Analytical Sciences


Abstract − Analytical Sciences, 21(4), 469 (2005).

Spatial Resolution Improvement of Scanning Microscopy Based on Thermal Lens Spectroscopy with a Total-Internal-Reflection Arrangement
Takuya SHIMOSAKA, Masakazu IZAKO, Katsumi UCHIYAMA, and Toshiyuki HOBO
Tokyo Metropolitan University, School of Engineering, Minamiosawa 1-1, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0397, Japan
In scanning microscopy by total internal reflection with thermal lens spectroscopy, its spatial resolution depends on the distance between the sample and a converging lens, which corresponds to the objective lens in an ordinary optical microscope. It was found that the resolution was best when the signal induced by the thermal lens effect was maximum. The distance was precisely adjusted by monitoring the signal intensity, and the resolution became twice better than that previously reported. Using a shorter focal-length lens, a resolution of 1.9 µm was attained.