Flexible near field optical imaging device including flexible optical head with thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9291642-B2
Application number	US-201514813009-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 29, 2015
Priority date	Jul 29, 2014
Publication date	Mar 22, 2016
Grant date	Mar 22, 2016

Abstract

A near field optical imaging device includes: a light source for radiating light of a far field optical system; and an optical head including thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, combined with a measured object in one piece to generate a near field by a beam radiated from the light source, in which the measured object can be scanned in a depth direction by adjusting a depth of the near field, and the depth of the near field is adjusted by modifying a shape of an opening of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures by adjusting an amount of the light radiated from the light source.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A near field optical imaging device comprising:
a light source for radiating light of a far field optical system; and
an optical head including
a thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, combined with a measured object in one piece to generate a near field by a beam radiated from the light source, wherein
the measured object can be scanned in a depth direction by adjusting a depth of the near field, and the depth of the near field is adjusted by modifying a shape of an opening of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures by adjusting an amount of the light radiated from the light source.

2. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical head includes:
a flexible substrate for tightly attaching and combining the measured object regardless of whether an external shape of the measured object is a curved surface or a flat surface; and
a thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, combined with the flexible substrate in one piece to generate a near field by a beam radiated from the light source.

3. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the optical head includes a first dielectric layer positioned on a top, a second dielectric layer positioned on a bottom, and a thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures positioned between the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer.

4. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures is a layer formed of a material having optical anisotropy.

5. The device according to claim 4 , wherein in the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, the depth of the near field is adjusted in a process of changing the material having optical anisotropy from an optically non-transparent region to an optically transparent region.

6. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures is a Sb—Se compound, AgOx or PtOx.

7. The device according to claim 3 , wherein the first dielectric layer and the second dielectric layer are oxide-based, nitride-based, carbide-based materials.

8. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the oxide-based material is any one of SiOx, ZnS—SiOx, GeOx, AlOx, BeOx, ZrOx, BaTiOx, SrTiOx and TaOx.

9. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the nitride-based material is any one of SiNx, BNx and AlNx.

10. The device according to claim 7 , wherein the carbide-based material is SiCx.

11. The device according to claim 3 , wherein thickness of the first dielectric layer is 30 to 500 nm, thickness of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures is 5 to 30 nm, and thickness of the second dielectric layer is 5 to 60 nm.

12. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the flexible substrate 100 is a sort of film or glass, and any one of Polycarbonate (PC), Cyclo olefin polymer (COP), polyimide (PI), Polyethylene terephthalate (PET), Oriented Poly prophylene (OPP), Polyethylene (PE), Poly prophylene (PP), Poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and acryl is used as a film, and any one of Sodalime glass, borosilicate glass, fused silica glass, quartz and biocompatible polymer (polylactic acid (PLA), poly glycolic acid (PGA), poly lactic co glycolic acid (PLGA), Poly L Lactic Acid (LPLA), Poly DL Lactic Acid (DLPLA), poly capro lactone (PCL), poly dioxanone (PDO) or Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)) is used as a glass.

13. The device according to claim 12 , wherein thickness of the film is 0.04 to 500 μm.

14. The device according to claim 2 , wherein the optical head includes an anti-adhesion layer for preventing friction and contamination of the measured object on one side of the optical head for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures contacting with the measured object.

15. The device according to claim 1 , wherein the optical system includes any one of macro optics, a hologram beam modulator, a DMD mirror, a micro lens array and a scanner.

16. The device according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a relay lens unit through which light proceeding toward the measured object or reflected from the measured object passes and including one or more lenses for focusing the light radiated from the light source;
a multi-light array unit into which the light focused through the relay lens unit enters; and
a photo detector for detecting light from the measured object.

17. The device according to claim 16 , wherein the photo detector is positioned under the measured object.

18. A near field optical imaging device comprising:
a first light source for radiating light of a first wavelength;
a second light source for radiating light of a second wavelength;
a relay lens unit through which light proceeding toward a measured object or reflected from the measured object passes and including one or more lenses for focusing the light radiated from the first light source or the second light source;
a multi-light array unit into which the light focused through the relay lens unit enters;
a thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures, for generating a near field by the light radiated from the light sources and passing through the multi-light array unit; and
a photo detector for detecting light from the measured object, wherein
a depth of the near field is adjusted by modifying a shape of an opening of the thin film layer for formation of dynamic optical nano apertures by adjusting an amount of the light radiated from the first light source or the second light source, and the depth of the near field generated by the first light source is different from the depth of the near field generated by the second light source.

Assignees

• Univ Yonsei Iacf

Inventors

• Kang Shinill
• Han Jungjin
• Cho Eikhyun
• Shim Jongmyeong
• Choi Wonjoon
• Choi Se-Young

Classifications

• G01Q60/22 Primary

  Probes, their manufacture, or their related instrumentation, e.g. holders · CPC title

• G01N21/00

  Investigating or analysing materials by the use of optical means, i.e. using sub-millimetre waves, infrared, visible or ultraviolet light (G01N3/00 - G01N19/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• G01Q70/06

  Probe tip arrays · CPC title

• G01Q10/00 Primary

  Scanning or positioning arrangements, i.e. arrangements for actively controlling the movement or position of the probe · CPC title

• G01Q60/18

  SNOM [Scanning Near-Field Optical Microscopy] or apparatus therefor, e.g. SNOM probes · CPC title