Overview
The resolution of any far-field optical microscope is limited by diffraction. The order of magnitude of the resolution is R~1/n. A common way of increasing the resolution of a conventional microscope is to immerse the sample into a liquid with a refractive index of n. In fact immersion microscopes exploit this physical property. However, the range of refractive indices of known materials in the visible range is limited n is less than 2.4, and the resolution of a usual immersion microscope remains limited by the wavelength of light in a vacuum.This invention makes use of the extremely large effective refractive index experienced by surface electromagnetic waves in their interaction with thin dielectric objects. The effective refractive index of a dielectric object on such a surface may reach up to ~1,000. Thus the resolution of this "new" immersion microscope may reach a few nanometers.
Implemented in reverse, such a microscope may be used in subwavelength lithography with nanoscale resolution.
See U.S. published patent application No. 2005-0185186-A1.
For more information please contact [email protected], 301- 405-3947 .
Contact Info
UM Ventures
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Email: [email protected]
Phone: (301) 405-3947 | Fax: (301) 314-9502