JP2019035837A - Microscope system and control method for microscope system - Google Patents

Abstract

To achieve focusing on a side surface of a sample having a cylindrical shape such that an inclination with respect to a focal surface of the side surface of the sample becomes small.SOLUTION: A microscope system 1 comprises: a laser microscope device 10; a computer 60; and a stage controller 50. The laser microscope device 10 comprises a microscope body 100 having an objective lens 108, and a confocal image of a sample S having a cylindrical shape is acquired. The computer 60 specifies a side surface portion of the sample S included in the confocal image. The stage controller 50 changes a relative position of an optical axis of the objective lens with respect to the sample S in accordance with a difference between a first position in a first confocal image of a first side surface portion specified by the computer 60 on the basis of the first confocal image acquired before changing a distance in an optical axis direction between the sample S and the objective lens 108 and a second position in a second confocal image of a second side surface portion specified by the computer 60 on the basis of the second confocal image acquired after changing the distance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a microscope system and a method for controlling the microscope system.

  Conventionally, a laser scanning confocal microscope apparatus is known as an apparatus for inspecting a sample by measuring the height of a sample surface, the roughness of the surface, a pattern formed on the surface, and the like in a non-contact manner. A laser scanning confocal microscope apparatus is described in Patent Document 1, for example.

  A laser scanning confocal microscope apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a laser microscope apparatus) irradiates a sample with laser light focused in a spot shape by an objective lens to irradiate the sample in a two-dimensional direction (perpendicular to the optical axis of the objective lens). Scan in the XY plane direction). Then, the light reflected by the sample is received by the photodetector through the confocal stop. Since the aperture of the confocal stop is provided at a position optically conjugate with the focal position of the objective lens, only the reflected light from the focused portion passes through the confocal stop and is not received by the photodetector. Therefore, the laser microscope apparatus has a shallow depth of focus compared to a normal optical microscope apparatus, and can obtain a luminance image in which only the in-focus portion is imaged. This image is generally called a confocal image.

  This shallow depth of focus is used when measuring the surface shape (including height, roughness, pattern, etc.) of the sample with a laser microscope. Specifically, a plurality of confocal images having a shallow depth of focus are acquired while changing the distance between the objective lens and the sample in the optical axis direction (Z direction). Then, the surface shape of the sample is measured by obtaining a Z position (that is, a focus position) that gives the maximum luminance at each pixel position from a plurality of confocal images.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-177152

  Incidentally, some samples to be measured have a cylindrical shape such as a printing roll and an engine part. When measuring the side surface of a sample having a cylindrical shape, that is, a curved surface, it is desirable to measure the side surface in a state where the angle between the side surface and the focal plane is as small as possible. This is because when the side surface is greatly inclined with respect to the focal plane, measurement errors are more likely to occur than when the inclination is small.

  In view of the above circumstances, an object according to one aspect of the present invention is to provide a technique for focusing on the side surface of a sample so that the inclination of the side surface of the sample having a cylindrical shape with respect to the focal plane becomes small.

  A microscope system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a laser microscope device that includes a microscope body having an objective lens and acquires a confocal image of a cylindrical sample, and specifies a side surface portion of the sample included in the confocal image And a drive control device that controls the positional relationship between the sample and the objective lens. The drive control device identifies the processing device based on a first confocal image acquired by the laser microscope device before changing a distance in the optical axis direction of the objective lens between the sample and the objective lens. The second side surface portion specified by the processing device based on the first position of the first side surface portion in the first confocal image and the second confocal image acquired by the laser microscope device after changing the distance The relative position of the optical axis of the objective lens with respect to the sample is changed according to the difference from the second position in the second confocal image.

  A method for controlling a microscope system according to an aspect of the present invention includes a laser microscope apparatus that acquires a confocal image of a cylindrical sample including a microscope body having an objective lens, and a side surface of the sample included in the confocal image. A method for controlling a microscope system, comprising: a processing device that identifies a portion; and a drive control device that controls a positional relationship between the sample and the objective lens. The laser microscope apparatus acquires a first confocal image of the sample before changing the distance in the optical axis direction of the objective lens between the sample and the objective lens. The processing device specifies a first side surface portion based on the first confocal image. The laser microscope apparatus acquires a second confocal image of the sample after the drive control device changes the distance. The processing device specifies a second side surface portion based on the second confocal image. In accordance with the difference between the first position of the first side surface portion in the first confocal image and the second position of the second side surface portion in the second confocal image, the drive control device. The relative position of the optical axis of the objective lens with respect to the sample is changed.

  According to said aspect, it can focus on the side surface of a sample so that the inclination with respect to the focal plane of the side surface of a sample which has a cylindrical shape may become small.

1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a microscope system 1 according to a first embodiment. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a microscope main body 100. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer 60. FIG. It is a figure for demonstrating the desirable position of the objective lens. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of processing performed by the microscope system 1. It is the figure which illustrated the confocal image acquired after focusing. It is the figure which illustrated the confocal image acquired after moving the objective lens 108 to an optical axis direction. It is the figure which illustrated the confocal image acquired after moving the objective lens in the direction orthogonal to an optical axis. It is the figure which showed another example of the confocal image acquired after moving the objective lens in the direction orthogonal to an optical axis. It is a flowchart which shows another example of the process which the microscope system which concerns on 2nd Embodiment performs. 2 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a microscope main body 200. FIG.

[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a microscope system 1 according to this embodiment. The microscope system 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a system that inspects the sample S by measuring the surface of the sample S by repeatedly acquiring a confocal image while changing the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108 in the optical axis direction. It is.

  The sample S targeted by the microscope system 1 has a cylindrical shape, and the microscope system 1 inspects the sample S by measuring the side surface of the sample S having a cylindrical shape. The side surface of the sample S having a cylindrical shape refers to a curved surface of the surface of the cylinder.

  The microscope system 1 includes a laser scanning confocal microscope apparatus (hereinafter referred to as a laser microscope apparatus) 10.

  The laser microscope apparatus 10 acquires a confocal image of the cylindrical sample S. The laser microscope apparatus 10 includes a microscope main body 100 having an objective lens 108 and a microscope controller 20 that controls the microscope main body 100. Note that the microscope main body 100 and the microscope controller 20 may be configured separately as shown in FIG. 1 or may be configured integrally in a single casing.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the configuration of the microscope main body 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the microscope main body 100 includes a laser 101, a lens 102, a polarization beam splitter (PBS) 103, a two-dimensional scanning device 104, a relay optical system 105, a 1 / 4λ plate 106, a mirror 107, an objective lens 108, A lens 109, a confocal stop 110, a photomultiplier tube (PMT) 111, an A / D converter 112, and a semi-focus device 113 are provided. The semi-focus device 113 is a device that moves the objective lens 108 in the optical axis direction of the objective lens 108.

  Laser light emitted from the laser 101 passes through the lens 102 and the PBS 103 and then enters the two-dimensional scanning device 104. The two-dimensional scanning device 104 includes two scanners, and includes, for example, a galvanometer mirror and a resonant scanner. Note that the two-dimensional scanning device 104 may include two galvanometer mirrors. The laser beam deflected by the two-dimensional scanning device 104 is converted from linearly polarized light to circularly polarized light by the ¼λ plate 106 incident through the relay optical system 105, then reflected by the mirror 107, and passed through the objective lens 108. Then, the sample S is irradiated.

  In the microscope main body 100, the two-dimensional scanning device 104 is disposed at or near a position optically conjugate with the pupil position of the objective lens. For this reason, the two-dimensional scanning device 104 deflects the laser light, so that the condensing position of the laser light moves on the focal plane of the objective lens 108 in the XY direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens 108, thereby The sample S is scanned two-dimensionally with a laser beam.

  Two-dimensional scanning (XY scanning) by the two-dimensional scanning device 104 is controlled by the microscope controller 20. As a method of two-dimensional scanning by the two-dimensional scanning device 104, for example, raster scanning generally used in a confocal microscope is employed.

  Laser light reflected on the surface of the sample S (hereinafter referred to as reflected light) is converted from circularly polarized light to linearly polarized light by the ¼λ plate 106 incident through the objective lens 108 and the mirror 107. Thereafter, the light enters the PBS 103 via the relay optical system 105 and the two-dimensional scanning device 104. At this time, the reflected light incident on the PBS 103 has a polarization plane orthogonal to the polarization plane of the laser light incident on the PBS 103 from the laser 101 side. Therefore, the reflected light is reflected by the PBS 103 and guided to the lens 109.

  The lens 109 collects the reflected light reflected by the PBS 103. The confocal stop 110 provided on the reflection optical path from the PBS 103 has a pinhole at a position optically conjugate with the condensing position of the laser beam formed on the focal plane of the objective lens 108. (Opening) is formed. In other words, the confocal stop 110 has a pinhole, and the pinhole is disposed at a position optically conjugate with the focal position of the objective lens 108. For this reason, when a certain part on the surface of the sample S is at the condensing position of the laser light by the objective lens 108, the reflected light from the part is condensed on the pinhole and passes through the pinhole. On the other hand, when a certain part of the surface of the sample S is shifted from the condensing position of the laser beam by the objective lens 108, the reflected light from that part does not converge on the pinhole, and therefore does not pass through the pinhole. Are blocked by the confocal stop 110.

  The light that has passed through the pinhole is detected by the PMT 111. The PMT 111 is an example of a photodetector that detects light that has passed through the confocal stop 110. The PMT 111 receives light that has passed through the pinhole, that is, reflected light from only the portion of the surface of the sample S that is located at the position where the objective lens 108 is focused on the laser light. The A / D converter 112 samples a detection signal, which is an analog signal having a magnitude corresponding to the amount of light received by the PMT 111, based on the synchronization signal of the two-dimensional scanning device 104, and a digital signal indicating the luminance of the portion. Is output to the microscope controller 20 as luminance data.

  The microscope controller 20 is a device that controls the microscope main body 100. The microscope controller 20 performs light emission control of the laser 101, scanning control of the two-dimensional scanning device 104, driving control of the semi-focusing device 113, and the like. Further, the microscope controller 20 generates image data of a confocal image based on the luminance data received from the microscope main body 100 and outputs the image data to the computer 60.

  The microscope system 1 includes a stage 30 and a stage controller 50 in addition to the laser microscope apparatus 10.

  The stage 30 includes an XY stage 31 and a Z stage 32. The XY stage 31 that is the first stage is an electric stage that moves in the XY direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens 108, and the microscope main body 100 is fixed to the XY stage 31. The Z stage 32 as the second stage is an electric stage that moves in the Z direction orthogonal to the optical axis of the objective lens 108, and the microscope body 100 is fixed to the Z stage 32. The microscope main body 100 fixed to the stage 30 (the XY stage 31 and the Z stage 32) moves as the stage 30 moves. The movement of the stage 30 is controlled by the stage controller 50. The stage controller 50 may move the stage 30 according to a command from the computer 60. The stage controller 50 is connected to a joystick 80, which is an example of an input device. The stage controller 50 may move the stage 30 according to the operation of the joystick 80 by the user.

  The stage controller 50 is an example of a drive control device that controls the positional relationship between the sample S and the objective lens 108. As described above, the stage controller 50 controls the stage 30 to change the positional relationship between the sample S and the objective lens 108. More specifically, the stage controller 50 changes the relative position of the optical axis of the objective lens 108 with respect to the sample S by controlling the XY stage 31. In addition, the stage controller 50 changes the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108 by controlling the Z stage 32. Here, the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108 is a distance in the optical axis direction of the objective lens 108.

  The microscope system 1 further includes a sample gripping device 40 that grips the sample S. The sample gripping device 40 is a device that grips the sample S from both the left and right sides with the central axis of the sample S having a cylindrical shape oriented in the horizontal direction. The sample gripping device 40 includes a motor 41 that rotates the sample S around the central axis. The rotation of the motor 41 is controlled by the stage controller 50. The stage controller 50 controls the motor 41 according to a command from the computer 60 to rotate the sample S.

  The microscope system 1 further includes a computer 60 that controls the operation of the entire microscope system 1. The computer 60 is an example of a processing device that identifies the side surface portion of the sample S included in the confocal image acquired by the microscope main body 100. The computer 60 is a standard computer as shown in FIG. 3, for example. The computer 60 is connected to a display 70 that is an example of a display device and a keyboard 90 that is an example of an input device. The display 70 is, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display.

  FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the computer 60. As shown in FIG. 3, the computer 60 includes a processor 61, a memory 62, a storage 63, an interface device 64, and a portable storage medium driving device 65 into which a portable storage medium 66 is inserted. It is connected.

  The processor 61 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU), a micro processing unit (MPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), and the like, and executes a programmed process by executing a program. The memory 62 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), and temporarily stores a program or data stored in the storage 63 or the portable storage medium 66 when the program is executed.

  The storage 63 is, for example, a hard disk or a flash memory, and is mainly used for storing various data and programs. For example, threshold data, which will be described later, may be stored in the storage 63 in advance.

  The interface device 64 is a circuit that exchanges signals with devices other than the computer 60 (for example, the microscope controller 20, the display 70, the keyboard 90, and the like). The portable storage medium driving device 65 accommodates a portable storage medium 66 such as an optical disk or a compact flash (registered trademark). The portable storage medium 66 has a role of assisting the storage 63. The storage 63 and the portable storage medium 66 are examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media each storing a program.

  The configuration illustrated in FIG. 3 is an example of the hardware configuration of the computer 60, and the computer 60 is not limited to this configuration. The computer 60 may be a dedicated device instead of a general-purpose device. The computer 60 may include an electric circuit such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) or a field programmable gate array (FPGA) instead of or in addition to the processor that executes the program.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a desirable position of the objective lens 108. When measuring the side surface of the sample S having a cylindrical shape, it is desirable that the angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane is as small as possible. In other words, it is desirable to adjust the positional relationship between the sample S and the objective lens 108 so that the zenith position AP of the sample S is positioned on the optical axis of the objective lens 108. This is because if the inclination of the side surface with respect to the focal plane is too large, it will be difficult to achieve the required measurement accuracy.

  Moreover, the measurement time of the sample S can be shortened by reducing the angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the optical axis of the objective lens 108 is located at a position P1 that is relatively close to the zenith position AP (at this time, the tilt angle is θ1), the optical axis of the objective lens 108 is at the zenith position AP. Is compared with a position P2 that is relatively far from (the inclination angle at this time is θ2 (> θ1)). In order to measure the surface of the sample S corresponding to the same apex angle α, it is sufficient to scan the distance P1 in the optical axis direction at the position P1, whereas the distance D2 (> distance D1) in the optical axis direction at the position P2. ) Must also be scanned. Given the large proportion of processing time of Z stack processing (processing to acquire confocal images while scanning in the optical axis direction) in the processing time of 3D measurement, tilt (that is, the angle between the side surface and the focal plane) ) Can be expected to greatly reduce processing time.

  Therefore, when measuring the surface shape of the sample S having a cylindrical shape, before starting the measurement process, the microscope system 1 sets the sample S and the objective lens 108 so that the angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane becomes small. Adjust the positional relationship. Thereby, the microscope system 1 can improve measurement accuracy and measurement time compared with the conventional system.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of the position adjustment process performed by the microscope system 1. The position adjustment process shown in FIG. 5 is an example of a control method of the microscope system 1. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a confocal image acquired after focusing. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a confocal image acquired after the objective lens 108 is moved in the optical axis direction. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a confocal image acquired after the objective lens 108 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating another example of a confocal image acquired after the objective lens 108 is moved in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis. Hereinafter, the position adjustment process performed before the microscope system 1 starts the measurement process will be described with reference to FIGS.

  In the position adjustment process shown in FIG. 5, a confocal image is acquired in step S3 and step S7. The confocal image acquired in step S3 is the first confocal image, the third confocal image, or the first confocal image and the third confocal image. The confocal image acquired in step S7 is the second confocal image. The first confocal image is used to mean an image acquired before the process of step S6 among images acquired before and after the process of step S6 for changing the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108. Is done. The second confocal image is used to mean an image acquired after the process of step S6 among the images acquired before and after the process of step S6 for changing the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108. The The third confocal image is used in the sense of an image acquired after the process of step S9 for changing the relative position of the optical axis of the objective lens 108 with respect to the sample S.

  When the computer 60 executes the position adjustment program, the microscope system 1 starts the position adjustment process shown in FIG. When the position adjustment process is started, first, the microscope system 1 moves the microscope main body 100 to registered coordinates (step S1). Here, the stage controller 50 controls the stage 30 in accordance with an instruction from the computer 60 to move the microscope main body 100 to registered coordinates registered in advance. Thereby, the objective lens 108 is positioned above the sample S.

  Next, the microscope system 1 focuses on the side surface of the sample S (step S2). Here, according to the instruction of the computer 60, the laser microscope apparatus 10 executes an autofocus process before acquiring a confocal image in step S3 described later. For example, the laser microscope apparatus 10 focuses on the side surface of the sample S based on the intensity of the signal output from the PMT 111 while moving the objective lens 108 in the optical axis direction using the semi-focusing apparatus 113. In the following description, the focusing device 113 moves the objective lens 108 so that the intensity of the light signal detected at the center position of the field of view of the laser microscope apparatus 10 is maximized, thereby aligning with the side surface of the sample S. An explanation will be given by taking the case of being in focus as an example.

  When focusing on the side surface of the sample S, the microscope system 1 acquires a confocal image (step S3). Here, the laser microscope apparatus 10 acquires a confocal image in accordance with an instruction from the computer 60. FIG. 6 illustrates the confocal image acquired in step S3 performed subsequent to step S2.

  The confocal image shown in FIG. 6 includes a bright region R1 having a high luminance and a dark region R2 having a low luminance. A region R1 in the confocal image is an image region corresponding to the side surface of the sample S located within the focal depth, and is a side surface portion of the sample S included in the confocal image. A region R2 in the confocal image is an image region in which the side surface of the sample S is not present within the focal depth.

  In this example, since the autofocus process in step S2 is performed based on the signal intensity at the center position of the visual field, the region R1 includes the central position of the visual field. In addition, since the sample S has a cylindrical shape, the region R1 has a band shape extending along the direction of the central axis of the sample S.

  Thereafter, the microscope system 1 analyzes the confocal image acquired in step S3 (step S4). Here, the computer 60 analyzes the confocal image. Specifically, the computer 60 specifies the region R1 included in the confocal image acquired in step S3. Thereafter, the computer 60 further calculates the position of the region R1 in the confocal image and the width of the region R1.

  Note that the position of the region R1 is, for example, the center of gravity of the region R1. Moreover, the width | variety of area | region R1 is a width | variety of the transversal direction of area | region R1 which has strip | belt shape, for example. When the width of the region R1 is not constant along the longitudinal direction, the width at the center of gravity of the region R1 may be treated as the width of the region R1. In addition, an average value, a minimum value, a maximum value, and the like of the width of the region R1 may be handled as the width of the region R1.

  When the analysis of the confocal image is completed, the microscope system 1 determines whether or not the width of the side surface portion (region R1) calculated in step S4 is greater than or equal to a threshold value (step S5). Here, the computer 60 reads the threshold value data stored in advance in the storage 63, and compares the width of the region R1 calculated in step S4 with the threshold value indicated by the threshold value data, thereby making the above determination.

  The threshold value indicated by the threshold value data indicates the width of the region R1 included in the confocal image acquired when the angle between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane becomes sufficiently small. The width of the region R1 increases as the zenith of the sample approaches the optical axis of the objective lens 108, that is, as the angle between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane decreases. This is because the smaller the angle between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane, the wider the range of the side surface of the sample S that falls within the focal depth. For this reason, if the width of the region R1 calculated in step S4 is equal to or larger than the threshold (width), it can be determined that the angle formed between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane is sufficiently small.

  The threshold data is stored in advance in the storage 63 for each combination of sample specifications (eg, diameter) and microscope device specifications (eg, magnification, depth of focus, etc.). These threshold data are generated based on the width of the region R1 calculated when the angle formed between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane is small by performing an experiment or the like in advance. Further, the threshold value may be calculated from the specification of the sample and the specification of the microscope apparatus without performing an experiment, and threshold data indicating the calculated threshold value may be generated.

  When the microscope system 1 determines that the width of the region R1 calculated in step S4 is greater than or equal to the threshold (YES in step S5), the position adjustment process ends. This is because it is considered that the microscope system 1 is already in focus on the side surface of the sample so that the angle formed between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane becomes small.

  On the other hand, when the microscope system 1 determines that the width of the region R1 calculated in step S4 is less than the threshold (NO in step S5), the microscope system 1 performs the processing from step S6 to step S9, and the angle formed between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane. Make it smaller. This is because it can be determined that the angle between the side surface of the sample and the focal plane is large when the width of the region R1 is less than the threshold value.

  In steps S6 to S9, the microscope system 1 first moves the Z stage 32 to change the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108 (step S6). Here, the stage controller 50 controls the Z stage 32 to move the objective lens 108 away from the sample S. Thereby, the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108 is changed. Hereinafter, the distance between the sample S and the objective lens 108 is also referred to as a relative distance.

  When the movement of the Z stage 32 is completed, the microscope system 1 acquires a confocal image (step S7). Here, the laser microscope apparatus 10 acquires a confocal image in accordance with an instruction from the computer 60. FIG. 7 illustrates the confocal image acquired in step S7. Similarly to the confocal image shown in FIG. 6, the confocal image shown in FIG. 7 also includes a bright region R1 having high luminance and a dark region R2 having low luminance.

  The confocal image shown in FIG. 7 acquired after changing the relative distance includes a region R1 at a position different from the confocal image shown in FIG. 6 acquired before changing the relative distance. This is because the focal plane moves in the optical axis direction by changing the relative distance, and as a result, a different range of the side surface of the sample S is set to a position within the focal depth.

  Thereafter, the microscope system 1 analyzes the confocal image acquired in step S7 (step S8). Here, the computer 60 analyzes the confocal image. Specifically, the computer 60 specifies the region R1 of the sample S included in the confocal image acquired in step S7. Thereafter, the computer 60 further calculates the position of the region R1 in the confocal image.

  When the analysis of the confocal image is completed, the microscope system 1 moves the XY stage 31 to change the relative position of the optical axis of the objective lens 108 with respect to the sample S (step S9). Here, the stage controller 50 has the confocal portion of the side surface portion (hereinafter referred to as the first side surface portion) specified by the computer 60 based on the confocal image acquired by the laser microscope apparatus 10 before changing the relative distance. A side part (hereinafter referred to as a second side part) identified by the computer 60 based on a position in the image (hereinafter referred to as a first position) and a confocal image acquired by the laser microscope apparatus 10 after changing the relative distance. The relative position is changed by controlling the XY stage 31 according to the difference from the position in the confocal image (hereinafter referred to as the second position). That is, the relative position is changed in accordance with the difference between the position of the confocal image region R1 (first side surface portion) shown in FIG. 6 and the position of the confocal image region R1 (second side surface portion) shown in FIG. .

  More specifically, the stage controller 50 controls the XY stage 31 to change the relative position by moving the objective lens 108 in the direction from the first position toward the second position. This is because, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when the objective lens 108 is moved away from the sample S, the region R1 moves in the direction toward the zenith position of the sample S in the image.

  Further, the stage controller 50 controls the XY stage 31 to change the relative position by moving the XY stage 31 by the actual distance corresponding to the distance between the first position and the second position of the objective lens 108. Good. Here, the actual distance according to the distance between the first position and the second position is the distance between the first position and the second position, which is the distance on the confocal image, in the real space. It is the distance when converted. Thereby, the position of the region R1 moved from the first position to the second position can be returned to the first position. That is, the positional relationship between the objective lens 108 and the sample S is adjusted so that the band-shaped region R1 appears in the center of the confocal image.

  When the change of the relative position is completed, the microscope system 1 acquires a confocal image again (step S3), and analyzes the acquired confocal image (step S4). That is, after the stage controller 50 controls the XY stage 31 to change the relative position, the laser microscope apparatus 10 acquires a confocal image (third confocal image), and based on the confocal image acquired by the computer 60. Then, the region R1 (third side surface portion) is specified, and the width and position of the region R1 are calculated.

  FIG. 8 illustrates the confocal image acquired in step S3 performed subsequent to step S9. The confocal image shown in FIG. 8 also includes a bright region R1 having a high luminance and a dark region R2 having a low luminance, as in the confocal image shown in FIG. 6 and the confocal image shown in FIG.

  The region R1 included in the confocal image shown in FIG. 8 acquired after the relative position change has a different width from the region R1 included in the confocal image shown in FIG. 6 acquired before the change of the relative position and the relative distance. ing. This is because the distance between the optical axis of the objective lens 108 and the zenith position of the sample S is changed by changing the relative distance and the relative position, and the angle formed between the focal plane and the side surface of the sample S is changed.

  More specifically, the width of the region R1 included in the confocal image shown in FIG. 8 is larger than the width of the region R1 included in the confocal image shown in FIG. This is because the distance between the optical axis of the objective lens 108 and the zenith position of the sample S is shortened by the change of the relative distance and the relative position, and the angle between the focal plane and the side surface of the sample S is reduced.

  Thereafter, the microscope system 1 determines whether or not the width of the region R1 (side surface portion) newly calculated in Step S4 is equal to or larger than the threshold (Step S5). That is, the computer 60 determines whether or not the angle formed between the side surface of the sample S and the focal plane is small. Specifically, the computer 60 forms the width of the region R1 between the side surface of the sample S and the focal plane based on a comparison result between the sample S and a threshold value determined in advance according to the specifications of the laser microscope apparatus 10. It is determined whether or not the corner is small.

  Thereafter, the microscope system 1 repeats the processing from step S3 to step S9 until it is determined in step S5 that the width of the region R1 (side surface portion) is greater than or equal to the threshold value. FIG. 9 shows another example of the confocal image acquired in step S3 performed subsequent to step S9. As in the confocal image shown in FIG. 9, the confocal image may be occupied by the region R1. Even in such a case, the microscope system 1 may determine that the width of the region R1 (side surface portion) is equal to or larger than the threshold value.

  According to the microscope system 1 that operates as described above, the side surface of the sample S can be focused so that the inclination of the side surface of the sample S having a cylindrical shape with respect to the focal plane becomes small. For this reason, in the measurement process of the sample S performed after that, the shape of the sample S can be measured with high accuracy. In addition, since the number of confocal images acquired in the measurement process can be reduced, the measurement time of the sample S can be shortened.

In addition, according to the microscope system 1, even when the position of the sample S changes each time the sample gripping device 40 grips the sample S, the sample S so that the inclination of the side surface of the sample S with respect to the focal plane becomes small. You can focus on the side. Thereby, measurement with high reproducibility is possible, and a stable inspection result can be obtained.
[Second Embodiment]

  FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating another example of processing performed by the microscope system according to the present embodiment. The microscope system according to the present embodiment is the same as the microscope system 1 except that the process shown in FIG. 10 is performed instead of the process shown in FIG. For this reason, the same components as those in the microscope system 1 are referred to by the same reference numerals.

  The process shown in FIG. 10 is different from the process shown in FIG. 5 in that the microscope main body 100 is moved to a position where the width of the repeatedly calculated region R1 is maximized. Specifically, the processing shown in FIG. 10 is shown in FIG. 5 in that step S15 is performed instead of step S5 and that step S16 and step S17 are performed when the determination result in step S15 is YES. It is different from processing.

  In step S15, it is determined whether or not the width of the side surface portion calculated in step S4 has started to decrease. Specifically, by comparing the latest two times of the width of the side surface portion calculated in step S4, whether or not the most recently calculated side surface width is smaller than the previously calculated side surface width. Determine. When the process of step S15 is performed for the first time after the position adjustment process shown in FIG. 10 is started, only the latest data (width) is calculated and comparison is not possible, so the determination result is NO.

  The movement of the Z stage 32 in step S16 is performed by the same distance in the opposite direction to the movement of the Z stage 32 in step S6. Further, the movement of the XY stage 31 in step S17 is performed by the same distance in the opposite direction to the movement of the XY stage 31 in step S9.

  The determination result in step S15 is YES, that is, it is determined that the width of the side surface portion calculated in step S4 has started to decrease due to the position adjustment in steps S6 and S9. This is a case where the angle between the focal plane and the side surface becomes larger than before the movement as a result of the axis moving across the zenith of the sample S. For this reason, the microscope main body 100 can be moved to a position where the width of the region R1 is maximized by canceling the movement in step S6 and step S9 by the movement in step S16 and step S17.

  The same effect as that of the microscope system 1 can be obtained also by the microscope system according to the present embodiment that operates as described above. Further, in the microscope system according to the present embodiment, threshold data is unnecessary, so that an experiment or the like that is performed in advance to generate the threshold data can be omitted.

  The embodiments described above show specific examples for facilitating understanding of the invention, and the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these. A part of the above-described embodiments may be applied to other embodiments. The microscope system and the control method of the microscope system can be variously modified and changed without departing from the scope of the claims.

  For example, the microscope system may include a microscope main body 200 shown in FIG. The microscope main body 200 is different from the microscope main body 100 in that it includes a configuration for acquiring a bright field image in addition to a configuration for acquiring a confocal image. More specifically, the microscope main body 200 includes a dichroic mirror 204 instead of the mirror 107, and a configuration for acquiring a bright field image (white light source 201, lens 202, half mirror 203, imaging lens 205). The imaging device 206 is different from the microscope main body 100 in that the imaging device 206 is provided. The imaging device 206 is an imaging device that acquires a bright field image of the sample S, and is, for example, a CCD camera.

  When the microscope main body 200 is included instead of the microscope main body 100, the microscope system performs, for example, contrast AF processing based on the bright field image acquired by the imaging device 206 in step S2 of FIGS. Thus, the side of the sample may be focused.

  When the microscope main body 200 is included instead of the microscope main body 100, the user of the microscope system may manually move the objective lens 108 above the sample S while viewing the bright field image. In that case, step S1 of FIGS. 5 and 10 may be omitted.

  In the first embodiment, the angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane is small based on a comparison result between the width of the third side surface portion and a threshold value determined in advance according to the specifications of the sample S and the laser microscope apparatus 10. An example is shown in which the computer 60 determines whether or not. In the second embodiment, the computer 60 determines whether or not the angle between the side surface and the focal plane is small based on the comparison result of the width of the first side surface portion and the width of the third side surface portion. It is shown. As these embodiments show, the computer 60 may determine whether or not the angle between the side surface and the focal plane is small based on at least the width of the third side surface portion.

  In the above-described embodiment, when the computer 60 determines that the angle formed by the side surface and the focal plane of the sample S is large, the Z stage 32 is controlled to change the relative distance. The timing is not particularly limited. For example, the determination process may be omitted and the movement of the stage 30 and the image acquisition and analysis may be repeated a predetermined number of times. After that, the computer 60 specifies the positional relationship between the objective lens 108 and the sample S where the angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane of the sample S becomes small based on the analysis result of each image, and the stage controller 50 identifies the objective lens 108 and the sample S. The stage 30 may be controlled so as to satisfy the specified positional relationship.

  In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the stage controller 50 changes the relative distance by controlling the Z stage 32 has been shown. However, the laser microscope apparatus 10 changes the relative distance by controlling the focusing device 113. Also good. For example, in step S6 of FIG. 5, instead of the stage controller 50 controlling the Z stage 32, the laser microscope apparatus 10 controls the semi-focusing apparatus 113 to move the objective lens 108 in a direction away from the sample S, thereby making the relative distance. May be changed.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Microscope system, 10 ... Laser microscope apparatus, 20 ... Microscope controller, 30 ... Stage, 31 ... XY stage, 32 ... Z stage, 40 ... Sample gripping device, 41 ... motor, 50 ... stage controller, 60 ... computer, 61 ... processor, 62 ... memory, 63 ... storage, 64 ... interface device, 65 ... portable Storage medium driving device 66... Portable storage medium 67. Bus 70. Display 80. Joystick 90 90 Keyboard 100 100 200 Microscope body 101. Laser, 102, 109, 202 ... lens, 103 ... PBS, 104 ... two-dimensional scanning device, 105 ... relay optical system, 106 ... 1 / 4λ , 107 ... mirror, 108 ... objective lens, 110 ... confocal stop, 111 ... PMT, 112 ... A / D converter, 113 ... semi-focus device, 201 ... White light source, 203 ... half mirror, 204 ... dichroic mirror, 205 ... imaging lens, 206 ... imaging device, AP ... zenith position, P1, P2 ... position, R1, R2 ... Region, S ... Sample

Claims (12)

A laser microscope apparatus comprising a microscope body having an objective lens and acquiring a confocal image of a cylindrical sample;
A processing device for identifying a side surface portion of the sample included in the confocal image;
A drive control device for controlling the positional relationship between the sample and the objective lens,
The drive control device identifies the processing device based on a first confocal image acquired by the laser microscope device before changing a distance in the optical axis direction of the objective lens between the sample and the objective lens. The second side surface portion specified by the processing device based on the first position of the first side surface portion in the first confocal image and the second confocal image acquired by the laser microscope device after changing the distance A microscope system, wherein the relative position of the optical axis of the objective lens with respect to the sample is changed according to a difference from the second position in the second confocal image. The microscope system according to claim 1, wherein
The drive control device changes the distance by moving the objective lens in a direction away from the sample, and then moves the objective lens in a direction from the first position toward the second position. A microscope system characterized by changing. The microscope system according to claim 2, further comprising:
A first stage to which the microscope main body is fixed, and a first stage that moves in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis;
A second stage to which the microscope main body is fixed, and a second stage that moves in the optical axis direction,
The drive control device includes:
Controlling the second stage to change the distance by moving the objective lens away from the sample;
The microscope system, wherein the relative position is changed by controlling the first stage and moving the objective lens in a direction from the first position toward the second position. The microscope system according to claim 2, further comprising:
A first stage to which the microscope body is fixed, the first stage moving in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis;
The laser microscope apparatus further includes a focusing device that moves the objective lens in the optical axis direction,
The laser microscope device changes the distance by moving the objective lens in a direction away from the sample by controlling the focusing device,
The driving control device controls the first stage to change the relative position by moving the objective lens in a direction from the first position toward the second position. The microscope system according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
The laser microscope device acquires a third confocal image after the drive control device changes the relative position,
The processor is
Identifying a third side portion based on the third confocal image;
A microscope system, wherein at least an angle formed between a side surface of the sample and a focal plane of the objective lens is determined based on at least a width of the third side surface portion. The microscope system according to claim 5,
In the processing apparatus, an angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane is based on a comparison result between a width of the third side surface portion and a threshold value determined in advance according to specifications of the sample and the laser microscope apparatus. A microscope system characterized by determining whether or not it is small. The microscope system according to claim 5,
The processing apparatus determines whether or not an angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane is small based on a comparison result between the width of the first side surface portion and the width of the third side surface portion. Microscope system. The microscope system according to any one of claims 5 to 7,
The drive system is further configured to change the distance when the processing device determines that an angle formed between the side surface and the focal plane is small. The microscope system according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The laser microscope apparatus further focuses on the side surface of the sample before acquiring the first confocal image. The microscope system according to claim 9,
The laser microscope apparatus is
Furthermore, it has an imaging device for acquiring a bright field image of the sample,
A microscope system characterized by focusing on a side surface of the sample before acquiring the first confocal image based on the bright field image acquired by the imaging device. The microscope system according to claim 9,
The laser microscope apparatus further includes:
A confocal stop having an aperture, the aperture being disposed at a position optically conjugate with the focal position of the objective lens;
A photodetector for detecting light that has passed through the confocal stop,
A microscope system characterized in that the side of the sample is focused before acquiring the first confocal image based on the intensity of the signal output from the photodetector. A laser microscope apparatus that includes a microscope body having an objective lens and acquires a confocal image of a cylindrical sample, a processing apparatus that identifies a side surface portion of the sample included in the confocal image, the sample, and the objective lens A control system for controlling the positional relationship between the microscope system and the microscope system,
Before the laser microscope apparatus changes the distance in the optical axis direction of the objective lens between the sample and the objective lens, a first confocal image of the sample is acquired,
The processing device identifies a first side surface portion based on the first confocal image;
The laser microscope device acquires a second confocal image of the sample after the drive control device changes the distance;
The processing device identifies a second side surface portion based on the second confocal image;
In accordance with the difference between the first position of the first side surface portion in the first confocal image and the second position of the second side surface portion in the second confocal image, the drive control device. A control method comprising changing a relative position of an optical axis of the objective lens with respect to the sample.