METHOD TO INVESTIGATE NANO-SIZED OBJECTS USING HOLOGRAPHIC MICROSCOPY

摘要

Method for detecting a three dimensional object smaller than 300nm comprising the steps of : - providing a light source producing a first light beam (1), said light source being at least partially coherent; - splitting said first light beam (1) into an object beam (2) and a reference beam (6) by means of a first beam splitter (BS1); - producing a image of the light source in a light source image plane by means of a first microscope objective (L1), in the optical path of the object beam (2); - positioning the three dimensional object to be detected in an object cell (3) in the optical path of the object beam (2), between said first beam splitter (BS1) and said first microscope objective (L1); - recombining object beam (2) and said reference beam (6) into a recombined beam (8) by use of optical means; - placing an optical stop (4) in said light source image plane of said microscope objective (L1) on the optical axis of said microscope objective (L1); - focusing said recombined beam (8) onto said recording means (5) with focusing means (L3); recording interf erometric signals produced by the interaction between the reference beam and the object beam with recording means (5), - reconstructing a three dimensional picture of the three dimensional object to be detected from said interf erometric signal, thereby detecting said three dimensional object.