in a solution relatively; a laser light irradiation system to irradiate the measurement probe with laser light; a sample cell which near-field light generated between the measurement probe and the sample to be inspected in response to irradiation of the laser light penetrates and holds the sample to be inspected; and a detector to detect the near-field light which penetrates the sample cell, wherein the surface of the sample cell is formed to have a curved surface, and wherein the curved surface of the surface of the sample cell has the center of curvature on the side of the measurement probe.