JP2008170873A - Microscope lens barrel - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve epi-illumination while restricting an eye point to a low position. <P>SOLUTION: The lens barrel 6 includes an imaging lens 12 for imaging an observation image by condensing observation light entering from an objective lens 5; and a guide section 11a that guides the observation light out. The microscope lens barrel includes a light source 14 that emits illuminating light of a prescribed wavelength area; and a splitting prism 13 by which the optical path of light via the imaging lens 12 is split into a plurality of optical paths, the illumination light entering from a transmission optical path OC among the plurality of the optical paths, which serves as an illuminating optical path provided with the light source 14, is emitted via the imaging lens 12, and observation light entering via the imaging lens 12 is guided to a reflecting optical path OB serving as an observation optical path other than the illuminating optical path and connected to the guide section 11a. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a microscope barrel provided with an imaging lens for converging incident observation light to form an observation image and a deriving unit for deriving the observation image to the outside.

  Conventionally, when observing the surface of an opaque sample such as a metal or semiconductor with a microscope, epi-illumination in which illumination light is irradiated from above the sample has been used. An epi-illumination optical system for performing epi-illumination includes, for example, one disclosed in Patent Document 1. In the epi-illumination optical system described in Patent Document 1, a high-performance illumination optical system that performs high-performance Koehler illumination capable of projecting a light source image on the pupil position of an objective lens and removing illumination unevenness, flare, and the like, and an objective A simple illumination optical system that performs simple Koehler illumination by projecting a light source image on the pupil position of the lens can be easily replaced.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-39224

  However, in the microscope equipped with the conventional epi-illumination optical system as described above, it is necessary to insert the epi-illumination optical system between the observation system configured using a microscope barrel and an eyepiece and the objective lens. Since the position (eye point) into which the eyepiece lens is looked up becomes high, not only the operability is deteriorated when performing visual observation through the eyepiece lens, but also inconveniences such as forcing the spectrographer into an unreasonable posture occur. There was a problem.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and can perform epi-illumination while keeping the eye point low, and can improve operability when performing visual observation through an eyepiece. The object is to provide a tube.

  In order to solve the above-described problems and achieve the object, a microscope lens barrel according to the present invention converges incident observation light to form an observation image and derives the observation light to the outside. In a microscope barrel provided with a derivation unit, a light source that emits illumination light in a predetermined wavelength range, and an optical path of light that passes through the imaging lens is branched into a plurality of optical paths, and the illumination provided with the light source among the plurality of optical paths The illumination light incident from the optical path is emitted through the imaging lens, and the observation light incident through the imaging lens is connected to the derivation unit in an optical path other than the illumination optical path. And a branching optical system introduced into the observation optical path.

  Further, the microscope barrel according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above invention, provided with the illumination optical system that is provided in the illumination optical path and collects the illumination light emitted from the light source and makes it incident on the branching optical system. And

  The microscope lens barrel according to the present invention is the above-described invention, wherein the illumination optical system passes through the light source image and a first illumination optical system that converges the illumination light to form a light source image of the light source. And a second illumination optical system that collects the illumination light and makes it incident on the branch optical system.

  In the microscope barrel according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the illumination optical system causes the illumination light to enter the branch optical system as a parallel or substantially parallel light beam.

  In the microscope barrel according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the imaging lens converges the illumination light and forms a projection image of the light source at a predetermined position on an emission optical path of the illumination light. It is characterized by.

  In the microscope barrel according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the imaging lens forms the projection image on a pupil of an objective lens provided in the exit optical path.

  Further, in the microscope barrel according to the present invention, in the above invention, the light source and the illumination optical system are provided in a selection optical path that is switchably selected from the plurality of optical paths, and the derivation unit includes a plurality of the derivation units. And each of them is connected to an optical path other than the selected optical path.

  The microscope barrel according to the present invention is the light source according to the above invention, wherein the light source and the illumination optical system are plural, and the light source and the illumination optical system that are different for each of the selected optical paths are arranged alternatively. A switching mechanism is provided.

  The microscope barrel according to the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned invention, a light source switching mechanism that switchesably arranges the light source and the illumination optical system in different selection light paths is provided.

  In the microscope barrel according to the present invention, in the above invention, the derivation unit and the observation optical path are plural, and the derivation unit that is different for each observation optical path is connected. The observation light incident through a lens is introduced into a plurality of observation light paths.

  In the microscope barrel according to the present invention as set forth in the invention described above, the light source is an LED.

  According to the microscope barrel according to the present invention, it is possible to perform epi-illumination while keeping the eye point low, and it is possible to improve operability when performing visual observation through an eyepiece.

  DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a microscope barrel according to the invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments. Moreover, in description of drawing, the same code | symbol is attached | subjected and shown to the same part.

(Embodiment 1)
First, the microscope barrel according to the first embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an external configuration of a microscope 100 using the microscope barrel according to the first embodiment. As shown in this figure, a microscope 100 includes a stage 2 on which a sample 1 is placed, a microscope main body 3 that supports the stage 2 via a stage holder 3a, and a front end (left side in FIG. 1) of the microscope main body 3. And a plurality of objective lenses 5 attached to the revolver 4 in a replaceable manner. Further, on the microscope main body 3, a lens barrel 6 as a microscope lens barrel, a binocular unit 7 attached to a front surface portion (left side surface portion in FIG. 1) of the lens barrel 6, and a front surface portion of the binocular unit 7 are provided. A pair of eyepieces 8.

  The sample 1 is moved up and down by the stage holder 3 a that is moved up and down in conjunction with the turning operation of the focusing handle 3 b protruding from the side surface of the microscope body 3 together with the stage 2, and is focused on the objective lens 5. Semi-aligned (focused). The sample 1 is freely moved in a plane perpendicular to the optical axis OA of the objective lens 5 by a plane driving mechanism (not shown). The objective lens 5 is alternatively arranged on the sample 1 according to the turning operation of the revolver 4. The lens barrel 6 performs epi-illumination by irradiating the sample 1 with illumination light emitted from a light source provided therein as will be described later via the objective lens 5.

  The objective lens 5 forms an observation image of the sample 1 illuminated by the lens barrel 6 in cooperation with an imaging lens provided in the lens barrel 6 as will be described later. At this time, the objective lens 5 emits observation light emitted from each point on the sample 1 to the imaging lens as parallel light. The imaging lens converges the observation light incident from the objective lens 5 to form an observation image. This observation image is led out from the lens barrel 6 to the binocular unit 7, divided into two in the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the paper in FIG. 1), and then visually observed through a pair of eyepieces 8.

  Next, the lens barrel 6 as the microscope lens barrel according to the first embodiment will be described. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an internal configuration of the lens barrel 6. As shown in this figure, the lens barrel 6 includes an imaging lens 12, a branching prism 13 as a branching optical system, a light source 14, and a collector lens 15 as an illumination optical system inside a lens barrel body 11. The lens barrel 6 is detachably attached to the upper portion of the microscope main body 3 via a mounting portion 11 b such as a round ant provided at the bottom of the lens barrel main body 11.

  The imaging lens 12 is provided above the opening 11c formed in the attachment portion 11b. When the lens barrel 6 is attached on the microscope body 3, the objective lens 5 and the objective lens 5 are connected to the imaging lens 12 via the opening 11c. Arranged coaxially. The imaging lens 12 receives and converges the observation light incident from the opening 11c along the optical axis OA of the objective lens 5, and forms an observation image of the sample 1.

  The branching prism 13 is a cemented prism, and transmits and reflects light incident on the divided surface 13a corresponding to the cemented surface with a predetermined transmittance and reflectance. As a result, the branching prism 13 divides the incident light at a predetermined intensity ratio and branches the optical path of the incident light into two optical paths. Specifically, the branching prism 13 branches the optical path of the observation light incident through the imaging lens 12 into a reflected optical path OB and a transmitted optical path OC, and a part of the observed light is reflected at a predetermined ratio. Introduce to OB. In FIG. 2, the reflected light path OB and the transmitted light path OC are simply represented by the optical axes of the respective light paths.

  The reflected optical path OB is optically connected to a lead-out portion 11a provided on the lens barrel body 11 as an observation optical path. Here, the lead-out part 11 a is an opening provided in the front part of the barrel main body 11 and is an optical connection part between the barrel 6 and the binocular part 7. The observation light converged by the imaging lens 12 is led to the outside of the barrel main body 11 through the lead-out part 11a, is incident on the binocular part 7 and divided into two, and then the entrance pupils of the left and right eyepieces 8 An observation image is formed on the upper side (on the front focal plane). The formed observation image is visually observed by the spectroscope through the eyepiece 8.

  On the other hand, a light source 14 and a collector lens 15 are provided in the transmitted light path OC as an illumination light path. The light source 14 is a white light source that emits white light as illumination light. For example, an LED, a halogen lamp, or the like is used. The collector lens 15 collects the illumination light emitted from each point of the light source 14 and makes it incident on the branching prism 13 as a parallel or substantially parallel light beam. The branch prism 13 transmits the illumination light incident from the collector lens 15 and emits the illumination light to the outside of the lens barrel main body 11 through the imaging lens 12 and the opening 11c.

  The imaging lens 12 converges the emitted illumination light, and forms a projection image of the light source 14 on a predetermined position on the emission optical path of the illumination light, that is, on the optical path obtained by extending the transmission optical path OC. Specifically, the imaging lens 12 forms a projection image of the light source 14 on or near the pupil 5a of the objective lens 5 when the lens barrel 6 is mounted on the microscope body 3. The illumination light passing through this projection image is uniformly irradiated onto the sample 1 by the objective lens 5, and the sample 1 is incidentally illuminated.

  As described above, in the barrel 6, the branching prism 13 branches the optical path of the light passing through the imaging lens 12 into the reflected optical path OB and the transmitted optical path OC, and among these optical paths, an illumination optical path provided with the light source 14. Illumination light incident from the transmission optical path OC is emitted from the opening 11c through the imaging lens 12, and observation light incident through the opening 11c and the imaging lens 12 is transmitted through an optical path other than the illumination optical path. Thus, the light is introduced into a reflected light path OB as an observation light path optically connected to the derivation unit 11a. For this reason, the epi-illumination can be performed on the sample 1 without providing an epi-illumination optical system or a projection tube having the epi-illumination system between the lens barrel 6 and the objective lens 5, and an observation image of the sample 1 can be obtained. In addition, an image can be formed on the entrance pupil of the eyepiece lens 8 through the reflected light path OB, the derivation unit 11a, and the binocular unit 7, and can be used for visual observation by the eyepiece lens 8.

  Thereby, the lens barrel 6 can perform epi-illumination while keeping the eye point in the microscope 100 low as compared with a microscope using the lens barrel according to the prior art, and performs visual observation through the eyepiece 8. The operability in the case can be improved. In addition, the lens barrel 6 can be configured compactly by integrating the epi-illumination optical system and the lens barrel that have been conventionally provided separately, and therefore simplification and miniaturization of the microscope configuration can be promoted.

(Embodiment 2)
Next, a microscope barrel according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a lens barrel 26 as a microscope lens barrel according to the second embodiment. As shown in this figure, the lens barrel 26 is provided with an illumination optical system 25 instead of the collector lens 15 based on the configuration of the lens barrel 6 described above, and in the lens barrel main body 21 instead of the lens barrel main body 11. Each component is held. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The lens barrel 26 is used in the microscope 100 so as to be interchangeable with the lens barrel 6, for example.

  The illumination optical system 25 includes a collector lens 22 and a converging lens 23 as a first illumination optical system, a collimating lens 24 as a second illumination optical system, an aperture stop 27, and a field stop 28, and is a highly functional Koehler. It is configured as a high-performance illumination optical system that performs illumination, and is provided on a transmitted light path OC as an illumination light path.

  The collector lens 22 collects the illumination light emitted from each point of the light source 14 and emits a light beam passing through the front focal point of the lens as a parallel or substantially parallel light beam. The converging lens 23 converges the illumination light emitted by the collector lens 22 and forms a light source image 29 of the light source 14 on or near the rear focal point of the own lens. The collimating lens 24 collects the illumination light that has passed through the light source image 29 and makes it incident on the branching prism 13 as a parallel or substantially parallel light beam.

  The aperture stop 27 is provided on a plane conjugate with the pupil 5a of the objective lens 5 when the lens barrel 26 is mounted on the microscope main body 3, and is configured as, for example, an iris stop mechanism, and the size of the opening 27a. The aperture (diaphragm diameter) can be changed. The aperture stop 27 can limit the size of the projection image of the light source 14 formed on the pupil 5a of the objective lens 5 by the imaging lens 12 in accordance with the set stop diameter, and the illumination light for the sample 1 NA (numerical aperture) can be defined.

  The field stop 28 is provided on a plane conjugate with the sample 1 when the lens barrel 26 is mounted on the microscope body 3, and is configured in the same manner as the aperture stop 27, for example, and has a size (aperture) of the opening 28a. (Diameter) is changeable. The field stop 28 can limit the irradiation range (illumination field) of the illumination light irradiated on the sample 1 according to the set stop diameter.

  As described above, the lens barrel 26 includes the illumination optical system 25 that can perform highly functional Koehler illumination on the sample 1 so that the NA and illumination field of the illumination light can be freely changed. In addition, it is possible to perform epi-illumination with respect to the sample 1 while keeping the eye point in the microscope 100 low, and to improve the operability when performing visual observation through the eyepiece 8. In addition, it is possible to perform more uniform epi-illumination by suppressing flare and the like, and it is possible to form the observation image of the sample 1 more clearly. Further, the NA and illumination field of the illumination light can be appropriately changed, and the sample 1 can be observed under various illumination conditions.

(Embodiment 3)
Next, a microscope barrel according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 4-1 and FIGS. 4-2 are figures which show the internal structure of the lens barrel 36 as a microscope lens barrel concerning this Embodiment 3. FIGS. As shown in this figure, the lens barrel 36 is newly provided with a light source switching mechanism 30 based on the configuration of the lens barrel 6 described above, and further includes a light source 14 and a collector lens 15, and a lens barrel body 11. Instead, each component is held in the lens barrel body 31. In addition, on the lens barrel body 31, an imaging device 9 that newly captures an observation image of the sample 1 and generates an observation image is provided. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The lens barrel 36 is used in the microscope 100 so as to be interchangeable with the lens barrel 6, for example.

  The light source switching mechanism 30 is configured using a slider 37 and a rod-shaped guide 38. The two guides 38 penetrate the slider 37 in the left-right direction (in the drawing, the direction perpendicular to the paper surface), and the slider 37 is movable along the guide 38. The slider 37 is provided with holding portions 37a and 37b, and holds the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 therein. The holding portions 37a and 37b are provided at different positions in the left-right direction on the slider 37. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the holding portion 37a is disposed in the transmitted light path OC, the holding portion 37b reflects. It is retracted from the optical path OB. On the other hand, as illustrated in FIG. 4B, when the holding unit 37b is disposed in the reflected optical path OB, the holding unit 37a is retracted from the transmitted optical path OC. Thereby, the light source switching mechanism 30 can alternatively arrange different sets of the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 for each of the reflected light path OB and the transmitted light path OC.

  The slider 37 is provided with a knob (not shown) that protrudes from the lens barrel body 31 to the outside, and the spectroscope can freely move the slider 37 along the guide 38 by using this knob. In addition, the set of the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 can be arranged selectively and switchably in the reflected light path OB or the transmitted light path OC. The light source switching mechanism 30 is provided with stoppers (not shown) at two positions on the left and right sides, and the spectroscope makes the set of the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 by bringing the slider 37 into contact with either the left or right stopper. Can be arranged at a predetermined position of the reflected light path OB or the transmitted light path OC.

  Here, as illustrated in FIG. 4A, when the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are disposed in the transmission optical path OC, the lens barrel 36 functions in the same manner as the lens barrel 6 described above. That is, the illumination light emitted from the light source 14 is incident on the branching prism 13 through the collector lens 15 through the transmission optical path OC as the illumination optical path, passes through the dividing surface 13a, and then passes through the imaging lens 12 to the objective lens 5. Is injected into. In addition, the observation light incident from the objective lens 5 is converged by the imaging lens 12 and introduced into the reflected optical path OB as the observation optical path at a predetermined ratio by the branching prism 13, and then the derivation unit 31 a and the binocular unit 7 are connected. Then, an observation image is formed on the entrance pupil of the eyepiece 8. The formed observation image is visually observed through the eyepiece 8. Here, the lead-out part 31 a is an opening provided in the front part of the barrel main body 31 in the same manner as the lead-out part 11 a in the above-described barrel 6, and is an optical part between the barrel 36 and the binocular part 7. It is a connection part.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged in the reflected light path OB, the illumination light emitted from the light source 14 passes through the collector lens 15 and is a reflected light path as an illumination light path. The light enters the branching prism 13 from OB, is reflected by the dividing surface 13a, and then exits to the objective lens 5 through the imaging lens 12. In addition, the observation light incident from the objective lens 5 is converged by the imaging lens 12, introduced into the transmission optical path OC as the observation optical path at a predetermined ratio by the branching prism 13, and then the imaging device via the derivation unit 31b. 9 to form an observation image on an imaging surface (not shown). The formed observation image is picked up by the image pickup device 9 and recorded in the observation image. Here, the lead-out portion 31 b is an opening provided in the upper surface portion of the barrel main body 31 and is an optical connection portion between the barrel 36 and the imaging device 9.

  As described above, in the lens barrel 36, the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged to be selectively and switchably arranged on the transmission optical path OC or the reflection optical path OB by the light source switching mechanism 30. In addition to being able to perform epi-illumination on the sample 1 while keeping the eye point in the microscope 100 low, the operability when performing visual observation through the eyepiece 8 can be improved. Alternatively, an observation image can be formed so as to be switchable with respect to the imaging device 9. As a result, the spectrographer can appropriately switch between visual observation with the eyepiece 8 and image observation with the imaging device 9.

  By the way, in the lens barrel 36, when the image observation by the imaging device 9 is performed, the light source 14 as the white light source is provided in the reflected light path OB. However, the present invention is not limited to the white light source, but an infrared light source that emits infrared light or An ultraviolet light source or the like that emits ultraviolet light can also be provided. For example, when an infrared light source is provided, the circuit pattern formed on the silicon wafer as the sample 1 can be observed through the silicon wafer by utilizing the characteristic that silicon transmits infrared light. . In addition, the internal structure of the IC chip as the sample 1 can be observed. When an ultraviolet light source is provided, the observation light can be shortened, and the sample 1 can be observed with higher resolution than when a white light source is used. On the other hand, when visual observation using the eyepiece 8 is performed, a visible light source or the like that emits visible light having a narrower wavelength range than the white light source can be used for the transmitted light path OC.

  In the case of using the infrared light source or the ultraviolet light source in this manner, in the lens barrel 36, the holding portion 37b holding the light source is disposed on the reflected optical path OB, that is, on the observation optical path for visual observation by the eyepiece 8. Further, it is possible to prevent leakage of infrared light or ultraviolet light as invisible light from the eyepiece 8 to the outside without using a special element such as an infrared cut filter or an ultraviolet cut filter.

(Embodiment 4)
Next, a microscope barrel according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating an internal configuration of a lens barrel 46 as a microscope lens barrel according to the fourth embodiment. As shown in this figure, the lens barrel 46 further includes a light source switching mechanism 40 based on the configuration of the lens barrel 6 described above, and each component in the lens barrel main body 41 instead of the lens barrel main body 11. keeping. An imaging device 9 is further provided on the lens barrel body 41. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The lens barrel 46 is used in the microscope 100 so as to be interchangeable with the lens barrel 6, for example.

  The light source switching mechanism 40 is configured using a holding portion 47, a connecting portion 48, and a rotating shaft 49. The holding unit 47 holds the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 inside. One end (upper end in FIG. 5A) of the connecting part 48 is connected to the holding part 47, and the other end (lower end in FIG. 5A) is supported by the rotary shaft 49. It can be rotated around 49. The rotating shaft 49 is provided with a rotating handle (not shown) protruding outward from the lens barrel body 41, and in conjunction with the rotating operation of the rotating handle, the connecting portion 48 and the holding portion 47 are moved around its own axis. Rotate.

  Further, the light source switching mechanism 40 is provided with stoppers 42 and 43. When the holding portion 47 is brought into contact with the stopper 42 as shown in FIG. 5A, the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are transmitted. It is arranged at a predetermined position in the optical path OC. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the holding portion 47 is in contact with the stopper 43, the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged at predetermined positions on the reflected light path OB. Further, the light source switching mechanism 40 is provided with a locking mechanism (not shown) using a click mechanism or the like. When the holding portion 47 is in contact with each of the stoppers 42 and 43, the contacted position is provided. It is temporarily fixed with.

  As described above, the light source switching mechanism 40 allows the lens barrel 46 to temporarily set the pair of the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 so as to be switched to the reflected light path OB or the transmitted light path OC. The temporary fixing of the holding portion 47 by the locking mechanism can be easily released by manually rotating a rotary handle provided on the rotary shaft 49.

  Here, as shown in FIG. 5A, when the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged in the transmission optical path OC, the lens barrel 46 functions in the same manner as the lens barrel 6 described above. That is, the illumination light emitted from the light source 14 is incident on the branching prism 13 through the collector lens 15 through the transmission optical path OC as the illumination optical path, passes through the dividing surface 13a, and then passes through the imaging lens 12 to the objective lens 5. Is injected into. In addition, the observation light incident from the objective lens 5 is converged by the imaging lens 12 and is introduced into the reflected light path OB as the observation light path at a predetermined ratio by the branching prism 13, and then the derivation unit 41 a and the binocular unit 7 are connected. Then, an observation image is formed on the entrance pupil of the eyepiece 8. The formed observation image is visually observed through the eyepiece 8. Here, the lead-out portion 41 a is an opening provided in the front portion of the barrel main body 41, similar to the lead-out portion 11 a in the above-described barrel 6, and is an optical portion between the barrel 46 and the binocular portion 7. It is a connection part.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5B, when the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged in the reflected light path OB, the illumination light emitted from the light source 14 passes through the collector lens 15 and is a reflected light path as an illumination light path. The light enters the branching prism 13 from OB, is reflected by the dividing surface 13a, and then exits to the objective lens 5 through the imaging lens 12. The observation light incident from the objective lens 5 is converged by the imaging lens 12, introduced into the transmission optical path OC as the observation optical path at a predetermined ratio by the branching prism 13, and then imaged through the derivation unit 41b. 9 to form an observation image on an imaging surface (not shown). The formed observation image is picked up by the image pickup device 9 and recorded in the observation image. Here, the lead-out portion 41 b is an opening provided in the upper surface portion of the barrel main body 41 and is an optical connection portion between the barrel 46 and the imaging device 9.

  In this manner, in the lens barrel 46, the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged to be selectively and switchably arranged on the transmitted light path OC or the reflected light path OB by the light source switching mechanism 40. Therefore, similarly to the lens barrel 36 described above. In addition, it is possible to perform epi-illumination with respect to the sample 1 while keeping the eye point in the microscope 100 low, and it is possible to improve the operability when performing visual observation through the eyepiece lens 8, and the eyepiece 8 or imaging. An observation image can be formed in a switchable manner with respect to the apparatus 9. As a result, the spectrographer can appropriately switch between visual observation with the eyepiece 8 and image observation with the imaging device 9.

  In the lens barrel 46, the pair of the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged so as to be switchable to the reflection optical path OB or the transmission optical path OC. Therefore, the main components are reduced as compared with the lens barrel 36, and simple and inexpensive. Can be configured. Further, in the lens barrel 46, it is not necessary to move the light source switching mechanism 40 in the left-right direction unlike the light source switching mechanism 30, so that it is possible to reduce the components and space provided for the movement. It can be configured more compactly than the lens barrel 36.

(Embodiment 5)
Next, a microscope barrel according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a lens barrel 56 as a microscope lens barrel according to the fifth embodiment. As shown in this figure, the lens barrel 56 includes a branching optical system 52 using a branching prism 53 in addition to the branching prism 13 as a branching optical system based on the configuration of the lens barrel 6 described above. The arrangement of the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 is changed, and each component is held in the barrel main body 51 instead of the barrel main body 11. An imaging device 9 is further provided on the lens barrel body 51. Other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. The lens barrel 56 is used in the microscope 100 so as to be interchangeable with the lens barrel 6, for example.

  The branching optical system 52 is configured using the branching prism 13 and the branching prism 53. The branching prism 53 is a cube-shaped cemented prism, and transmits and reflects light incident on a split surface 53a corresponding to the cemented surface with a predetermined transmittance and reflectance. As a result, the branching prism 53 divides the incident light with a predetermined intensity ratio and branches the optical path of the incident light into two optical paths. One of the optical paths branched by the branching prism 53 is further branched into two optical paths by the branching prism 13, whereby the optical path of incident light is branched into three optical paths in the branching optical system 52.

  Specifically, the branching optical system 52 first branches the optical path of the observation light incident through the imaging lens 12 into a reflected light path OD and a transmitted light path OE by the branching prism 53, and a part of the observation light. Are introduced into the transmitted light path OE at a predetermined rate. Thereafter, the branching optical system 52 causes the branching prism 13 to branch the transmitted light path OE into the reflected light path OB and the transmitted light path OC, and the observation light incident through the transmitted light path OE at a predetermined intensity ratio and the reflected light path OB and Introduced into the transmitted light path OC. In FIG. 6, the reflected optical path OD and the transmitted optical path OE are simply shown by being represented by the optical axes of the respective optical paths, similarly to the reflected optical path OB and the transmitted optical path OC.

  The reflected optical path OB and the transmitted optical path OC are optically connected to lead-out portions 51a and 51b provided on the barrel main body 51 as observation optical paths. Here, the lead-out portions 51 a and 51 b are openings provided on the front surface portion and the upper surface portion of the lens barrel body 51, respectively, and are optical connection portions between the lens barrel 56 and the binocular unit 7 or the imaging device 9. It is. The observation light converged by the imaging lens 12 is led out of the lens barrel main body 51 through the lead-out portions 51a and 51b.

  The observation derived from the deriving unit 51 a is incident on the binocular unit 7 and divided into two, and then an observation image is formed on each entrance pupil of the left and right eyepieces 8. The observation image formed here is visually observed by the spectroscope through the eyepiece 8. Further, the observation light derived from the deriving unit 51b is incident on the imaging device 9, and forms an observation image on an imaging surface (not shown). The observation image formed here is picked up by the image pickup device 9 and recorded in the observation image.

  On the other hand, a light source 14 and a collector lens 15 are provided in a reflected light path OD as an illumination light path. The branching prism 53 reflects the illumination light incident from the collector lens 15 and emits the illumination light to the outside of the barrel main body 51 through the imaging lens 12 and the opening 11c. The imaging lens 12 forms a projection image of the light source 14 on or near the pupil 5a of the objective lens 5 when the lens barrel 6 is mounted on the microscope body 3. The illumination light passing through this projection image is uniformly irradiated onto the sample 1 by the objective lens 5, and the sample 1 is incidentally illuminated.

  As described above, in the lens barrel 56, the branch optical system 52 branches the optical path of the observation light incident from the imaging lens 12 into the reflected optical paths OB and OD and the transmitted optical path OC, and among these, the reflected optical path OB and the transmitted optical path OC. Are connected to the binocular unit 7 and the imaging device 9 through the derivation units 51a and 51b, respectively. Further, the branching optical system 52 introduces observation light incident through the imaging lens 12 into the reflected light path OB and the transmitted light path OC at a predetermined ratio. On the other hand, the illumination light emitted from the light source 14 provided in the reflected light path OD as the illumination light path is emitted to the objective lens 5 through the branching optical system 52, the imaging lens 12, and the opening 11c.

  Thereby, in the lens barrel 56, similarly to the lens barrel 6 described above, it is possible to perform epi-illumination on the sample 1 while keeping the eye point in the microscope 100 low, and when performing visual observation via the eyepiece 8. In addition to improving the operability, an observation image can be simultaneously formed on the eyepiece 8 or the imaging device 9. As a result, the spectrographer can perform visual observation with the eyepiece 8 and image observation with the imaging device 9 in parallel.

  Up to this point, the best mode for carrying out the present invention has been described as the first to fifth embodiments. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described first to fifth embodiments, and may be within the scope of the present invention. Various modifications are possible.

  For example, in Embodiments 1 to 5 described above, the light source 14 that emits illumination light has been described as using a light emitting element such as an LED or a halogen lamp. However, the present invention is not limited to the light emitting element, and illumination light emitted from the light emitting element. It is also possible to use an optical fiber that guides light. In this case, the exit end portion of the optical fiber that has guided the illumination light may be introduced into the lens barrel body and arranged instead of the light source 14. The configuration of the illumination optical system is not limited to the configuration described in the first to fifth embodiments, and may be another optical system in which various optical elements are appropriately combined.

  In the first to fifth embodiments described above, the illumination light emitted from the light source 14 is incident on the branch prism 13 or 53 via the collector lens 15 or the illumination optical system 25. Frost glass (ground glass) can be further provided in the optical path until the light enters. Thereby, the unevenness of the illumination light irradiated to the sample 1 can be further suppressed, and more uniform epi-illumination can be performed.

  Moreover, although Embodiment 1-5 mentioned above demonstrated as what performs bright field illumination as epi-illumination with respect to the sample 1, it is not limited to bright field illumination, Dark field illumination can also be performed. In that case, an annular aperture stop may be provided in the illumination optical path. Furthermore, it is possible to switch between bright field illumination and dark field illumination by providing the annular aperture stop so as to be detachable from the illumination optical path. Further, by appropriately combining various optical elements, it may be configured to perform illumination suitable for various observation methods such as differential interference observation, phase difference observation, and fluorescence observation as well as bright field illumination and dark field illumination. The illumination suitable for the various observation methods may be switchable.

  In Embodiments 1 to 5 described above, only one illumination optical path is provided. However, the number is not limited to one, and a plurality of illumination optical paths can be provided. In this case, instead of the branching prism 13 or the branching optical system 52, a branching optical system that branches the optical path of the observation light incident from the imaging lens 12 into more optical paths may be used. By providing a plurality of illumination light paths as described above, that is, by providing a plurality of light sources that emit illumination light, for example, illumination light in various wavelength ranges can be selectively irradiated simultaneously or non-simultaneously on the sample 1 to perform epi-illumination. . Similarly, the observation optical path may be provided with three or more optical paths, and each may be connected to an individual derivation unit and observation image detection means.

  In Embodiments 3 and 4 described above, the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are arranged alternatively with respect to the reflected light path OB and the transmitted light path OC by the light source switching mechanism 30 or 40. In particular, when there are three or more optical paths branched by the branching optical system, for example, the light source 14 and the collector lens 15 are provided in a selection optical path that is switchably selected from the three or more optical paths. It is preferable that the derivation unit is connected to an optical path other than the selected optical path.

  In the first to fifth embodiments described above, the microscope barrel according to the present invention has been described as being mounted on the microscope main body 3, but is not limited to the microscope main body 3, and is not limited to a semiconductor inspection apparatus or FPD (Flat). It can also be mounted on various inspection devices such as Panel Display) inspection devices.

It is a figure which shows the whole microscope structure using the microscope barrel concerning Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an internal configuration of a microscope barrel according to a fifth embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Sample 2 Stage 3 Microscope main body 3a Stage holder 4 Revolver 5 Objective lens 5a Pupil 6 Lens barrel 7 Binocular part 8 Eyepiece 9 Imaging device 11 Lens barrel body 11a Deriving part 11b Mounting part 11c Opening part 12 Imaging lens 13 Branching prism 13 Dividing surface 14 Light source 15 Collector lens 21 Lens barrel body 22 Collector lens 23 Converging lens 24 Collimating lens 25 Illumination optical system 26 Lens barrel 27 Aperture stop 27a, 28a, Aperture 28 Field stop 29 Light source image 30 Light source switching mechanism 31 Lens barrel body 31a, 31b Deriving section 36 Lens barrel 37 Slider 37a, 37b Holding section 38 Guide 40 Light source switching mechanism 41 Lens barrel body 41a, 41b Deriving section 42, 43 Stopper 46 Lens barrel 47 Holding section 48 Connection section 49 Rotating shaft 51 Lens barrel body 51a, 51b derivation unit 52 Branch optical system 53 Branch prism 53a Dividing surface 56 Lens tube 100 Microscope OA Optical axis OB, OD Reflected light path OC, OE Transmitted light path

Claims (11)

In a microscope barrel having an imaging lens for converging incident observation light to form an observation image, and a deriving unit for deriving the observation light to the outside,
A light source that emits illumination light in a predetermined wavelength range;
The optical path of the light passing through the imaging lens is branched into a plurality of optical paths, and the illumination light incident from the illumination optical path provided with the light source among the plurality of optical paths is emitted through the imaging lens, and the coupling is performed. A branching optical system for introducing the observation light incident through the image lens into an observation optical path that is an optical path other than the illumination optical path and connected to the derivation unit;
A microscope barrel characterized by comprising:   2. The microscope barrel according to claim 1, further comprising an illumination optical system that is provided in the illumination optical path and collects the illumination light emitted from the light source and causes the illumination light to enter the branch optical system.   The illumination optical system includes a first illumination optical system that converges the illumination light to form a light source image of the light source, and a second that collects the illumination light that has passed through the light source image and enters the branched optical system. The microscope barrel according to claim 2, further comprising an illumination optical system.   4. The microscope barrel according to claim 2, wherein the illumination optical system causes the illumination light to enter the branching optical system as a parallel or substantially parallel light beam.   5. The imaging lens according to claim 2, wherein the imaging lens converges the illumination light, and forms a projection image of the light source at a predetermined position on an emission light path of the illumination light. Microscope barrel.   6. The microscope barrel according to claim 5, wherein the imaging lens forms the projection image on a pupil of an objective lens provided in the exit optical path. The light source and the illumination optical system are provided in a selection optical path that is switchably selected from the plurality of optical paths,
The microscope barrel according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein a plurality of the derivation units are connected to optical paths other than the selection optical path. The light source and the illumination optical system are plural,
The microscope barrel according to claim 7, further comprising a light source switching mechanism that selectively arranges the different light sources and the illumination optical system for each of the selected optical paths.   8. The microscope barrel according to claim 7, further comprising a light source switching mechanism for switching the light source and the illumination optical system to be switched to different selected light paths. The derivation unit and the observation optical path are plural, and the derivation unit different for each observation optical path is connected,
The microscope barrel according to any one of claims 2 to 9, wherein the branch optical system introduces the observation light incident through the imaging lens into a plurality of the observation optical paths.   The microscope barrel according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the light source is an LED.

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