Pattern irradiation apparatus having spatial light modulator and light blocking member for blocking 0-order light generated by spatial light modulator

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10168522-B2
Application number	US-201615295648-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	Apr 4, 2013
Publication date	Jan 1, 2019
Grant date	Jan 1, 2019

Abstract

A pattern irradiation apparatus includes a light source unit, an objective that irradiates a sample plane with light emitted from the light source unit, a spatial light modulator of a phase modulation type that is arranged at a position conjugate with a pupil position of the objective and that modulates a phase of the light emitted from the light source unit, a light blocking member that is arranged in an optical path between the spatial light modulator and the objective and that is configured to block 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator, and a control device that makes a correspondence between a focusing position of the 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator and a position of the light blocking member.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A pattern irradiation apparatus comprising:
a light source unit;
an objective that irradiates a sample plane with light emitted from the light source unit;
a spatial light modulator of a phase modulation type that is arranged at a position optically conjugate with a pupil position of the objective and that modulates a phase of the light emitted from the light source unit;
a light blocking member that is arranged in an optical path between the spatial light modulator and the objective and that is configured to block 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator; and
a control device that makes a correspondence between a focusing position of the 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator and a position of the light blocking member so that the 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator is blocked by the light blocking member and diffracted light generated by the spatial light modulator is transmitted through the light blocking member.

2. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the control device controls the light source unit so that at least one of a wavelength, a wavefront, and a flux diameter of the light emitted from the light source unit changes.

3. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising
a position adjustment mechanism that moves a position of the light blocking member, wherein
the control device controls the position adjustment mechanism so that a correspondence is made between a focusing position of the 0-order light generated by the spatial light modulator and a position of the light blocking member.

4. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source unit includes a lens system for changing a flux diameter of the light emitted from the light source unit; and
the control device controls the lens system so that light having a flux diameter in accordance with a pupil diameter of the objective is emitted from the light source unit.

5. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source unit includes a wavelength-variable laser.

6. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the light source unit includes:
a plurality of light sources; and
an optical path switching member for guiding, to the spatial light modulator, light that is from a light source selected from among the plurality of light sources and that is emitted from the light source unit.

7. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , comprising
an insertion-removal mechanism that inserts and removes the light blocking member with respect to an optical path between the spatial light modulator and the objective; and
an optical detector that detects light from the sample plane.

8. The pattern irradiation apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein
the pattern irradiation apparatus is a microscope apparatus.

Assignees

• Olympus Corp

Inventors

• Fujii Shintaro

Classifications

• G02B21/02

  Objectives · CPC title

• G02B21/14

  affording illumination for phase-contrast observation · CPC title

• G02B27/46

  Systems using spatial filters · CPC title

• G02B21/08 Primary

  Condensers · CPC title

• G02B26/06 Primary

  for controlling the phase of light (G02B26/08 takes precedence {, measuring optical phase difference G01J9/00}) · CPC title