JPH0868752A - Microscope - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To detect the collision of a reflecting objective glass and a sample while preventing the damage of the sample or reflecting objective glass by attaching a reflection type photocoupler to the bottom part of the reflecting objective glass. CONSTITUTION: A stage 10 on which a sample S is placed is raised and lowered by a stage lift mechanism 17 subjected to electromotive driving by a motor 17a. The light emitting part 20a and light detecting part 20b of a reflection type photocoupler 20 are attached to the bottom part 11c of a reflecting objective glass 11 downwardly and the reflecting plate 21 in front of the photocoupler 20 has a shape preventing the light from the light emitting part 20a from reaching the light detecting part 20b. The stage 10 rises to collide with the reflecting plate 21 and, when the stage 10 rises further, the reflecting plate 21 receives mechanical deformation and, as a result, the light from the light emitting part 20a is reflected by the reflecting plate 21 to reach the light detecting part 20b. The signal from the light detecting part 20b is sent to a comparator 22 to be compared with a preset threshold value. When the signal exceeds the threshold value, the signal stopping the motor 17a of the lift mechanism 17 is sent.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a microscope having a reflecting objective mirror facing a sample stage.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a microscope having a reflecting objective, a stage is provided so as to face the reflecting objective, and a sample placed on the stage is measured. An example of such a microscope is an infrared microscope disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 4-224999. Its schematic configuration is, as shown in FIG. 5, a stage 10 on which a sample is placed, a reflective objective lens 11, an eyepiece lens 12, an infrared detector 13, a transmission measurement optical system 14, and a reflection measurement optical system 1.
It consists of 5. The stage 12 can be moved up and down by adjusting the stage lifting mechanism 17 with the manual dial 16. That is, in order to perform the infrared spectroscopic measurement accurately, it is necessary to focus on the measurement point. At this time, the manual dial 16
Can be operated to focus on the sample on the stage 10.

In addition, so-called mapping measurement may be performed by measuring a large number of points on the sample with respect to infrared spectroscopic data. For example, it is a case of continuously measuring two points apart from each other on the sample or a case of measuring an in-plane distribution of the sample.
In such a microscope, an automatic focusing mechanism is provided so that a large number of points can be automatically measured. That is,
Each time the position in the plane direction (XY direction) of the stage is moved to change the measurement position, the stage is moved up and down again to perform focusing.

[0004]

Prior to automating the focus adjustment of the microscope, when the objective reflecting mirror collides with the sample on the stage, the manual dial cannot be turned, and the stage is small and small. It was found by the measurer. However, since automatic focus adjustment has come to be performed, even if the sample and the stage collide with each other, there is a possibility that the stage may be further raised without the fact that the measurer knows the collision. That is, in the normal stage raising / lowering means, the raising limit position is set so that the stage does not rise above a certain height so as not to collide with the reflecting objective mirror. However, when the sample mounted on the stage has a large thickness, the sample and the objective reflecting mirror collide with each other before reaching the ascending limit position provided in the stage elevating means. Even with a microscope having an automatic focusing mechanism, there was a case where a sample was out of focus due to minute unevenness and the focus was not fixed, or for some other reason unknown, it collided and collided.

Therefore, the sample is destroyed or the objective mirror is destroyed, which causes a hindrance to the measurement. The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and provides a microscope having a safety mechanism in which a sample and an objective mirror do not collide with each other in a microscope having an automatic lifting mechanism for a stage on which a sample is placed. The purpose is to

[0006]

The microscope of the present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, adjusts the distance between a stage on which a sample is placed and a reflecting objective mirror provided facing the stage. In a microscope which is driven by an electric motor, a reflection type photocoupler attached to the bottom of a reflection objective, a reflection plate provided near the light emitting part and the light receiving part of the photocoupler, and a signal value from the photocoupler. And a control means for stopping the electric motor in response to a signal from the comparison means,
It is characterized in that the electric motor is stopped by the signal change from the photocoupler due to the deformation of the reflection plate when the sample on the stage collides with the reflection plate due to the rise of the stage.

The operation of this microscope will be described below.

[0008]

In the microscope of the present invention, the reflection type photocoupler is attached to the bottom of the reflection objective mirror, and the reflection plate surrounding the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the photocoupler is attached.
The reflector is shaped so that the light emitted from the light emitting portion of the photocoupler does not reach the light receiving portion, and the output signal from the light receiving portion at this time is smaller than the threshold value set in the comparison means.

As the stage is raised by the drive of the electric motor, the sample on the stage eventually collides with the reflection plate attached to the bottom of the reflection objective mirror. When the stage further rises, the reflector plate undergoes mechanical deformation as shown in FIG. Due to this deformation, the light from the light emitting portion of the photocoupler is reflected by the reflecting plate and reaches the light receiving portion. Then, the output signal from the light receiving unit becomes large and becomes larger than the threshold value set in the comparison means.
A stop signal is sent from the comparison means to the electric motor to stop the stage rising.

[0010]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a main part of a microscope showing an embodiment of the present invention, and those not particularly shown are given the same reference numerals as those of the conventional example and the description thereof will be omitted.

In the figure, 10 is a stage on which a sample S is placed, which is vertically moved up and down by a stage elevating mechanism 17 electrically driven by a motor 17a. 11a, 11
Reference numeral b is a reflecting mirror above the stage 10, and reference numeral 11c is a bottom portion of the reflecting objective mirror. A reflection type photocoupler 20 is attached to the center of the bottom portion 11c of the reflection objective mirror with its light emitting portion 20a and light receiving portion 20b facing downward. A reflector 21 is provided near the light emitting portion 20a and the light receiving portion 20b of the photocoupler 20. However, the reflecting plate is curved so that the reflected light emitted from the light emitting unit 20a and reflected by the reflecting plate 21 does not reach the light receiving unit 20b. The reflection plate 20 is attached to the bottom portion 11c at a position that does not block the measurement optical path. The back side of the reflecting mirror 11b, that is, the central position of the bottom 11c is a position that does not block the measurement optical path and is the position closest to the sample, so it is desirable to mount it at this position. You may attach to the provided supporting member.

The signal from the light receiving portion 20a of the photocoupler 20 is sent to the comparator 22. A threshold value is set in advance in the comparator 22, the magnitude relation with the signal from the light receiving unit 20a is compared, and when the signal exceeds the threshold value, a signal for stopping the motor 17a of the stage elevating mechanism 17 is sent. It is like this.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the control system of the present microscope. In this microscope, the elevation of the stage is controlled by the CPU 31. The Z stage dial output having a value corresponding to the height of the stage is sent as a digital signal by the pulse encoder 32. Based on this signal, the CPU 31 creates an ascending signal or a descending signal and sends it to the stage elevating mechanism 17a. During automatic focusing, an ascending / descending signal is created based on the signal from the automatic focusing optical system together with the signal from the pulse encoder and sent to the stage elevating / lowering mechanism 17a.

On the other hand, the signal from the comparator 22 for comparing the signal from the light receiving portion 20b of the photocoupler is sent to the CPU 31.

Next, the operation of this microscope will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. When the operator sends a command for raising or lowering to the control system to perform the raising / lowering operation by manual operation, the CPU judges from the dial output of the Z stage, and the raising signal or the lowering signal is sent to the motor 17a of the stage raising / lowering mechanism 17. To be When performing automatic focusing, the CPU makes a judgment from the dial output of the Z stage in response to a signal from the automatic focusing optical system, and sends an up signal or a down signal to the motor 17a of the stage elevating mechanism 17 (ST.
1). When the output is "down", the down continues until there is a command or a stop command from the autofocus optical system. At that time, it is determined whether or not the current position is the lower limit of the stage lifting mechanism (ST2). When the lower limit is reached, a motor stop signal is issued and the motor stops.

When the output is "increase", it is judged by the signal from the light receiving portion 20b of the photocoupler whether the increase is prohibited or permitted (ST3). That is, when the reflecting plate 21 is deformed due to the rise of the Z stage, the signal of the photocoupler increases and the comparator 2
Since the value exceeds the threshold value of 2, the rise prohibition signal is issued, and in response to this, the CPU 31 sends a stop signal to the motor. On the contrary, when the reflector 21 is not deformed, it is equal to or less than the threshold value, so that the rising signal is permitted and the rising can be continued. At this time, even if the ascent is permitted, whether or not the current position is the upper limit of the stage elevating mechanism is determined by the upper limit detecting means incorporated in the stage elevating mechanism (ST4), and in this case, the motor is similarly stopped.

[0017]

As described above, even if the thickness of the sample is large, the reflection is reflected even if the thickness of the sample is large by making a judgment by the mechanical collision detection means provided in the reflecting objective mirror before the upper limit of the stage elevating mechanism is reached. The collision between the objective and the sample can be detected, so that the sample or the reflecting objective is not damaged.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a microscope that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a photocoupler and a reflector that are an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a control system of a microscope that is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the microscope of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the configuration of a conventional microscope having a reflective objective mirror.

[Explanation of symbols]

 10: Stage 11: Reflective Objective Mirror 11a, 11b: Reflective Mirror 11c: Bottom 17: Stage Lifting Mechanism 17a: Motor 20: Photocoupler 20a: Light Emitting Unit, 20b: Light Receiving Unit 21: Reflector 22: Comparator

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a microscope in which a distance between a stage on which a sample is placed and a reflection objective mirror provided facing the stage is adjusted by driving an electric motor, a reflection attached to the bottom of the reflection objective mirror. Type photocoupler, a reflecting plate provided near the light emitting portion and the light receiving portion of the photocoupler, comparing means for comparing the signal value from the photocoupler with a predetermined set value, and a signal from the comparing means. A control means for stopping the electric motor is provided, and the electric motor is stopped by a signal change from the photocoupler due to the deformation of the reflection plate when the sample on the stage collides with the reflection plate when the stage is raised. And a microscope.