The tetrahedral tip as a probe for scanning near-field optical microscopy at 30 nm resolution

The tetrahedral tip is introduced as a new type of a probe for scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM). Probe fabrication, its integration into a scheme of an inverted photon scanning tunnelling microscope and imaging at 30 nm resolution are shown. A purely optical signal is used for feedback control of the distance of the scanning tip to the sample, thus avoiding a convolution of the SNOM image with other simultaneous imaging modes such as force microscopy. The advantages of this probe seem to be a very high efficiency and its potential for SNOM at high lateral resolution below 30 nm.     

Fluorescence imaging and investigations of directly labelled chromosomes using scanning near-field optical microscopy

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) has been successfully employed to generate high resolution (<100nm) fluorescence images of directly tagged human chromosomes. Direct tagging, fluorescence in-situ hybridisation processes (with and without amplification) are investigated and their fluorescence response to near-field excitation are compared. Using the simultaneous topography mode of SNOM, chromosome morphology was seen to differ as a result of the two processes; with chromatin collapse more extensive when the amplified direct tagging procedure was used. The results are discussed in the context of developing locus specific direct tags together with high resolution SNOM imaging for the observation of chromosome aberrations.     

CCD成像系统中模拟前端设计

CCD成像系统中模拟前端对系统信噪比起决定性作用。为了提高成像系统的信噪比,需要对模拟前端以及其PCB布局布线进行合理的设计。在深入分析模拟前端中各部分功能的基础上,针对目前模拟前端一般采用专用CCD视频信号处理器来实现的方案,建立了CCD视频信号处理器这个模拟数字混合器件芯片内部的电源及接地模型,并根据该模型对PCB布局布线进行了分析和设计。工程实践结果表明,在像素时钟为6 MHz时,系统的信噪比可以达到54 dB。     

Near-field optical excitation as a dipole-dipole energy transfer process

The process of fluorescence excitation in the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) is considered as a dipole-dipole resonance energy transfer process between a molecule under study and a SNOM aperture, which can be treated as a magnetic-type point dipole. It is shown that such an approach satisfactorily describes the conditions of the usual SNOM fluorescence experiments. Fluorescence excitation dependence on the polarization of the incident light and medium refraction index have been obtained. The equation to calculate the resonance dipole-dipole energy transfer radius (which is a natural unit of a SNOM's longitudinal resolution) is derived. Those cases where such a radius is of the order of the SNOM aperture, and thus single dipole, can strongly influence the radiation conditions are discussed briefly.     

Optical-fibre scanning near-field optical microscope for cryogenic operation

We have developed a new type of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) utilizing optical fibres. The probe tip is controlled by shear force feedback with a fibre interferometer and signal light is collected directly by a multimode fibre. These features make the SNOM head more compact and less sensitive to vibration. Further advantages of this new type of SNOM are that it obviates the need for optical windows in the cryostat and offers easy optical alignment.     

Characterisation of a standard CCD video camera devoted to the design of an efficient particle image velocimetry instrument

A particle image velocimetry (PIV) instrument using a video frame grabbing system and two unsynchronised CCD video arrays was constructed. In the optical device, the two CCD are positioned at two perpendicular axes, with an image splitter located at their intersection and a single imaging lens in front of it. An optical characterisation of each CCD array and the imaging lens is needed to ensure that the field of view is similar for each vision system. Firstly, the experimental method of Cornu was used to deduce the basic optical parameters of the imaging lens. A simple video model was then performed to extract the unknown optical parameters of the device such as the angular field of view, the efficient dimensions of each CCD array and the transfer function from the CCD to the TV screen. An identification method based on global magnification measurements allowed the resolution of the micrometric stages needed for the spatial calibration step of the final instrument, to be deduced. Experimental tests have shown that the aberration in image formation was minimum with this configuration.     

Near-field optical excitation as a dipole–dipole energy transfer process

The process of fluorescence excitation in the scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) is considered as a dipole–dipole resonance energy transfer process between a molecule under study and a SNOM aperture, which can be treated as a magnetic-type point dipole. It is shown that such an approach satisfactorily describes the conditions of the usual SNOM fluorescence experiments. Fluorescence excitation dependence on the polarization of the incident light and medium refraction index have been obtained. The equation to calculate the resonance dipole–dipole energy transfer radius (which is a natural unit of a SNOM's longitudinal resolution) is derived. Those cases where such a radius is of the order of the SNOM aperture, and thus single dipole, can strongly influence the radiation conditions are discussed briefly.     

Optical-fibre scanning near-field optical microscope for cryogenic operation

We have developed a new type of scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) utilizing optical fibres. The probe tip is controlled by shear force feedback with a fibre interferometer and signal light is collected directly by a multimode fibre. These features make the SNOM head more compact and less sensitive to vibration. Further advantages of this new type of SNOM are that it obviates the need for optical windows in the cryostat and offers easy optical alignment.     

Apertureless near-field optical microscopy via local second-harmonic generation

We describe an apertureless scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) based on the local second-harmonic generation enhancement resulting from an electromagnetic interaction between a probe tip and a surface. The imaging mechanisms of such apertureless second-harmonic SNOM are numerically studied. The technique allows one to achieve strongly confined sources of second-harmonic light at the probe tip apex and/or surface area under the tip. First experimental realization of this technique has been carried out using a silver-coated fibre tip as a probe. The experiments reveal a strong influence of the tip–surface interaction as well as polarization of the excitation light on images obtained with apertureless second-harmonic SNOM. The technique can be useful for studying the localized electromagnetic excitations on surfaces as well as for visualization of lateral variations of linear and nonlinear optical properties of surfaces.     

High-Resolution Lithography with Near-Field Optical Microscopy

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) is used for lithography to avoid the resolution limiting diffraction of conventional optical methods. We have expanded a commercial SNOM for writing even complex structures on the nanometer scale. Scanning near-field optical lithography (SNOL) has been applied to conventional resists to explore its potential and the possible combination with conventional optical lithography (mix and match technique).     

Nano-scale imaging of chromosomes and DNA by scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy

Nano-scale structures of the YOYO-1-stained barley chromosomes and lambda-phage DNA were investigated by scanning near-field optical/atomic force microscopy (SNOM/AFM). This technique enabled precise analysis of fluorescence structural images in relation to the morphology of the biomaterials. The results suggested that the fluorescence intensity does not always correspond to topographic height of the chromosomes, but roughly reflects the local amount and/or density of DNA. Various sizes of the bright fluorescence spots were clearly observed in fluorescence banding-treated chromosomes. Furthermore, fluorescence-stained lambda-phage DNA analysis by SNOM/AFM demonstrated the possibility of nanometer-scale imaging for a novel technique termed nano-fluorescence in situ hybridization (nano-FISH). Thus, SNOM/AFM is a powerful tool for analyzing the structure and the function of biomaterials with higher resolution than conventional optical microscopes.     

Probe design optimization for a high-resolution scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope

The scattering-type scanning near-field optical microscope (SNOM) has a probe with a sharp tip for use in high resolution imaging. As sharp a tip as possible is generally considered ideal for the observations, but actually, a sharp tip does not always provide a high resolution SNOM image. We numerically examined the scattering property of the SNOM probe by the three dimensional finite difference time domain method. In this paper, we show the criterion for the ideal scattering probe which satisfies the simple relation between radius and taper angle of the tip.     

扫描近场光学显微镜对细胞超微结构的研究

扫描近场光学显微镜(SNOM)突破了光学显微镜的衍射极限,在细胞研究中具有高灵敏性、无侵入性等优点,已经广泛的应用于生物学研究中。本文综述了SNOM在细胞膜、细胞器、细胞精细结构和单分子探测等领域的研究进展,介绍了扫描近场光学显微镜结合量子点的方法,并对其应用前景做了展望,对其面临困难做了概述。作为一种研究工具,SNOM在生物领域的应用还远远不足。     

用于动态目标跟踪的面阵CCD成像系统的研究

本文采用面阵CCD ICX415AL作为传感器件,设计了一种用于动态目标跟踪的面阵CCD成像系统。成像系统对两片面阵CCD进行光学拼接,使它们完全共面,这样可以在保证目标分辨率不变的情况下使视场角增加一倍,满足了大视场搜索目标的要求。本文在介绍面阵CCD ICX415AL的结构和特点的基础上,完成了ICX415AL的时序电路和功率驱动电路的设计,并采用相关双采样(CDS)技术滤除了视频信号中的相关噪声,提高了系统的信噪比。为了获得好的成像质量,系统在设计完后要进行辐射定标,根据本文中的定标实验数据,确定了最佳的动态范围和工作点。整个系统采用现场可编程门阵列（FPGA）作为核心控制器件,完成自上而下的模块化设计,实现了硬件设计的软件化,提高了开发效率。     

SNOM/STM using a tetrahedral tip and a sensitive current-to-voltage converter

Scanning near-field optical microscopes (SNOM) using the tetrahedral-tip (T-tip) with scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) distance control have been realized in transmission and reflection mode. Both set-ups used ordinary STM current-to-voltage converters allowing measurement of metallic samples. In the transmission mode, a resolution of 10 nm to 1 nm with regard to material contrast can be achieved on binary metal samples. Because of the great near-field optical potential of the T-tip with respect to the optical resolution, it is a challenging task to find out whether these results can be transferred to non-metallic sample systems as well. This paper reports on a newly designed SNOM/STM transmission mode set-up using the tetrahedral-tip. It implements a sensitive current-to-voltage converter to widen the field of measurable sample systems. Beyond this, mechanical and optical measuring conditions are substantially improved compared to previous set-ups. The new set-up provides a basis for the routine investigation of metal nanostructures and adsorbed organic monolayers at resolutions in the 10 nm range.     

视频错帖检测系统及算法设计

为了克服现有光眼检测法和模拟视频检测法的不足,研制一种新的基于互补式金氧半导体工艺(Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor,CMOS)的图像传感器智能错帖检测系统,其硬件将CMOS图像传感器、数字信号处理器(Digital signal processor,DSP)和可编程逻辑器件(Complex programmable logic device,CPLD)集成在一起,作为图像采集和处理的核心单元,另外还包括通用串行总线(Universal serial bus,USB)、串口和存储器等辅助电路。检测方法采用反向传播网络(Back propagation network,BP网络)和矩不变量建立错帖识别算法,内嵌在数字信号处理器中,算法适合于文字、图文和图形等多类书帖,检测精度更高。算法参数估计试验表明,相对旋转角在±7o范围内时,检测准确率约为98%。     

Reflection mode scanning near-field optical microscopy analyses of integrated devices

Ultra-large-scale integrated devices have been investigated by a reflection mode scanning near-field optical microscope designed for semiconductor analyses. Although it could be found that imaging the reflectivity of metal structures buried underneath thin, optically transparent passivation layers is practicable, shading of the reflected light by the SNOM probe complicated the interpretability of the achieved results. This issue has been overcome by using the SNOM probe as both illumination source and detector, simultaneously. The application of focused ion beam milling to the probes has allowed the increase of the transmittivity of the probes to such an extent that coated fibres could be utilized and the interpretability of the results could be enhanced. Furthermore, the investigated structures are of great interest for an investigation of z-motion artefacts, as the presence of the polished passivation layers allows topographical influences to be distinguished from pure optical contrast.     

Resolution enhancing using cantilevered tip-on-aperture silicon probe in scanning near-field optical microscopy

Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) achieves a resolution beyond the diffraction limit of conventional optical microscopy systems by utilizing subwavelength aperture probe scanning. A problem associated with SNOM is that the light throughput decreases markedly as the aperture diameter decreases. Apertureless scanning near-field optical microscopes obtain a much better resolution by concentrating the light field near the tip apex. However, a far-field illumination by a focused laser beam generates a large background scattering signal. Both disadvantages are overcome using the tip-on-aperture (TOA) approach, as presented in previous works. In this study, a finite difference time domain analysis of the degree of electromagnetic field enhancement is performed to verify the efficiency of TOA probes. For plasmon enhancement, silver is deposited on commercially available cantilevered SNOM tips with 20nm thicknesses. To form the aperture and TOA in the probes, electron beam-induced deposition and focused ion beam machining were applied at the end of the sharpened tip. The results show that cantilevered TOA probes were highly efficient for improvements of the resolution of optical and topological measurement of nanostructures.     

Reflection mode scanning near-field optical microscopy analyses of integrated devices

Ultra-large-scale integrated devices have been investigated by a reflection mode scanning near-field optical microscope designed for semiconductor analyses. Although it could be found that imaging the reflectivity of metal structures buried underneath thin, optically transparent passivation layers is practicable, shading of the reflected light by the SNOM probe complicated the interpretability of the achieved results. This issue has been overcome by using the SNOM probe as both illumination source and detector, simultaneously. The application of focused ion beam milling to the probes has allowed the increase of the transmittivity of the probes to such an extent that coated fibres could be utilized and the interpretability of the results could be enhanced. Furthermore, the investigated structures are of great interest for an investigation of z -motion artefacts, as the presence of the polished passivation layers allows topographical influences to be distinguished from pure optical contrast.     

Characterization of the polarization sensitivity anisotropy of a near-field probe using phase measurements

Amplitude and phase measurements of the near-field generated by isolated subwavelength apertures in a gold film are presented. The near-field distribution of such a structure is complex and the measured signal strongly depends on the electric field components effectively detected by the experimental setup. By comparing this signal with 3D vectorial calculations we are able to determine which electric field components are effectively measured. The sensitivity of the phase distribution is key to this measurement. The proposed characterization technique should prove extremely useful to calibrate a Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) beforehand in order to retrieve quantitative information on the polarization of the field distribution under study.