SOLID IMMERSION LENS, AND SAMPLE OBSERVING METHOD USING IT

摘要

Using a solid immersion lens (SIL) 1 having a spherical lens surface 10 with a radius of curvature RL from a material having a refractive index nL, an image of a sample 2 is observed. In this sample observation, a geometric aberration characteristic caused by the SIL I is evaluated by using a predetermined optical system. Using a coefficient k (0 < k < 1) set so as to satisfy a condition where the average image surface becomes flat or a condition yielding a favorable chromatic aberration characteristic, the sample is observed with the solid immersion lens 1 while a surface, orthogonal to the optical axis Ax, including a point located downstream of the spherical center C of the lens surface 10 by k x (RL/nL) along the optical axis Ax is employed as a sample observation surface 20. This realizes a sample observation method which makes it possible to observe the image of the sample favorably with a solid immersion lens, and the solid immersion lens. <IMAGE>