IP Library Granted Patent US 9,897,790
Granted Patent B2
US 9,897,790 · App. 14/996,717 · Granted Feb 20, 2018

Structured illumination device and structured illumination microscope device

Inventors: Hiroaki Nakayama (Kawasaki, JP); Yumiko Ouchi (Yokohama, JP)
Assignee: NIKON CORPORATION
G02B21/06G01N21/64G01N21/6428G02B21/0032G02B21/0076G02B21/16G02B21/367G02B27/58G01N2021/6439G01N2201/063G01N2201/0638
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,897,790
App. No.
14/996,717
Granted
Feb 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A structured illumination device includes: a diffraction unit that diffracts light beams of a plurality of wavelengths that are emitted simultaneously or sequentially by a light source into a plurality of diffracted beams; and an optical system that forms interference fringes on a surface of a sample using the plurality of diffracted beams diffracted by the diffraction unit, the optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system that focuses the plurality of diffracted beams at positions on or near a pupil plane of the first optical system, and a magnification characteristic dY(λ) of the second optical system satisfying the condition of (fo·nw−afλ/P)≦dY(λ)≦(fo·NA−afλ/P), where a=1 (for M=1, 2) or a=2 (for M=3).

Claims (46)

1. A structured illumination device, comprising:

a diffraction member that diffracts light emitted by a light source which emits a plurality of wavelengths simultaneously or sequentially; and

an optical system that forms interference fringes on a surface of a sample by interfering at least a part of diffracted light diffracted by the diffraction member,

the optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system that focuses at least a part of the diffracted light on or near a pupil plane of the first optical system, and

a magnification characteristic dY(λ) of the second optical system satisfying the following condition for each wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths:

( fo·nw−afλ/P )≦ dY (λ)≦( fo·NA−afλ/P ),

where a=1 (for M=1, 2) or a=2 (for M=3), M is a number of directions in which the diffraction member has a periodic structure, λ is any wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths, dY(λ) is a difference between an image height 2f·λ 0 /P where λ 0 is a reference wavelength for the plurality of wavelengths and an image height 2f·λ/P where λ is any wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths, fo is a focal length of the first optical system for the wavelength λ, f is a focal length of the second optical system for the wavelength λ, P is a pitch of the diffraction member, NA is a numerical aperture of the first optical system, and nw is a refractive index of the wavelength λ of the sample.

2. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 ,

wherein the diffraction member can be inserted into or removed from a light beam path, and

wherein the second optical system is interchangeable with another second optical system that has different magnification characteristics.

3. The structured illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein a component of the second optical system to be interchanged is one of the components of the second optical system.

4. The structured illumination device according to claim 3 , wherein at least the component of the second optical system to be interchanged includes a cemented lens.

5. The structured illumination device according to claim 3 , further comprising:

a control unit that switches the periodic structure of the diffraction member.

6. The structured illumination device according to claim 2 , wherein at least the component of the second optical system to be interchanged includes a cemented lens.

7. The structured illumination device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a control unit that switches the periodic structure of the diffraction member.

8. The structured illumination device according to claim 2 , further comprising:

a control unit that switches the periodic structure of the diffraction member.

9. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a control unit that switches the periodic structure of the diffraction member.

10. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a position adjusting unit for adjusting a position at which at least a part of the diffracted light is focused in an optical axis direction of the first optical system.

11. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a phase shifting unit for shifting a phase of the interference fringes.

12. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a light selection unit that selects a diffracted light in a predetermined direction from the diffracted light in a plurality of directions diffracted by the diffraction member,

wherein the diffraction member has a periodic structure in a plurality of different directions within a plane orthogonal to an optical axis of the optical system.

13. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a rotation unit that rotates the diffracted light about an optical axis,

wherein the diffraction member has a periodic structure in a single direction within a plane orthogonal to the optical axis of the optical system.

14. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of wavelengths are within a range of 400 to 700 nm.

15. The structured illumination device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a switching unit that inserts and removes an optical member into and from a light beam path between the diffraction member and the pupil plane in order to switch light that illuminates a sample between structured illumination light that forms interference fringes and another type of illumination light emitted by a second light source that is different from the light source.

16. A structured illumination microscope device, comprising:

the structured illumination device described in claim 1 ; and

an imaging optical system that uses light observed from the sample when modulated by the interference fringes to form an image on a light detector.

17. The structured illumination microscope device according to claim 16 , further comprising:

a processing unit that generates a demodulated image of the sample using images generated by the light detector.

18. A structured illumination device, comprising:

a diffraction member that diffracts light emitted by a light source which emits light of a plurality of wavelengths simultaneously or sequentially; and

an optical system that forms interference fringes on a surface of a sample by interfering at least a part of a diffracted light diffracted by the diffraction member,

the optical system including a first optical system and a second optical system that focuses the at least a part of the diffracted light on or near a pupil plane of the first optical system, and

a magnification characteristic dY(λ) of the second optical system satisfying the following condition for each wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths:

(0.75 fo·NA−afλ/P )≦ dY (λ)≦( fo·NA−afλ/P ),

where a=1 (for M=1, 2) or a=2 (for M=3), M is a number of directions in which the diffraction memeber has a periodic structure, λ is any wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths, dY(λ) is a difference between an image height 2f·λ 0 /P where λ 0 is a reference wavelength for the plurality of wavelengths and an image height 2f·λ/P where λ is any wavelength of the plurality of wavelengths, fo is a focal length of the first optical system for the wavelength λ, f is a focal length of the second optical system for the wavelength λ, P is a pitch of the diffraction member, and NA is a numerical aperture of the first optical system.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 5, 2016
From: NAKAYAMA, HIROAKI; OUCHI, YUMIKO
To: NIKON CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 038188/0798 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2013-148730 · Jul 17, 2013 · national
Continuity (2)
Continuation PCTJP2014002855 · May 29, 2014
Related Publication 20160131885A1 · May 12, 2016