Manufacturing method of adhesively bonded member and tool

Abstract

To provide an adhesively bonded member manufactured by bonding a long insertion object member to be inserted inside a tubular member to the tubular member with an adhesive using a tool that is smaller and has a simpler structure than the conventional tool.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method of an adhesively bonded member manufactured by bonding a long insertion object member 2 to be inserted inside a tubular member 3 to the tubular member with an adhesive 4, includes: a placing step of placing the liquid adhesive 4 on one end of the tubular member; a filling step of inserting the insertion object member into the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member to draw the liquid adhesive placed in the placing step into the tubular member and filling a gap between an inner peripheral surface of the tubular member and an outer peripheral surface of the insertion object member with the liquid adhesive; and a solidification step of solidifying the liquid adhesive in a state where the insertion object member is inserted into the tubular member in the filling step.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and a jig for manufacturing a bonded member. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a method for manufacturing an optical fiber probe in which an optical fiber wire (inserted member) inserted into a metal tube (cylindrical member) is bonded to the metal tube with solder (adhesive). The optical fiber probe is used, for example, in an optical STM device that injects tunneling electrons from the tip of the optical fiber probe into a sample or a microscopic region within the sample, and collects and detects the light emitted by the injected electrons with an optical fiber. The manufacturing method in Patent Document 1 uses a jig that combines a lower metal block equipped with a solder reservoir for storing liquid solder and an upper metal block equipped with a metal tube installation hole for holding the metal tube, and these metal blocks are heated using a heater.

[0003] In the manufacturing method described in Patent Document 1, a metal tube is inserted from an upper entrance of an upper metal block of a jig into a metal tube installation hole in the upper metal block. A solder scraping hole smaller than the outer diameter of the metal tube is opened at the bottom of the metal tube installation hole. Therefore, the metal tube stops at the bottom of the metal tube installation hole and is held in the metal tube installation hole. Next, an optical fiber is inserted into the metal tube from above. The optical fiber passes through the solder scraping hole and reaches the solder in the solder reservoir below. Molten liquid solder adheres to the outer surface of the optical fiber at the portion that has entered the solder reservoir. By pulling up the optical fiber, the solder adhering to the outer surface of the optical fiber passes through the solder scraping hole and is drawn into the interior of the metal tube in the metal tube installation hole. This fills the gap between the outer surface of the optical fiber and the inner surface of the metal tube. When the solder cools and solidifies, the optical fiber and the metal tube are bonded together. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-119312 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the manufacturing method of Patent Document 1 requires the use of a jig in which a reservoir for storing a liquid adhesive (solder) is disposed below an upper metal block that has a metal pipe installation hole (holding space) for holding a metal pipe (cylindrical member). Such a jig requires a reservoir for storing a large amount of adhesive in a liquid state, which poses a problem of increasing the size and complexity of the jig structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one aspect of the present invention is a method for manufacturing an adhesive-processed member in which a long, pierced member that is inserted into the interior of a tubular member is bonded to the tubular member with an adhesive, and is characterized by including: a loading step for loading liquid adhesive onto one end of the tubular member; a filling step for inserting the pierced member into the interior of the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member, thereby drawing the liquid adhesive loaded in the loading step into the interior of the tubular member and filling the gap between the inner surface of the tubular member and the outer surface of the pierced member with the liquid adhesive; and a solidifying step for solidifying the liquid adhesive while the pierced member is inserted into the interior of the tubular member in the filling step. In the filling step of this manufacturing method, the inserted member is inserted into the interior of the tubular member from one end side, thereby drawing the liquid adhesive placed on that end of the tubular member in the placing step into the interior of the tubular member. This filling step allows the liquid adhesive to be drawn into and filled into a narrow gap between the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member and the outer circumferential surface of the inserted member. Moreover, because the filling step of this manufacturing method draws the liquid adhesive placed on one end of the tubular member into the interior of the tubular member, no jig with a reservoir for storing the liquid adhesive is required. Therefore, this manufacturing method can be performed using a jig that is smaller and simpler in structure than conventional jigs that require such a reservoir.

[0007] The manufacturing method may include a positioning step in which the inserted member coming out from the other end of the tubular member in the filling step is operated on the forward portion in the insertion direction of the inserted member to position the inserted member at a specified position relative to the tubular member, and the solidifying step may solidify the liquid adhesive while the inserted member is positioned in the positioning step. In this manufacturing method, the positioning step involves manipulating the forward portion of the insertion direction of the inserted member that emerged from the other end of the tubular member in the filling step, thereby positioning the inserted member at a predetermined position relative to the tubular member. In a conventional manufacturing method using a jig in which a reservoir for storing a liquid adhesive is disposed at the other end of the tubular member, it is necessary to manipulate the rear portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction to be inserted into the tubular member, making it impossible to perform positioning as in this manufacturing method. In the conventional manufacturing method, a manipulation tool (e.g., tweezers) for manipulating the rear portion in the insertion direction gets in the way, making it difficult to confirm the position of one end of the tubular member or the rear portion in the insertion direction, making the positioning step difficult. In contrast, in this manufacturing method, the forward portion of the inserted member that is inserted into the tubular member in the insertion direction is manipulated to position it, so the manipulation tool does not get in the way of the rear portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction. This makes it easy to confirm the position of one end of the tubular member or the rear portion in the insertion direction, making the positioning step easier.

[0008] In the manufacturing method, the specified position may be a position where the end portion of the inserted member on the rear side in the insertion direction is located inside the tubular member or a position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond the one end of the tubular member. In the positioning process, the specified position may be a position where the rear end of the inserted member in the insertion direction is inside the tubular member, or a position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond one end of the tubular member. In this case, in a manufacturing method using a conventional jig in which a reservoir for storing liquid adhesive is located at the other end of the tubular member, the portion of the inserted member that can be manipulated with the manipulation tool (the rear portion in the insertion direction) is either nonexistent or very narrow, making the positioning process extremely difficult. In particular, if the inserted member is a member with low strength, even a slight deviation in the manipulation may cause the inserted member to come into contact with the end of the tubular member and be damaged when manipulating it to a position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond one end of the tubular member. As described above, the positioning step of this manufacturing method involves manipulating the front portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction to perform positioning, eliminating the need to manipulate the rear portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction. Therefore, the positioning step can be easily performed even when the specified position is a position where the end of the inserted member at the rear portion in the insertion direction is inside the tubular member, or a position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond one end of the tubular member.

[0009] In the manufacturing method, the inserted member may be an optical fiber, and the tubular member may be a tubular member for reinforcing the optical fiber and accommodating the optical fiber therein. Generally, in an optical fiber component in which an optical fiber is inserted into and bonded to a tubular member for reinforcing the optical fiber, the optical fiber is configured to protrude slightly from one end of the tubular member in order to take in and extract light from the optical fiber. According to the present manufacturing method, an optical fiber component having such a configuration can be easily manufactured.

[0010] In the manufacturing method, the optical fiber may have an end portion on the rear side in the insertion direction covered with a light-transmitting conductive material, the tubular member may be a conductive member, and the adhesive may be a conductive adhesive, and in the positioning step, the liquid adhesive may be applied to a portion of the light-transmitting conductive material covering the end portion of the optical fiber on the front side in the insertion direction, and then the portion of the light-transmitting conductive material may be positioned at a specified position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond the one end of the tubular member. According to this manufacturing method, it is possible to easily manufacture an optical fiber probe (conductive transparent probe) that passes current from a cylindrical member through a light-transmitting conductive material that covers the tip of the optical fiber (the end on the rear side in the insertion direction) through a conductive adhesive, and then introduces light emitted from the sample into the optical fiber.

[0011] Furthermore, in the manufacturing method, the optical fiber may have a sharpened end portion on the rear side in the insertion direction, the tubular member may be a conductive member, and the adhesive may be a conductive adhesive. In the positioning step, the liquid adhesive may be applied to the sharpened portion of the end of the optical fiber or up to the vicinity thereof by the operation, and then the sharpened portion may be positioned at a specified position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond the one end of the tubular member. The manufacturing method may also include a covering step, after the solidifying step, of covering the sharpened portion of the optical fiber with a light-transmitting conductive material and connecting the light-transmitting conductive material to the adhesive. This manufacturing method also makes it easy to manufacture an optical fiber probe (conductive transparent probe) that passes current from a cylindrical member through a conductive adhesive to a sample through a light-transmitting conductive material that covers the tip of the optical fiber (the sharpened end on the rear side in the insertion direction), and collects light emitted from the sample into the optical fiber.

[0012] In the manufacturing method, the adhesive may be solder, and in the placing step, the solid solder placed on the one end of the cylindrical member may be melted by heat to become liquid solder. This can facilitate the work of the mounting step when the inserted member and the cylindrical member are bonded together using solder.

[0013] In the manufacturing method, the one end of the cylindrical member may be tapered toward the inside of the cylindrical member. According to this manufacturing method, the liquid adhesive (including the solid adhesive before it becomes liquid) placed on one end of the tubular member in the placing step can be received and held by the tapered shape formed on one end of the tubular member, thereby preventing the liquid adhesive from coming off the one end of the tubular member before it is drawn into the interior of the tubular member in the subsequent filling step. Furthermore, according to this manufacturing method, during the filling step, the tapered portion formed on one end of the tubular member can guide the front end of the inserted member in the insertion direction into the interior of the tubular member, making it easier to insert the front end of the inserted member into the interior of the tubular member from one end of the tubular member, facilitating the filling step.

[0014] In the manufacturing method, a pre-adhesion step may be carried out before the placing step, in which a liquid adhesive is placed on one end of the tubular member, and a long member that is the same as or different from the inserted member is inserted into the interior of the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member, thereby drawing the liquid adhesive into the interior of the tubular member and adhering the liquid adhesive to the inner surface of the tubular member. Because the amount of liquid adhesive that can be placed on one end of the tubular member during the above-mentioned placing process is relatively small, simply performing the above-mentioned filling process, in which the liquid adhesive placed on one end of the tubular member is drawn into the interior of the tubular member, may result in a shortage of liquid adhesive to fill the gap between the inner surface of the tubular member and the outer surface of the pierced member. According to this manufacturing method, by performing the pre-attaching process, liquid adhesive can be applied to the inner surface of the tubular member before the above-mentioned placing process and filling process. This makes it possible to eliminate the shortage of liquid adhesive to fill the gap between the inner surface of the tubular member and the outer surface of the pierced member, even if the amount of liquid adhesive that can be placed on one end of the tubular member during the above-mentioned placing process is small.

[0015] In the manufacturing method, a pre-adhesion step may be carried out before the placing step, in which a liquid adhesive is coated on the outer surface of an elongated member that is the same as or different from the inserted member, and the elongated member is inserted into the interior of the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member, thereby adhering the liquid adhesive on the outer surface of the elongated member to the inner surface of the tubular member. In this manufacturing method, the pre-application step allows the liquid adhesive to be applied to the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member before the above-mentioned placing step and filling step, thereby resolving the shortage of liquid adhesive to fill the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member and the outer circumferential surface of the inserted member even if the amount of liquid adhesive that can be placed on one end of the tubular member in the above-mentioned placing step is small.

[0016] In the manufacturing method, the inserted member to be inserted into the tubular member in the filling step may have an outer peripheral surface coated in advance with a liquid adhesive. In this manufacturing method, the inserted member used in the filling step has its outer surface coated with liquid adhesive in advance, so that even if the amount of liquid adhesive that can be placed on one end of the tubular member in the placing step is small, it is possible to eliminate the shortage of liquid adhesive that fills the gap between the inner surface of the tubular member and the outer surface of the inserted member.

[0017] Another aspect of the present invention is a jig used in the manufacturing method of the above-mentioned adhesive-processed member, comprising a holding member having a holding space in which the tubular member is held, the holding member having an entrance portion for inserting the tubular member into the holding space along the longitudinal direction of the tubular member, a holding portion for holding the tubular member inserted into the holding space, and an exit portion on the opposite side of the entrance portion which connects the holding space to the outside of the jig and through which the inserted member inserted into the inside of the tubular member held in the holding space can pass. In this jig, the tubular member is inserted into the holding space of the holding member through the inlet portion along the longitudinal direction of the tubular member, and after placing a liquid adhesive on one end of the tubular member, the pierced member can be inserted into the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member held in the holding space. Since an outlet portion communicating between the holding space and the outside of the jig is present on the opposite side from the inlet portion, the front portion of the pierced member inserted into the tubular member in the insertion direction can be expelled to the outside through the outlet portion. This allows the pierced member to pass through the interior of the tubular member held in the holding space, allowing the liquid adhesive drawn in from the one end of the tubular member to be distributed throughout the entire interior of the tubular member in the insertion direction. Furthermore, with this jig, the front portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction that has been inserted into the tubular member from one end side can be ejected to the outside through the exit portion, making it possible to operate the front portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction that emerges from the other end side of the tubular member. Therefore, this jig can be suitably used in manufacturing methods that perform such operations.

[0018] In the jig, the holding member may be configured such that a holding member part having the outlet portion is replaceable with respect to a holding member main body having the holding space. When this jig draws liquid adhesive into the tubular member and fills the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member and the outer circumferential surface of the inserted member, the outlet of the holding member is easily soiled by the liquid adhesive. Furthermore, repeated insertion and removal of the tubular member from the holding member can cause wear near the outlet of the holding space of the holding member. In such cases, this jig allows the holding member part with the outlet to be replaced. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] According to the present invention, a bonded processed component can be manufactured in which a long inserted component that is inserted into the inside of a tubular component is bonded to the tubular component with an adhesive, using a jig that is smaller and has a simpler structure than conventional jigs that have a storage section in which a liquid adhesive is stored. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0020] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of an optical STM device in which an optical fiber probe according to an embodiment is used. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber probe cut along its axial direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber probe taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction. [Figure 4] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a soldering jig that can be used in the method for manufacturing the optical fiber probe. FIG. [Figure 5] 5A to 5D are explanatory views for explaining an example of a manufacturing procedure according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 6(a) to 6(f) are explanatory views for explaining another example of the manufacturing procedure in the embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a modified example of a soldering jig that can be used in the method for manufacturing the optical fiber probe. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to an optical fiber probe (optical fiber probe needle) as an optical fiber member will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an optical fiber probe is used as an example of an optical fiber member, but the present invention is not limited to optical fiber probes and can be applied to any optical fiber member having a structure in which an optical fiber is housed inside a reinforcing tubular member and the inner peripheral surface of the tubular member and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber are bonded with an adhesive. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to such optical fiber members, but can also be widely applied to adhesive-processed members in which an elongated inserted member to be inserted inside a tubular member is bonded to the tubular member with an adhesive.

[0022] First, as an example of an apparatus in which the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment is used, the configuration of an optical STM apparatus, which is a scanning tunneling microscope (STM apparatus) equipped with a light-condensing function, will be described. The optical STM device 100 of this embodiment is a measurement device that injects tunneling electrons from the tip of an optical fiber probe 1 into an extremely small nanometer-sized region (hereinafter referred to as a "nanoregion") that is smaller than the wavelength of light in a sample to be measured or a structure embedded in the sample, and then collects and detects the light emission generated by the injected electrons using an optical fiber.The optical STM device 100 can measure characteristics such as the intensity and spectrum of the light emission, or capture the spatial distribution of the light emission characteristics as an image, thereby making it possible to observe the characteristics of the nanoregion of the sample to be measured or the structure within the sample with high accuracy and resolution.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of the internal structure of an optical STM device 100 in which an optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment is used. In this embodiment, the optical STM apparatus 100 performs measurements by placing a sample 200 to be measured on a sample stage 111 in a sealed measurement chamber 110. The optical STM apparatus 100 has a probe drive mechanism 120 that drives an optical fiber probe 1, which is a conductive transparent probe, using a piezoelectric element or the like, and the optical fiber probe 1 is detachably attached to the probe drive mechanism 120 for use. The optical STM apparatus 100 also includes a cooling means 101, a vacuum vessel 102, an elbow tube 103, detachable sealing members 104 and 105, a vacuum sealing member 106, and the like.

[0024] A transmission optical fiber 130 is housed in the elbow tube 103. The tip of the transmission optical fiber 130 is supported by passing through a truncated cone-shaped conical convex movable anchor spacer 131 that is slidably fitted into the tip side of the elbow tube 103. The rear end side of the transmission optical fiber 130 is supported by passing through a fixed anchor spacer 132 that is fitted into a fiber outlet 103a on the rear end side of the elbow tube 103. In addition, a mortar-shaped conical concave centering seat 121 formed on the probe driving mechanism 120 is slidably fitted into the tip of the elbow tube 103. The conical convex movable anchor spacer 131 of the transmission optical fiber 130 fits into the conical concave centering seat 121 of the probe driving mechanism 120.

[0025] The base end 1a of the optical fiber probe 1 is fixed to a probe driving mechanism 120. The tip 1b of the optical fiber probe 1 is arranged to face a sample 200 on a sample stage 111. The optical fiber probe 1, the probe driving mechanism 120, and the sample 200 are surrounded by a cooling means 101 lining the sealed measurement chamber 110, and can be cooled to a predetermined low temperature during measurement.

[0026] To prevent surface contamination, the optical fiber probe 1, probe drive mechanism 120, sample 200, and cooling means 101 are housed in a vacuum vessel 102 maintained at an ultra-vacuum by a vacuum exhaust device 300 that communicates with the sealed measurement chamber 110. The space around the probe drive mechanism 120 is very narrow and nearly sealed in order to improve cooling efficiency and reduce sample surface contamination.

[0027] The tip of a transmission optical fiber 130 is disposed adjacent to and facing the base end 1a of the optical fiber probe 1, and light from the optical fiber probe 1 is guided through the transmission optical fiber 130 to an optical processing device 301 such as an optical spectrometer installed outside the vacuum vessel 102. The tip of the transmission optical fiber 130 is held at the axis of a heavy, axisymmetric, conical convex movable anchor spacer 131.

[0028] The tunnel current to the optical fiber probe 1 and the drive current to the probe drive mechanism 120 can be supplied by installing wiring, for example.

[0029] Conventional STM instruments use a metallic probe (tip) without an optical fiber, so the light emitted from the sample must be collected using an optical lens or focusing mirror (hereafter referred to as "lens, etc.") installed separately from the probe. However, since it is difficult to install a lens, etc., near the sample where the light emission point is located, the lens, etc. must be installed far away from the light emission point, resulting in poor light collection efficiency. As a result, it is difficult to collect the extremely weak light emitted from the nanoscale sufficiently for measurement. Furthermore, the injected electrons diffuse over a wide area within the sample and emit light throughout the entire diffusion region, but lenses, etc., receive light from the entire diffused region, reducing the spatial resolution of the light collection.

[0030] In contrast, in the optical STM device 100 using the optical fiber probe 1, an optical fiber that focuses light is provided on the probe that emits tunneling electrons. In this way, by using the optical fiber probe 1 that combines the function of emitting tunneling electrons (electrical conductivity) and the function of focusing light (light focusing ability), it is possible to focus light from the nano region with high efficiency and high spatial resolution.

[0031] Such an optical fiber probe 1 can generally be realized by sharpening the tip of an optical fiber (for example, by conical machining) and applying a transparent conductive film to the surface of the sharpened portion (sharpened portion). The optical fiber probe 1 is a key device for realizing a highly efficient and high-spatial-resolution optical STM apparatus 100.

[0032] In the optical STM apparatus 100, the optical fiber probe 1 is moved slightly in the vertical and horizontal directions by the probe driving mechanism 120. In such an optical STM apparatus 100, the optical fiber probe 1 is prone to damage and deterioration due to contact with the sample 200, and therefore the optical fiber probe 1 must be configured to be replaceable. For this reason, in the optical STM apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the optical fiber probe 1 is detachably attached and fixed to the probe driving mechanism 120.

[0033] Since the optical fiber probe 1 and the probe driving mechanism 120 are placed in an ultra-vacuum, mechanical screw fastening, which does not release contaminating gases, is generally suitable for fastening the optical fiber probe 1 to the probe driving mechanism 120. Specifically, the base end 1a of the optical fiber probe 1 is inserted into a hole provided in the probe holder of the probe driving mechanism 120 and fixed by screws. However, since screw fastening is difficult in an ultra-vacuum, the optical fiber probe 1 is screwed onto the probe holder removed from the probe driving mechanism 120 in the atmosphere, and then these are introduced into an ultra-vacuum and attached to the probe driving mechanism 120.

[0034] In the case of such a screw fixing method, the length of the optical fiber probe 1 is suitably in the range of approximately 1 cm to 2 cm. Of course, the optical fiber probe 1 can be used even if its length is outside this range, but if the optical fiber probe 1 is shorter than this range, it becomes difficult to securely fix it to the probe driving mechanism 120 (probe holder). On the other hand, if the optical fiber probe 1 is longer than this range, the external force applied to the probe driving mechanism 120 (piezo element) may increase, or the optical fiber probe 1 may be more susceptible to mechanical vibrations, which may result in problems such as reduced operational accuracy.

[0035] Furthermore, the optical fiber in the optical fiber probe 1 is extremely vulnerable to shearing forces, and even a slight shearing force can cause the optical fiber to break. Furthermore, because optical fiber is an insulator in its bare wire state, when used as the optical fiber probe 1, it is necessary to secure a separate current path to the transparent conductive film covering the tip of the optical fiber. Note that the bare wire state here refers to the state of the optical fiber, which consists only of a core and cladding.

[0036] Conventional optical fiber probes have achieved both mechanical rigidity and a current path by forming a thick, hard metal coating on the outer surface of the optical fiber. However, the mechanical rigidity of this conventional optical fiber probe depends on the thickness of the metal coating, so the metal coating must be thick to achieve the required mechanical rigidity.

[0037] To give a specific example, when a metal coating is formed by nickel plating on an optical fiber with an outer diameter of 100 μm, if the outer diameter of the nickel plating is approximately 400 μm or more (i.e., if the thickness of the nickel plating is 150 μm or more), mechanical rigidity sufficient to withstand the fixing force (e.g., 0.1 Nm screw pressure) that enables the optical fiber probe to be securely fixed to the probe driving mechanism 120 (probe holder) can be obtained. In other words, the pressure (fixing force) of the screw is absorbed by the nickel-plated metal coating, and the optical fiber core is not affected by the fixing force, maintaining its normal optical properties.

[0038] Furthermore, if the outer diameter of the nickel plating on an optical fiber with an outer diameter of 100 μm is set to 600 μm, this is equivalent to the outer diameter of the metal probe used in conventional STM devices, which has the advantage that the optical fiber probe can be set in the probe holder of conventional STM devices.

[0039] However, in conventional optical fiber probes in which a metal coating is formed on the outer surface of an optical fiber, various problems arise in ensuring mechanical rigidity and electrical conductivity. For example, an optical fiber in which a metal coating is formed on an insulating optical fiber strand (e.g., a quartz fiber) has a special structure, which makes it expensive.

[0040] A particular challenge is ensuring the accuracy of the outer diameter and center position of the optical fiber probe. In other words, to ensure the necessary mechanical rigidity, a metal coating of a suitable thickness must be deposited on the outer surface of the optical fiber. However, the thicker the metal coating, the more difficult it becomes to ensure thickness accuracy and uniformity. For example, in the case of metal plating, it is difficult to uniformly control the electric field distribution in the plated area and to suppress changes in the effectiveness of the plating solution over time, making it difficult to suppress variations in the thickness of the metal plating.

[0041] Therefore, if the thickness of the metal coating is increased to a thickness that provides the required mechanical rigidity, the low thickness accuracy will result in poor dimensional accuracy of the outer diameter of the optical fiber probe, and therefore poor attachment accuracy to the probe holder. Specifically, for example, to properly secure the optical fiber probe to the probe holder, the optical fiber probe must be inserted straight into the hole in the probe holder. However, if the thickness accuracy varies throughout the entire axial direction of the optical fiber probe, proper fixation will be impossible. Furthermore, poor thickness uniformity will cause the optical fiber to deviate from its axial center position, resulting in poor axial center position accuracy. This will result in poor optical transmission efficiency due to misalignment with, for example, the transmission optical fiber 130.

[0042] In addition, the deposition rate of the metal coating is slow, so to obtain a thickness of, for example, 150 μm or more, a long processing time is required, resulting in poor productivity.

[0043] The optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment can solve the problems of conventional optical fiber probes in which the optical fiber is reinforced by forming a reinforcing coating such as a metal coating on the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber.

[0044] The optical fiber probe 1 according to this embodiment will be described below. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment taken along the axial direction. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment taken along a plane perpendicular to the axial direction.

[0045] The optical fiber probe 1 in this embodiment is mainly composed of an optical fiber strand 2, which is an optical fiber, a metal tube 3, which is a conductive member that serves as a tubular member for reinforcing the optical fiber and houses the optical fiber strand 2 inside, and solder 4, which serves as an adhesive that bonds the inner surface of the metal tube 3 to the outer surface of the optical fiber strand 2.

[0046] The tip 1b of the optical fiber probe 1 is machined into a precise conical shape to provide the functions of injecting tunneling electrons and collecting light, and a conductive transparent thin film is vapor-deposited on its surface. The base end 1a of the optical fiber probe 1 is machined to have a flat surface. When the optical fiber probe 1 is attached to the probe holder of the probe driving mechanism 120, the conductive transparent thin film is electrically connected to the current path of the probe driving mechanism 120 via the metal tube 3 and solder 4.

[0047] The optical fiber 2 can be a general quartz fiber without a coating such as a carbon coating formed on its outer surface. However, instead of the optical fiber 2, an optical fiber with a coating such as a carbon coating formed on its outer surface may be used. In this case, since the metal tube 3 is used as a member for reinforcing the optical fiber in this embodiment, the coating of the optical fiber does not require a reinforcing function, and a relatively thin coating is sufficient. In other words, when using an optical fiber with a coating formed as the optical fiber of this embodiment, it is preferable that the coating be formed thin enough to ensure high accuracy in the outer diameter dimension and axial center position of the optical fiber.

[0048] Generally, the outer diameter of the optical fiber 2 is about 100 μm to 100-100 μm, and therefore, in this embodiment, as an example, a quartz fiber having an outer diameter of 140 μm is used as the optical fiber 2. However, the outer diameter of the optical fiber 2 is not limited to this numerical range.

[0049] The metal tube 3 is a cylindrical member made primarily of nickel and having an outer diameter of 600 μm. If the outer diameter of the metal tube 3 is 600 μm, the outer diameter of the optical fiber probe 1 can be set to 600 μm, which is a general outer diameter for a probe of an STM device.

[0050] The metal tube 3 functions as a reinforcing member for reinforcing the optical fiber 2. Generally, as described above, the optical fiber probe 1 is attached to the probe holder of the optical STM device 100 when in use, and therefore a reinforcing member is required to protect the optical fiber 2, which has low mechanical rigidity, from external forces such as the force of fixing the optical fiber probe 1 to the probe holder and vibrations. The material of the metal tube 3 is not limited to nickel, and may be other metals or other materials such as conductive resins, as long as it has sufficient mechanical rigidity and conductivity to function as a reinforcing member.

[0051] However, since the metal tube 3 is conductive, it can be used as a current path for passing a current for injecting tunneling electrons into a sample, just like the metal coating of a conventional optical fiber probe.

[0052] The thickness of the metal tube 3 can be set as appropriate within a range that ensures the accuracy of the outer diameter dimension and the axial center position of the optical fiber probe 1, and is preferably 150 μm or more. Because the metal tube 3 of this size is manufactured separately from the optical fiber strand 2, even if the thickness is large, it is possible to obtain an optical fiber probe with high accuracy of the outer diameter dimension and high accuracy of the axial center position using an existing metal tube. Furthermore, a metal tube 3 with a thickness of 150 μm or more can sufficiently ensure the mechanical rigidity required for the optical fiber probe. The metal tube 3 of the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment can ensure mechanical rigidity while realizing an optical fiber probe 1 with high accuracy of the outer diameter dimension and the axial center position.

[0053] Furthermore, it is preferable that the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 is formed so that the distance between it and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2 is 100 μm or less. This is because if the distance between the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2 exceeds 100 μm, it becomes difficult to achieve high axial center position accuracy of the optical fiber 2. More preferably, the distance between the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2 is set to several tens of μm or less.

[0054] The solder 4 functions as an adhesive that bonds the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2. As in this embodiment, the solder 4 is preferably made primarily of indium, as this solder has good wettability with both the quartz that forms the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2 and the nickel that forms the inner wall surface of the metal tube 3, and can exhibit good adhesive performance.

[0055] It should be noted that other adhesive materials may be used instead of the solder 4. The adhesive material is appropriately selected in consideration of the fact that it has good electrical conductivity and can exhibit good adhesive performance to both the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber to be bonded and the inner circumferential surface of the tubular member.

[0056] The optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment has almost the same mechanical rigidity as a conventional optical fiber probe having the same outer diameter and coated with nickel plating (metal coating), and is so hard that it can be bent with pliers, for example. Therefore, even if the optical fiber probe 1 is firmly attached to the probe holder of the probe driving mechanism 120 to ensure secure fixation, external forces such as shear stress are absorbed by the metal tube 3, and the optical fiber strand 2 inside is not affected by the external force and its optical properties are maintained normal.

[0057] Furthermore, when used in the optical STM device 100, the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment is repeatedly used between room temperature and the extremely low temperature of liquid nitrogen, and is therefore sufficiently resistant to the thermal stress that occurs in such cases. Furthermore, since it does not contain any materials that contaminate the vacuum, no gas is emitted even in an ultra-vacuum, and the clean vacuum of the optical STM device 100 is maintained.

[0058] Furthermore, the metal tube 3 can be easily produced in a variety of thicknesses and lengths with high accuracy in outer diameter dimension and axial center position. Therefore, by having a configuration in which an optical fiber strand 2 with a limited outer diameter is inserted into the metal tube 3, as in the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment, optical fiber probes with various outer diameter dimensions required for optical fiber probes can be easily realized. As a result, for example, by matching the outer diameter with that of a metal probe used in an existing STM device, it becomes possible to use the same probe holder for both an optical fiber probe and a metal probe.

[0059] Next, a method for manufacturing the above-mentioned optical fiber probe 1 will be described. The optical fiber probe 1 in this embodiment can be manufactured by inserting the optical fiber wire 2 into the inside of the metal tube 3 and bonding the outer surface of the optical fiber wire 2 to the inner surface of the metal tube 3 with solder 4.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing the internal structure of a soldering jig 10 that can be used in the method for manufacturing the optical fiber probe 1 of this embodiment. The jig 10 of this embodiment has a metal block 14 with a metal pipe installation hole 12 as a holding space for holding the metal pipe 3. An inlet 16 is provided at the top of the metal block 14, through which the metal pipe 3 is inserted into the metal pipe installation hole 12 along the longitudinal direction (vertical direction) of the metal pipe 3. An outlet 13 is provided at the bottom of the metal block 14 (the side opposite to the inlet 16), connecting the metal pipe installation hole 12 with the outside of the jig 10. The metal block 14 has a high thermal conductivity and a cylindrical outer shape, and a cylindrical heater 15 is arranged around it as heating means.

[0061] The inner diameter of the outlet portion 13 provided at the bottom of the metal pipe installation hole 12 is narrower than the outer diameter of the metal pipe 3 and wider than the outer diameter of the optical fiber 2. As a result, when the metal pipe 3 is inserted into the metal pipe installation hole 12 from the inlet portion 16, its front end (lower end) in the insertion direction hits the bottom (holding portion) of the metal pipe installation hole 12, and the metal pipe 3 is held in the metal pipe installation hole 12.

[0062] 4, a taper is formed at the bottom of the metal pipe installation hole 12, narrowing toward the outlet 13. As a result, even if the tip of the optical fiber 2 inserted from above into the inside of the metal pipe 3 comes into contact with the taper at the bottom of the metal pipe installation hole 12 and is guided to the outlet 13.

[0063] The depth of the metal pipe installation hole 12 is formed to be slightly shorter than the length of the metal pipe 3. This allows the upper part of the metal pipe 3 to be exposed from the metal pipe installation hole 12 when the metal pipe 3 is held in the metal pipe installation hole 12. Therefore, when removing the metal pipe 3 from the metal pipe installation hole 12, the metal pipe 3 can be removed from the metal pipe installation hole 12 by the simple action of grasping the upper part of the metal pipe 3 and lifting it up.

[0064] If the amount of metal pipe 3 exposed from the metal pipe installation hole 12 is large, the exposed portion of the metal pipe 3 may not be sufficiently heated by the heat from the metal block 14. In this case, as will be described later, when the liquid solder 4 is drawn into the metal pipe 3, the viscosity of the liquid solder 4 increases, and the liquid solder 4 may not be drawn properly. Therefore, it is preferable to keep the amount of metal pipe 3 exposed from the metal pipe installation hole 12 as short as possible within the range in which the metal pipe 3 can be gripped, and for example, it is preferable to keep it within the range of 1 mm to 2 mm.

[0065] Furthermore, the inner diameter (diameter) of the metal pipe installation hole 12 is preferably formed to be slightly larger (for example, not larger than several tens of μm) than the outer diameter of the metal pipe 3. If the inner diameter of the metal pipe installation hole 12 is too large compared to the outer diameter of the metal pipe 3, it becomes difficult to conduct heat from the metal block 14 to the metal pipe 3. In this case, as will be described later, when the liquid solder 4 is drawn into the metal pipe 3, the viscosity of the liquid solder 4 increases, and there is a risk that the liquid solder 4 will not be drawn properly.

[0066] Furthermore, if the inner diameter of the metal pipe installation hole 12 is too large compared to the outer diameter of the metal pipe 3, the inclination of the metal pipe 3 inside the metal pipe installation hole 12 will become large, which will hinder the optical fiber strand 2 inserted inside the metal pipe 3 from passing through the exit portion 13, as will be described later.

[0067] The heater 15 heats the metal block 14, thereby heating the metal pipe 3 installed in the metal pipe installation hole 12. A thermocouple 17 serving as a temperature detection means is attached near the metal pipe installation hole 12 of the metal block 14. The thermocouple 17 is connected to a temperature control unit 20, which controls the temperature of the heater 15 wrapped around the outer periphery of the metal block 14 based on the temperature detection result of the thermocouple 17.

[0068] Next, an example of a procedure for manufacturing the optical fiber probe 1 using the jig 10 described above will be described. 5(a) to 5(d) are explanatory diagrams for explaining an example of a manufacturing procedure in this embodiment. First, a current is passed through the cylindrical heater 15 to heat the metal block 14 of the jig 10. Then, the temperature of the heater 15 is controlled by the temperature control unit 20 based on the temperature detection result of the thermocouple 17, and the target temperature is reached and maintained. In consideration of the fact that the melting temperature of indium, which is the main material of the solder 4 in this embodiment, is approximately 150°C, and the need to prevent damage to the optical fiber 2 due to high temperatures, it is preferable to set the target temperature within a range of, for example, 200°C to 300°C.

[0069] Next, the metal tube 3 is inserted from the inlet 16 at the top of the metal block 14, and the metal tube 3 is held in the metal tube installation hole 12. After that, as shown in Figure 5(a), solid solder 4 is placed on the upper end (one end) of the metal tube 3. Heat from the heater 15 is transmitted through the metal tube 3 to melt the solid solder 4, and the liquid solder 4 is placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3.

[0070] In this embodiment, the upper end of the metal tube 3 is formed with a taper 3a that narrows toward the inside of the metal tube 3. By forming such a taper, the solid solder 4 is less likely to fall from the upper end of the metal tube 3, and can be stably placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3. Furthermore, the melted and liquid solder 4 is less likely to leak from the upper end of the metal tube 3, and can be stably placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 without contaminating the outer periphery of the metal tube 3. Furthermore, when inserting the optical fiber 2 from the upper end of the metal tube 3, even if the front end (lower end) of the optical fiber 2 in the insertion direction is slightly offset from the axial center of the metal tube 3, the tapered portion of the metal tube 3 can guide the lower end of the optical fiber 2 into the interior of the metal tube 3. This makes it easier to insert the lower end of the optical fiber 2 into the interior of the metal tube 3.

[0071] Next, the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the metal tube 3 from the upper end thereof. In this embodiment, an optical fiber 2 having a tip 1b processed into a conical shape (sharpened) is used, and the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the metal tube 3 from the base end 1a side (the side opposite to the tip 1b) thereof. For example, when this is done manually, the outer peripheral surface near the upper end of the optical fiber 2 (for example, the side below the conductive transparent thin film) is held with a tool such as tweezers, and the lower end (the base end 1a side) of the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the metal tube 3 from the upper end thereof.

[0072] In this embodiment, the optical fiber strand 2 inserted from the upper end of the metal tube 3 has its tip 1b processed into a conical shape and is in a state before being coated with a conductive transparent thin film, but it may also be in a state where its tip 1b is coated with a conductive transparent thin film.

[0073] In this embodiment, molten liquid solder 4 is placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3. Therefore, when the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the metal tube 3, the liquid solder 4 adheres to the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber 2. As a result, when the optical fiber 2 is inserted into the metal tube 3, the liquid solder 4 adhering to the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber 2 can also be drawn into the metal tube 3.

[0074] When the lower end (the base end 1a side) of the optical fiber 2 passes through the inside of the metal tube 3 and emerges from the lower end (the other end side) of the metal tube 3, the lower end of the optical fiber 2 passes through the outlet portion 13 and emerges to the outside of the jig 10. As a result, the liquid solder 4 adheres to a part or all of the area of ​​the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube 3, and the solder 4 fills the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber 2 and the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube 3.

[0075] Usually, a single pass is enough to fill a sufficient amount of solder 4 into the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber 2 and the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube 3. However, if the amount of solder 4 filled is insufficient in a single pass or if air bubbles are mixed in, the optical fiber 2 may be moved back and forth up and down.

[0076] Next, in this embodiment, the lower end portion of the optical fiber 2 exposed to the outside from the outlet 13 of the jig 10 (the forward portion in the insertion direction of the optical fiber 2) is grasped with a tool such as tweezers, and this lower end portion is manipulated to position the optical fiber 2 at a predetermined position relative to the metal tube 3. More specifically, the lower end portion of the optical fiber 2 is manipulated to apply liquid solder 4 placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 to a lower portion of the processed tip portion of the tip 1b of the optical fiber 2 (a part on the forward side in the insertion direction of the optical fiber 2), as shown in FIG. 5(b). Thereafter, the lower end portion of the optical fiber 2 is manipulated to position the optical fiber 2 relative to the metal tube 3 so that the lower portion of the processed tip portion of the tip 1b of the optical fiber 2 is at a predetermined position protruding a predetermined small amount from the upper end of the metal tube 3, as shown in FIG. 5(c). This allows the conductive transparent thin film covering the tip 1b of the optical fiber 2 to be connected to the metal tube 3 by the solder 4, thereby establishing electrical continuity between them.

[0077] Thereafter, the portion of the metal tube 3 exposed above the metal tube installation hole 12 is grasped with an operating tool such as tweezers, and the metal tube 3 with the optical fiber 2 positioned therein is removed from the metal tube installation hole 12 of the jig 10, as shown in Fig. 5(d). At this time, the solder 4 is still in a molten liquid state, but the optical fiber 2 is held by the metal tube 3 due to the viscosity of the solder 4, and is removed together with the metal tube 3. Thereafter, the optical fiber 2 and the metal tube 3 are firmly soldered (bonded) together by natural cooling.

[0078] Then, the portion of the optical fiber 2 extending from the lower end side of the metal tube 3 (toward the base end 1a) is cut to the length of the optical fiber probe 1, and the cut surface is processed to be flat. In addition, a coating process is performed in which the portion of the optical fiber 2 on the tip end 1b side (sharpened portion) is coated with a conductive transparent thin film, which is a light-transmitting conductive material, by vapor deposition or the like, and the conductive transparent thin film is connected with solder. Note that if the optical fiber 2 is coated with a conductive transparent thin film in advance, this coating process is not necessary.

[0079] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide an optical fiber probe 1 having higher accuracy in outer diameter dimension and axial center position than conventional optical fiber probes in which a metal coating is formed on the outer peripheral surface of an optical fiber. This is because the outer dimensions and axial center position of the optical fiber probe 1 after manufacture are determined by the dimensional accuracy of the metal tube 3, and it is possible to obtain very high dimensional accuracy for an existing metal tube 3 of this size.

[0080] When manufacturing an optical fiber probe 1 (adhesive processed member) in which an optical fiber wire 2, which is an inserted member, is inserted into a metal tube 3, which is a cylindrical member, and bonded with solder 4, which is an adhesive, a problem arises in filling the small gap between the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber wire 2 with solder 4. One possible method for filling such a small gap with solder 4 is to apply high pressure or high suction force to draw the solder 4 into the gap, but this method requires complex mechanisms and expensive equipment for applying pressure or suction, and is often not practical due to the increased costs.

[0081] In this embodiment, a method is adopted in which solder 4 is applied to the optical fiber 2 to be bonded and then the optical fiber 2 is drawn into the metal tube 3, so that this can be achieved with just a simple mechanism such as the jig 10, and no complex mechanism or expensive equipment is required. In particular, according to this embodiment, the series of soldering operations (the bonding operations between the optical fiber 2 and the metal tube 3) can be completed within a few minutes at most. Therefore, the operation time is significantly reduced compared to the case where a metal plating operation is required as in the case of conventional optical fiber probes in which a metal coating is formed on the outer surface of the optical fiber.

[0082] Moreover, in this embodiment, a filling step is performed in which the liquid solder 4 placed on the upper end (one end) of the metal tube 3 in the placing step is drawn into the interior of the metal tube 3 to fill the metal tube 3 with the solder 4. Therefore, there is no need for a jig with a reservoir for storing the liquid solder 4. Therefore, according to the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the manufacturing method can be performed using a jig 10 that is smaller and has a simpler structure than conventional jigs that require such a reservoir.

[0083] 5(c), the optical fiber 2 is positioned relative to the metal tube 3 so that the lower portion of the conductive transparent thin film at the tip 1b of the optical fiber 2 is at a specified position that protrudes a small predetermined amount from the upper end of the metal tube 3. It is extremely difficult to perform such positioning by manipulating the upper end portion of the optical fiber 2 (the rear portion in the insertion direction of the optical fiber 2). Therefore, in a manufacturing method using a conventional jig in which a reservoir for storing liquid solder is disposed on the lower end side of the metal tube 3, it is necessary to manipulate the upper end portion (the rear portion in the insertion direction) of the optical fiber 2 to be inserted into the metal tube 3, making it extremely difficult to perform the above-mentioned positioning.

[0084] In contrast to this, in the positioning step in the manufacturing method of this embodiment, the lower end portion (the front portion in the insertion direction of the optical fiber 2) of the optical fiber 2 emerging from the lower end (the other end side) of the metal tube 3 is manipulated to position the optical fiber 2 at a specified position relative to the metal tube 3. Therefore, the upper end portion (the rear portion in the insertion direction) of the optical fiber 2 is not obstructed by an operating tool or the like, and the positioning as described above can be easily performed.

[0085] In this embodiment, the manufacturing method has been described using the optical fiber probe 1 as an example of an adhesively processed member, but the manufacturing method of an adhesively processed member of the present invention can also be applied to adhesively processed members other than the optical fiber probe 1. In other words, the manufacturing method of the present invention can be similarly applied to an adhesively processed member in which an inserted member to be inserted into a cylindrical member is bonded to the cylindrical member with an adhesive, even if the inserted member to be inserted into the cylindrical member is a member other than an optical fiber, for example.

[0086] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the specified position for positioning the optical fiber 2 relative to the metal tube 3 is a position where the tip 1b of the optical fiber 2 protrudes a small predetermined amount from the upper end (one end) of the metal tube 3. However, depending on the type of adhesively processed member to be manufactured, for example, there may be cases where positioning is performed such that the end of the inserted member on the rear side in the insertion direction is located inside the tubular member, and the positioning step in the manufacturing method of this embodiment is also effective in such cases. That is, in such cases, it is impossible to perform positioning by manipulating the rear side in the insertion direction of the inserted member, and therefore such adhesively processed members cannot be manufactured using conventional manufacturing methods that use jigs. However, in this embodiment, such positioning can be achieved, and such adhesively processed members can also be manufactured.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by inserting the optical fiber 2 into the metal tube 3 from the upper end (one end) side, the filling process of drawing the liquid solder 4 placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 into the metal tube 3 alone may result in an insufficient amount of solder 4 filling the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber 2. Because the upper end region of the metal tube 3 where the solder 4 is placed is narrow, the amount of solder 4 that can be placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 is limited, and as a result, an insufficient amount of solder 4 may be filled in the gap between the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer circumferential surface of the optical fiber 2.

[0088] In such a case, for example, a pre-treatment may be performed in which the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2 is coated with solder 4 in advance, or an optical fiber 2 whose outer peripheral surface is pre-coated with solder 4 may be used. In this case, even if the amount of solder 4 that can be placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 is limited, the shortage can be made up for by the solder 4 that has pre-coated the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the shortage of solder 4 that fills the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the optical fiber 2.

[0089] Furthermore, as in another example of the manufacturing method shown in Figures 6(a) to (f), a pre-adhesion step of adhering liquid solder 4 to the inner surface of the metal tube 3 may be performed before carrying out the placing step or filling step of this embodiment.

[0090] 6(a) to 6(f), first, the metal pipe 3 is inserted from the inlet 16 at the top of the metal block 14, and the metal pipe 3 is held in the metal pipe installation hole 12. Then, as shown in FIG. 6(a), a pre-attached solid solder 4' is placed on the upper end (one end) of the metal pipe 3. This solid solder 4 melts due to the heat of the heater 15, and the liquid solder 4 is placed on the upper end of the metal pipe 3.

[0091] Next, using an unprocessed optical fiber 2' as a long member different from the above-described optical fiber 2, whose tip 1b has not been processed, and with the upper portion of the optical fiber 2' held with a tool such as tweezers, the lower end of the unprocessed optical fiber 2' is inserted into the metal tube 3 from its upper end (one end) as shown in FIG. 6(b). After that, when the lower end of the unprocessed optical fiber 2' passes through the lower end (other end) of the metal tube 3 and extends outward from the outlet 13 of the jig 10, the extending portion is held with a tool such as tweezers, and the unprocessed optical fiber 2' is pulled downward. As a result, the liquid solder 4' placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 is drawn into the metal tube 3, and the liquid solder 4' is attached to a part or all of the inner circumferential surface of the metal tube 3.

[0092] After the above-described pre-adhesion step is performed, the manufacturing procedure (FIGS. 5(a) to (d)) in the above-described embodiment is performed as shown in FIGS. 6(c) to (f). In the filling step at this time, since the liquid solder 4' has already been applied to the inner surface of the metal tube 3 in the pre-adhesion step, even if the amount of solder 4 that can be placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 is limited, the shortage can be made up by the liquid solder 4' that has already been applied to the inner surface of the metal tube 3. Therefore, it is possible to eliminate the shortage of solder to fill the gap between the inner surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer surface of the optical fiber 2.

[0093] Although the long member used in the pre-attaching step uses the optical fiber 2' with an unprocessed tip here, any other long member may be used as long as it has dimensions similar to those of the optical fiber 2 and can draw the liquid solder 4 placed on the upper end of the metal tube 3 into the metal tube 3. Moreover, the above-mentioned optical fiber 2 itself may be used instead of the optical fiber 2' with an unprocessed tip.

[0094] In the above-described pre-adhesion step, the liquid solder 4' is pre-adhered to the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe 3 by placing the pre-adhesion solid solder 4' on the upper end (one end) of the metal pipe 3 and drawing the molten liquid solder 4' into the interior of the metal pipe 3. However, other methods can also be used. For example, a long member whose outer circumferential surface is pre-coated with liquid solder 4' is used, and this long member is inserted into the metal pipe 3 from the upper end. In this method, the solder 4' coating the outer circumferential surface of the long member is adhered to the inner circumferential surface of the metal pipe 3, so there is no need to place the pre-adhesion solid solder 4' on the upper end (one end) of the metal pipe 3.

[0095] Furthermore, in the soldering jig 10 of this embodiment, when the solder 4 is drawn into the metal tube 3 to fill the gap between the inner peripheral surface of the metal tube 3 and the outer peripheral surface of the bare fiber 2 in the above-mentioned filling step, the outlet 13 located at the bottom of the metal block 14 is likely to be contaminated by the solder 4. Furthermore, repeated insertion and removal of the metal tube 3 into and from the metal tube installation hole 12 of the metal block 14 tends to wear out the bottom of the metal tube installation hole 12 (near the outlet 13).

[0096] 7, the metal block 14 may be configured such that a replacement part 14B, which is a holding member component having an outlet 13, is replaceable with a metal block main body 14A, which is a holding member main body having a metal pipe installation hole 12. With this configuration, the parts that are easily soiled by the solder 4 and the parts that are easily worn by the metal pipe 3 can be partially replaced, allowing the entire jig 10 to be used for a long period of time.

[0097] 7, the jig 10 has a notch 14C formed in the metal block body 14A for alignment so that the center of the hole in the outlet portion 13 of the replacement part 14B can be aligned with the center of the metal pipe installation hole 12 in the metal block body 14A. By fitting the replacement part 14B into this notch 14C, the center of the hole in the outlet portion 13 of the replacement part 14B can be aligned with the center of the metal pipe installation hole 12 in the metal block body 14A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1: Optical fiber probe 1a: proximal end 1b: Tip 2, 2': Optical fiber 3:Metal tube 3a: Tapered 4,4': Solder 10: Jig 12:Metal pipe installation hole 13:Exit part 14: Metal block 14A: Metal block body 14B: Replacement parts 14C: Notch 15: Heater 16: Entrance 17: Thermocouple 20: Temperature control unit 100: Optical STM device 101: Cooling means 102: Vacuum container 103: Elbow pipe 103a: Fiber outlet 104,105: Sealing member 106: Vacuum sealing member 110: Sealed measurement chamber 111: Sample stage 120: Probe drive mechanism 121: Conical concave centering seat 130: Transmission optical fiber 131: Conical convex movable anchor spacer 132: Fixed anchor spacer 200: Sample 300: Vacuum exhaust device 301: Optical processing device

Claims

1. A method for manufacturing a bonded member in which a long inserted member to be inserted into a tubular member is bonded to the tubular member with an adhesive, a placing step of placing a liquid adhesive on one end of the cylindrical member; a filling step of inserting the inserted member into the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member, thereby drawing the liquid adhesive placed in the placing step into the tubular member and filling the liquid adhesive into a gap between the inner peripheral surface of the tubular member and the outer peripheral surface of the inserted member; a solidification step of solidifying the liquid adhesive while the inserted member is inserted into the tubular member in the filling step.

2. The method for producing a bonded member according to claim 1, a positioning step of positioning the inserted member at a specified position relative to the tubular member by operating a front portion of the inserted member in the insertion direction that has come out from the other end side of the tubular member in the filling step, The method for manufacturing a bonded member, wherein the solidifying step solidifies the liquid adhesive while the inserted member is positioned in the positioning step.

3. The method for producing a bonded member according to claim 2, A method for manufacturing adhesively processed members, characterized in that the specified position is a position where the end portion of the inserted member on the rear side in the insertion direction is located inside the tubular member or a position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond the one end of the tubular member.

4. The method for producing a bonded member according to claim 3, the inserted member is an optical fiber, The method for manufacturing an adhesive processed member, wherein the cylindrical member is a cylindrical member for reinforcing an optical fiber and for accommodating the optical fiber therein.

5. The method for producing a bonded member according to claim 4, the optical fiber has an end portion on the rear side in the insertion direction covered with a light-transmitting conductive material, the cylindrical member is a conductive member, the adhesive is a conductive adhesive, In the positioning step, the liquid adhesive is applied to a portion of the light-transmitting conductive material that covers the end of the optical fiber on the forward side in the insertion direction, and then the portion of the light-transmitting conductive material is positioned at a specified position where it protrudes a small predetermined amount beyond the one end of the tubular member.

6. The method for producing a bonded member according to claim 4, The optical fiber has a sharpened end portion on the rear side in the insertion direction, the cylindrical member is a conductive member, the adhesive is a conductive adhesive, In the positioning step, the liquid adhesive is applied to the sharpened portion of the end of the optical fiber or its vicinity by the operation, and then the sharpened portion is positioned at a specified position where it protrudes a predetermined small amount beyond the one end of the tubular member, A method for manufacturing an adhesive-processed member, characterized in that after the solidification step, a coating step is performed in which the sharpened portion of the optical fiber is coated with an optically transparent conductive material to connect the optically transparent conductive material and the adhesive.

7. The method for producing a bonded processed member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, the adhesive is solder; The method for manufacturing a bonded member is characterized in that in the placing step, the solid solder placed on the one end of the cylindrical member is melted by heat to become liquid solder.

8. The method for producing a bonded processed member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A method for manufacturing a bonded member, wherein the one end of the cylindrical member is formed with a taper that narrows toward the inside of the cylindrical member.

9. The method for producing a bonded processed member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A method for manufacturing a bonded member, characterized in that a pre-adhesion step is carried out before the placement step, in which a liquid adhesive is placed on one end of the tubular member, and a long member that is the same as or different from the inserted member is inserted into the interior of the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member, thereby drawing the liquid adhesive into the interior of the tubular member and adhering the liquid adhesive to the inner surface of the tubular member.

10. The method for producing a bonded processed member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A method for manufacturing a bonded member, characterized in that a pre-adhesion process is carried out before the placing process, in which a liquid adhesive is coated on the outer surface of an elongated member that is the same as or different from the inserted member, and the elongated member is inserted into the interior of the tubular member from the one end side of the tubular member, thereby adhering the liquid adhesive on the outer surface of the elongated member to the inner surface of the tubular member.

11. The method for producing a bonded processed member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, A method for manufacturing adhesive-processed members, characterized in that the inserted member to be inserted into the inside of the tubular member in the filling process has its outer surface pre-coated with liquid adhesive.

12. A jig used in the method for producing a bonded processed member according to any one of claims 1 to 6, a holding member having a holding space in which the tubular member is held; The holding member is an inlet portion for inserting the cylindrical member into the holding space along the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical member; a holding portion that holds the tubular member inserted into the holding space; A jig characterized by having an outlet portion on the opposite side of the inlet portion, which connects the holding space with the outside of the jig and through which the inserted member inserted into the inside of the tubular member held in the holding space can pass.

13. The jig according to claim 12, The holding member is configured such that a holding member part having the outlet portion is replaceable with respect to a holding member main body having the holding space.

Images