Global Patent Index - EP 1196792 A4

EP 1196792 A4 20080827 - NUMERICAL APERTURE INCREASING LENS (NAIL) TECHNIQUES FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION SUB-SURFACE IMAGING

Title (en)

NUMERICAL APERTURE INCREASING LENS (NAIL) TECHNIQUES FOR HIGH-RESOLUTION SUB-SURFACE IMAGING

Title (de)

TECHNIKEN ZUR HOCHAUFGELöSTEN ABBILDUNG UNTERHALB VON OBERFLÄCHEN MIT NUMERISCHER APERTUR ERHÖHENDEN LINSEN (NAIL)

Title (fr)

TECHNIQUES DE FABRICATION DE LENTILLES AUGMENTANT L'OUVERTURE NUMERIQUE POUR UNE IMAGERIE DE SOUS-SURFACE HAUTE RESOLUTION

Publication

EP 1196792 A4 20080827 (EN)

Application

EP 00957981 A 20000620

Priority

  • US 0040253 W 20000620
  • US 14013899 P 19990621

Abstract (en)

[origin: WO0079313A1] A viewing enhancement lens (18 - NAIL) which functions to increase the numerical aperture or light gathering or focusing power of viewing optics such as a microscope (26) used to view structure within a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or chip or of imaging optics such as media recorders. The result is to increase the resolution of the system by a factor of between n, and n<2>, where n is the index of refraction of the lens substrate.

IPC 1-7

G02B 3/00; G11B 7/00; G01N 21/95

IPC 8 full level

G02B 21/02 (2006.01); G02B 21/00 (2006.01); G02B 21/33 (2006.01); G02B 27/58 (2006.01); G11B 7/135 (2012.01)

CPC (source: EP)

B82Y 10/00 (2013.01); G02B 21/00 (2013.01); G02B 21/33 (2013.01); G02B 27/58 (2013.01); G11B 7/1374 (2013.01); G11B 7/1387 (2013.01); G11B 2007/13727 (2013.01)

Citation (search report)

  • [X] US 5208648 A 19930504 - BATCHELDER JOHN S [US], et al
  • [X] US 5004307 A 19910402 - KINO GORDON S [US], et al
  • [X] US 5881042 A 19990309 - KNIGHT GORDON R [US]
  • [X] JP H1145455 A 19990216 - RICOH KK
  • [XY] KINO G S: "Applications and theory of the solid immersion lens", PROC. SPIE, vol. 3609, January 1999 (1999-01-01), pages 56 - 66, XP002487856
  • [Y] MILSTER T D: "CHROMATIC CORRECTION OF HIGH-PERFORMANCE SOLID IMMERSION LENS SYSTEMS", JAPANESE JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS, JAPAN SOCIETY OF APPLIED PHYSICS, TOKYO, JP, vol. 38, no. 3B, 1 March 1999 (1999-03-01), pages 1777 - 1779, XP000905993, ISSN: 0021-4922
  • [X] MANSFIELD S M ET AL: "HIGH-NUMERICAL-APERTURE LENS SYSTEM FOR OPTICAL STORAGE", OPTICS LETTERS, OSA, OPTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, WASHINGTON, DC, US, vol. 18, no. 4, 15 February 1993 (1993-02-15), pages 305 - 307, XP000339186, ISSN: 0146-9592
  • See references of WO 0079313A1

Designated contracting state (EPC)

DE FR GB

DOCDB simple family (publication)

WO 0079313 A1 20001228; WO 0079313 A9 20020801; AU 6952700 A 20010109; CA 2375563 A1 20001228; EP 1196792 A1 20020417; EP 1196792 A4 20080827; JP 2003502705 A 20030121

DOCDB simple family (application)

US 0040253 W 20000620; AU 6952700 A 20000620; CA 2375563 A 20000620; EP 00957981 A 20000620; JP 2001505221 A 20000620