JP2797987B2 - Infrared microscope - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an infrared microscope used for a microscopic infrared measuring device and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art When performing analysis by an infrared microscope, first, an analysis area in a sample is determined while observing the sample image with visible light. When performing analysis, a variable aperture is used to send only the light in the analysis area to the detector in order to mask the light other than the analysis area from entering the measurement system. However, since the portion masked by the aperture becomes invisible, observation through the mask has a narrow field of view, and it is difficult to determine an analysis area. Therefore, as a conventional infrared microscope, there is an infrared microscope shown in FIG. 2 disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 3-358486 filed by the inventor of the present invention. In the figure, S is a sample, 1 is a light source for switching and irradiating visible light and infrared light, and 2 is a condenser for condensing light from the light source 1 on the sample S. An objective optical system 3 forms an image of the sample S at the position of the aperture 9. The size of the aperture of the aperture is variable and can be adjusted according to the size of the analysis area. The light that has passed through the sample S is sent to the visible observation optical system via the double-sided mirror 4, the mirror 5, and the half mirror 6. The light source 8 is an illumination light source for the aperture 9. The aperture image illuminated by the light source 8 and the lens optical system via the double-sided mirror 4 is sent to the visible observation optical system via the mirror 7 and the half mirror 6, and becomes visible. In the observation optical system, the aperture 9 can be observed while being superimposed on the sample image. The double-sided mirror 4 and the mirror 7 are movable, and are moved in and out of the optical axis as needed. That is, the light enters the optical axis during visible observation, and retreats off the optical axis during infrared detection.

The light source 10, the condenser 11, and the switching mirror 12 are used when a reflection observation mode is set in place of the transmission measurement mode. The switching mirror 12 is a half mirror having a mirror surface portion and a notch portion, illuminates from the light source 10 instead of the light source 1, is reflected by the mirror surface portion of the mirror 12 via the condenser 11, and is sampled by the objective optical system 3. Is collected. The reflected light from the sample S passes through the objective optical system again, passes through the cutout portion of the switching mirror 12, is sent to the visible observation optical system via the double-sided mirror 4, the mirror 5, and the half mirror 6, and the transmission observation mode is set. Similarly, observation is made possible.

[0004]

In the above-mentioned conventional apparatus,
Observation can be performed in a wide field of view, and only the analysis region can be brightly illuminated by the light source 8, so that the position of the measurement portion with respect to the entire field of view can be easily identified. However, in this device, since the light from the light source 8 that illuminates the aperture is guided using the double-sided mirror 4, it is necessary to match the optical axis of the light from the light source 8 with the optical axis of the infrared microscope. However, this adjustment required skill and was a difficult task. Further, the image of the light source itself sometimes overlaps with the image of the aperture, making it difficult to see the sample image.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and to provide an infrared microscope capable of illuminating an analysis area without particularly requiring optical axis alignment, and in which light source images do not overlap. With the goal.

[0006]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the infrared microscope according to the present invention is provided with a variable aperture for setting an analysis area of a sample, and a means for illuminating the aperture. In an infrared microscope in which a sample microscope image that does not pass through and an image of only the aperture are combined into a visible observation optical system so as to have the same positional relationship as that at the time of infrared measurement and can be observed, the means for illuminating the aperture includes a light source. And a diffusion plate that converts the light from the light source into diffused light.These are provided on the light incident side of the aperture.The diffused light from the diffuser illuminates the surface on the entrance side of the aperture, and a sample microscope image and an aperture image are formed. Wherein a filter is provided on the optical path of any of the images. Hereinafter, how this microscope works will be described.

[0007]

In the infrared microscope according to the present invention, the light from the light source for illuminating the aperture is reflected by the diffusion plate and becomes a diffused light to uniformly illuminate the entire aperture. Therefore, the optical axis adjustment of the aperture illuminating means becomes unnecessary. Further, the image of the light source does not overlap with the image of the aperture. Furthermore, the sample microscope image and the aperture image can be distinguished by the difference in color by the filter, so that they can be clearly distinguished.

[0008]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an infrared microscope showing one embodiment of the present invention. Unless otherwise indicated, the same reference numerals as those in the conventional example are used to omit the description.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 14 denotes a mirror whose surface on the objective optical system side is a mirror surface, and a diffusion plate 15 for irregularly reflecting light is adhered to the back of the mirror.
Scattered light. The light diffused by the diffusion plate uniformly illuminates the entire incident side surface of the aperture 9. Also, as shown in FIG. 1, a filter F for clearly distinguishing the sample microscope image from the aperture image is provided in one of the two optical paths.

According to the infrared microscope configured as described above,
Sample microscope images are mirror 14, mirror 5, half mirror 6.
Is transmitted to the optical system for visible observation via the optical system, and the image of only the aperture is transmitted to the optical system for visible observation via the mirror 7 and the half mirror 6, and an image in which these are superimposed is observed. This image is obtained by superimposing a microscope image of a wide field of view and an image of the aperture 9 having only a bright opening, and is a portion for measuring the infrared spectrum in the sample image of the wide field of view for the observer. The opening of the aperture 9 can be clearly identified.

In particular, since the microscope image and the aperture image are distinguished by color by the filter F, the opening of the aperture 9 can be clearly distinguished.

In this embodiment, the diffusion plate 15 is attached to the back side of the mirror 14, but a diffusion plate may be attached separately from the mirror 14. The diffusion plate 15 may have any function of irregularly reflecting light, and may be, for example, a matte-painted one or a sanded one.

[0013]

As described above, according to the present invention, since the aperture is illuminated by the diffused light from the diffusion plate, the optical system such as a condenser lens and the optical axis adjustment mechanism are not required, and the adjustment work is performed. Is unnecessary, the cost is reduced, and the image of the light source itself does not appear, so that the sample image can be clearly observed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an infrared microscope according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram of a conventional infrared microscope.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1: light source 3: objective optical system 5, 7, 14: mirror 6: half mirror 8: light source 15: diffuser F: filter

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G01N 21/00-21/01 G01N 21/17-21/61 G02B 21/00-21/36 G02B 23 / 00-23/26

Claims (1)

(57) [Claims] 1. A variable aperture for setting an analysis area of a sample and a means for illuminating the aperture are separately provided, and a sample microscope image which does not pass through the aperture and an image of only the aperture are measured by an optical system for visible observation when infrared measurement is performed. In the infrared microscope which can be synthesized and observed so as to have the same positional relationship as described above, the means for illuminating the aperture comprises a light source and a diffusion plate for diffusing light from the light source, and these are the light of the aperture. An infrared microscope, which is provided on the incident side, illuminates the surface on the incident side of the aperture with diffused light from the diffusion plate, and has a filter on the optical path of one of the sample microscope image and the aperture image. .