FLUORESCENCE SENSOR, AND METHOD FOR PRODUCING THIN METAL FILM WITH FINE APERTURES TO BE USED FOR THE FLUORESCENCE SENSOR

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To allow fluorescence to be detected at low cost and with high sensitivity, using a simple optical system, in a fluorescence sensor.;SOLUTION: An excitation light 9 from a light source 8 is made incident through a substrate 6, directed toward an interface 24b between a thin metal film 24, that is film-formed on a surface different from the incident surface of the excitation light 9 of the substrate 6 and has fine apertures 24a, with diameters which are not larger than the wavelength of the excitation light 9 and a substrate 6, thus generating near-field light 23 in the fine apertures 24a. Fluorescent labels 5, included in a sample 1 supplied to contact the thin metal film 24, are excited by the near-field light 23 and/or surface plasmon on the thin metal film 24, having fine apertures excited by the near-field light 23. The fluorescence emitted from the fluorescent labels 5 is detected by a photodetector 10.;COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT