Analytical device

Abstract

To improve analysis accuracy of an analyzer that uses primary electromagnetic waves and secondary electromagnetic waves.SOLUTION: An analysis observation device A comprises: an electromagnetic wave emitting unit 71 that emits primary electromagnetic waves; a reflection type objective lens 74 that has a primary mirror 11 provided with a primary reflection surface 11b reflecting secondary electromagnetic waves and a secondary mirror 12 provided with a secondary reflection surface 12b receiving and reflecting the secondary electromagnetic waves; first and second detectors 77A, 77B that each receive the secondary electromagnetic waves and generate an intensity distribution spectrum; and a control unit 21 that performs component analysis of a sample SP on the basis of, the intensity distribution spectra. The secondary mirror 12 is provided at its center part with a transmission area 12a through which the primary electromagnetic waves transmit. The transmission area 12a transmits primary electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit 71 and passing through an opening 11a of the primary mirror 11 to emit the primary electromagnetic waves along an analysis optical axis Aa of the reflection type objective lens 74.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8A

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The technology disclosed herein relates to an analytical apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an analytical apparatus (spectroscopic apparatus) for performing component analysis of a sample. Specifically, the spectroscopic apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a condenser lens for condensing a primary electromagnetic wave (ultraviolet laser light) and a collection head for collecting a secondary electromagnetic wave (plasma) generated on the sample surface corresponding to the primary electromagnetic wave, in order to perform component analysis using Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS). According to Patent Document 1, by measuring the peak of the spectrum of the sample from the signal of the secondary electromagnetic wave, chemical analysis of the sample based on the measured peak can be performed.

[0003] In addition, the collection head according to Patent Document 1 is connected to a detector (spectrometer) via an optical fiber, and the secondary electromagnetic wave (plasma) generated on the sample surface is configured to be guided to the detector (spectrometer) via the optical fiber.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] By the way, in an analytical apparatus as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the secondary electromagnetic wave guided to the detector is likely to be attenuated, which is inconvenient for improving the analysis accuracy.

[0006] The technology disclosed herein has been developed in view of the above, and its purpose is to improve the analytical accuracy of analytical devices that utilize primary and secondary electromagnetic waves. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The first aspect of this disclosure relates to an analytical apparatus for performing component analysis of an analyte. This analytical apparatus comprises an electromagnetic wave emission unit that emits primary electromagnetic waves for analyzing the object to be analyzed; a primary mirror having an opening in the radial center and a primary reflective surface provided around the opening that reflects secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the object to be analyzed in response to the emission of the primary electromagnetic waves, and a secondary mirror having a secondary reflective surface that receives and further reflects the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the primary reflective surface, and a reflective objective lens that focuses the secondary electromagnetic waves using the primary and secondary mirrors and guides them to the opening; a detector that receives the secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the object to be analyzed and focused by the reflective objective lens, and generates an intensity distribution spectrum which is the intensity distribution for each wavelength of the secondary electromagnetic waves; and a processing unit that performs component analysis of the object to be analyzed based on the intensity distribution spectrum generated by the detector, wherein the secondary reflective surface is provided on the outer edge of the secondary mirror, and a transmission region through which the primary electromagnetic waves pass is provided in the center of the secondary mirror.

[0008] Furthermore, according to a first aspect of the present disclosure, the transmission region is configured to transmit the primary electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission section and passing through the opening, thereby causing the primary electromagnetic waves to be emitted along the optical axis of the reflective objective lens.

[0009] According to the first embodiment described above, the primary electromagnetic wave is irradiated onto the object to be analyzed in a state coaxial with the optical axis of the reflective objective lens, i.e., without any angle. This makes it possible to collect as much as possible of the secondary electromagnetic wave generated in the object to be analyzed by the primary mirror. This increases the intensity of the secondary electromagnetic wave reaching the detector, and consequently improves the detection accuracy of the analytical device.

[0010] Furthermore, according to a second aspect of this disclosure, the analytical apparatus may include a parabolic mirror that reflects the secondary electromagnetic waves focused by the reflective objective lens, and the parabolic mirror is configured to focus the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the parabolic mirror onto the detector.

[0011] According to the second embodiment described above, the secondary electromagnetic wave reaches the detector via a parabolic mirror. By configuring the system to guide the secondary electromagnetic wave using a reflection system in this way, a fiberless configuration can be realized that eliminates the need for optical fibers. This minimizes the loss of the secondary electromagnetic wave and, consequently, is advantageous in improving the detection accuracy of the analytical instrument.

[0012] Furthermore, according to a third aspect of this disclosure, the analytical apparatus may include a spectroscopic element made of a material that has a higher transmittance of a second component belonging to a wavelength region of a predetermined wavelength or greater than a first component belonging to a wavelength region of a predetermined wavelength or less, the spectroscopic element is configured to receive the secondary electromagnetic waves focused by the reflective objective lens, reflect the secondary electromagnetic waves corresponding to the first component, and transmit the secondary electromagnetic waves corresponding to the second component, and the detector may include a first detector into which the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the spectroscopic element are incident, and a second detector into which the secondary electromagnetic waves transmitted through the spectroscopic element are incident.

[0013] According to the third embodiment, the analytical apparatus is configured to guide the first component in the ultraviolet region, where loss due to transmission through the glass material is a concern, to the first detector without transmitting through the glass material, while guiding the second component in the infrared region, where the loss effect is smaller than that of the first component, to the second detector by transmitting through the glass material. This configuration makes it possible to achieve detection by multiple detectors while suppressing secondary electromagnetic wave loss as much as possible. Detection by multiple detectors contributes to improving wavelength resolution. This contributes to improving measurement accuracy due to the suppression of secondary electromagnetic wave loss and the improvement of wavelength resolution.

[0014] Furthermore, according to a fourth aspect of the present disclosure, the analytical apparatus may include a deflection element into which the primary electromagnetic wave emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit is incident and which deflects the primary electromagnetic wave in the direction of the optical axis of the reflective objective lens, wherein the deflection element has a reflective region positioned opposite the transmission region so as to reflect the primary electromagnetic wave along the optical axis of the reflective objective lens, and a hollow region through which the secondary electromagnetic wave focused by the reflective objective lens passes.

[0015] According to the fourth embodiment described above, the deflection element reflects primary electromagnetic waves through the reflection region and guides them to the reflective objective lens, while allowing secondary electromagnetic waves to pass through the hollow region. By allowing secondary electromagnetic waves to pass through the hollow region, the loss of secondary electromagnetic waves can be suppressed. Therefore, the fifth embodiment described above is effective in achieving both coaxial alignment of primary electromagnetic waves by the reflection region and improved measurement accuracy due to the suppression of secondary electromagnetic wave loss.

[0016] Furthermore, according to a fifth aspect of the present disclosure, the analytical apparatus may include an analytical housing for housing the deflection element, the deflection element being attached to the analytical housing and comprising a plate-shaped element support member having a through hole, a mirror member positioned in the center of the through hole and constituting the reflection region, and a first support leg extending radially from the outer surface of the mirror member and connected to the inner surface of the through hole, wherein the hollow region is demarcated by the inner surface of the through hole and the outer surface of the mirror member.

[0017] According to the fifth aspect described above, a single deflection element can simultaneously create both a reflective region and a hollow region. Such a configuration is effective in achieving both coaxial alignment of the primary electromagnetic wave due to the reflective region and improved measurement accuracy due to suppression of secondary electromagnetic wave loss.

[0018] Furthermore, according to a sixth aspect of the present disclosure, the secondary mirror may be connected to the analysis housing via an annular mirror support member arranged around the secondary reflective surface and attached to the analysis housing, and second support legs extending radially from the outer edge of the secondary reflective surface and connected to the inner circumferential surface of the mirror support member, wherein the first and second support legs are arranged to overlap each other when viewed along the optical axis of the reflective objective lens.

[0019] According to the sixth embodiment described above, secondary electromagnetic waves that have passed through the region near the first support leg can pass through the deflection element without being blocked by the second support leg. This is effective in suppressing the loss of secondary electromagnetic waves and, consequently, improving the measurement accuracy in the analytical device.

[0020] Furthermore, according to a seventh aspect of this disclosure, the element support member may be attached to the analysis housing in a position in which its thickness direction is inclined with respect to the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens, and the through hole may be formed to penetrate the element support member along the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens.

[0021] According to the seventh embodiment described above, the through-holes that demarcate the hollow region are formed to extend along the optical axis of the reflective objective lens. By forming them in this way, the through-holes can be configured to be rotationally symmetrical about the optical axis. This ensures a distance between the inner surface of the through-holes and the secondary electromagnetic waves passing through the hollow region, thereby suppressing interference between the through-holes and the secondary electromagnetic waves. This is effective in suppressing the loss of secondary electromagnetic waves and contributes to improving measurement accuracy.

[0022] Furthermore, according to an eighth aspect of this disclosure, the analytical apparatus may include an imaging unit that collects reflected light reflected from the object to be analyzed via the reflective objective lens and detects the amount of light received by the collected reflected light, wherein the imaging unit collects the reflected light via an optical path common with the secondary electromagnetic wave focused by the reflective objective lens.

[0023] According to this configuration, in addition to the primary electromagnetic wave, the optical axis of the imaging unit is also coaxial with the reflective objective lens. As a result, with one reflective objective lens, it is possible to realize three functions, namely, irradiation of the primary electromagnetic wave onto the analysis object, collection of the secondary electromagnetic wave from the analysis object, and imaging of the analysis object by the imaging unit, without interfering with each other.

[0024] Further, according to the ninth aspect of the present disclosure, an optical thin film that blocks the reflected light reflected by the analysis object is interposed between the transmission region and the mounting surface on which the analysis object is mounted, and the imaging unit may collect the reflected light reflected by the primary reflection surface and the secondary reflection surface.

[0025] According to the ninth aspect, it is possible to suppress the collection of reflected light passing through the transmission region and collect the reflected light only by the primary reflection surface and the secondary reflection surface. As a result, it is possible to suppress the possibility that the reflected light forms a double image in the imaging unit, which is advantageous for improving the measurement accuracy.

[0026] Further, according to the tenth aspect of the present disclosure, the analysis device may include coaxial illumination for irradiating the analysis object with illumination light, and the coaxial illumination may irradiate the illumination light through an optical path coaxial with the primary electromagnetic wave emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit.

[0027] According to this configuration, in addition to the optical axis of the imaging unit, the illumination device is also coaxial with the reflective objective lens. As a result, with one reflective objective lens, it is possible to realize four functions, namely, irradiation of the primary electromagnetic wave onto the analysis object, collection of the secondary electromagnetic wave from the analysis object, imaging of the analysis object by the imaging unit, and irradiation of the illumination light onto the analysis object, without interfering with each other.

[0028] Furthermore, according to an eleventh aspect of this disclosure, the electromagnetic wave emitting unit may be composed of a laser light source that emits laser light as the primary electromagnetic wave, the reflective objective lens collects the light generated in the object to be analyzed in response to the irradiation of the laser light emitted from the electromagnetic wave emitting unit, and the detector generates an intensity distribution spectrum which is the intensity distribution for each wavelength of the light generated in the object to be analyzed and collected by the reflective objective lens. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] As explained above, this disclosure makes it possible to improve the analytical accuracy of an analytical device that utilizes primary and secondary electromagnetic waves. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0030] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of the analytical and observation device. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating an optical system assembly. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a side view illustrating an optical system assembly. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view illustrating an optical system assembly. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view illustrating an optical system assembly. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the optical system assembly. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of an analytical optical system. [Figure 8A] Figure 8A is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a reflective objective lens and side illumination. [Figure 8B] Figure 8B is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of a reflective objective lens and side illumination. [Figure 9] Figure 9 is a diagram illustrating the mounting structure of the first and second detectors. [Figure 10]Figure 10 is a bottom view illustrating the configuration of a reflective objective lens and side illumination. [Figure 11] Figure 11 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a secondary mirror. [Figure 12] Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of a deflection element. [Figure 13] Figure 13 is a plan view illustrating the positional relationship between the secondary mirror and the deflection element. [Figure 14] Figure 14 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship between the primary mirror, secondary mirror, and deflection element. [Figure 15] Figure 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the slide mechanism. [Figure 16A] Figure 16A is a diagram illustrating the horizontal movement of the head unit. [Figure 16B] Figure 16B is a diagram illustrating the horizontal movement of the head unit. [Figure 17A] Figure 17A is a diagram illustrating the operation of the tilting mechanism. [Figure 17B] Figure 17B is a diagram illustrating the operation of the tilting mechanism. [Figure 18] Figure 18 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the controller unit. [Figure 19] Figure 19 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit. [Figure 20] Figure 20 is a flowchart illustrating the basic operation of the analytical and observation device. [Figure 21] Figure 21 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for setting lighting conditions using the lighting settings unit. [Figure 22] Figure 22 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for analyzing a sample using an analytical optical system and the procedure for controlling the lighting state using an illumination control unit. [Figure 23] Figure 23 is an example of the display screen of an analytical observation device. [Figure 24] Figure 24 illustrates image data generated using side illumination in the second mode. [Figure 25]Figure 25 illustrates image data generated using coaxial illumination in the second mode. [Figure 26] Figure 26 illustrates image data generated using coaxial illumination in the first mode. [Figure 27] Figure 27 illustrates image data generated using side illumination in the first mode. [Figure 28] Figure 28 is a bottom view showing a modified example of side illumination. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0031] The embodiments of this disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is illustrative.

[0032] <Overall configuration of analysis and observation device A> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the overall configuration of analytical observation apparatus A as an analytical apparatus according to the embodiment of this disclosure. Analytical observation apparatus A illustrated in Figure 1 can perform magnified observation of the object to be observed and the sample SP as the object to be analyzed, and can also perform component analysis of the sample SP.

[0033] More specifically, the analytical observation device A according to this embodiment can magnify and image a sample SP consisting of, for example, a minute object, an electronic component, or a workpiece, in order to search for areas in the sample SP where component analysis should be performed, or to inspect and measure its appearance. Focusing on its observation function, the analytical observation device A can be called a magnifying observation device, simply a microscope, or a digital microscope.

[0034] The analytical observation device A can also perform techniques such as laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and laser-induced plasma spectroscopy (LIPS) when analyzing the components of sample SP. When focusing on its analytical functions, the analytical observation device A can also be referred to as a component analyzer, simply an analyzer, or a spectrometer.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the analysis and observation apparatus A according to this embodiment comprises, as its main components, an optical system assembly (optical system body) 1, a controller body 2, and an operation unit 3.

[0036] Of these components, the optical system assembly 1 performs imaging and analysis of the sample SP, and can output electrical signals corresponding to the imaging and analysis results to an external source.

[0037] The controller body 2 has a control unit 21 for controlling various components that make up the optical system assembly 1, such as the first camera 81. The controller body 2 can cause the optical system assembly 1 to observe and analyze the sample SP via the control unit 21. The controller body 2 also has a display unit 22 that can display various information. This display unit 22 can display images captured by the optical system assembly 1, data showing the analysis results of the sample SP, and so on.

[0038] The operation unit 3 includes a mouse 31, a console 32, and a keyboard 33 that accept user input (the keyboard 33 is shown only in Figure 18). The console 32 allows the user to instruct the controller unit 2 to capture image data, adjust brightness, focus the first camera 81, etc., by operating buttons, adjustment knobs, etc.

[0039] The operation unit 3 does not need to have all three: the mouse 31, console 32, and keyboard 33; it may have any one or two of them. In addition to or instead of the mouse 31, console 32, and keyboard 33, a touch panel input device, a voice input device, etc., may be used. In the case of a touch panel input device, it can be configured to detect any position on the screen displayed on the display unit 22.

[0040] <Details of Optical System Assembly 1> Figures 2 to 4 are perspective, side, and front views illustrating optical system assembly 1, respectively. Figure 5 is an exploded perspective view of optical system assembly 1, and Figure 6 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of optical system assembly 1.

[0041] As shown in Figures 1 to 6, the optical system assembly 1 comprises a stage 4 that supports various instruments and on which a sample SP is placed, and a head unit 6 attached to the stage 4. Here, the head unit 6 is formed by mounting an observation housing 90, which houses an observation optical system 9, onto an analysis housing 70, which houses an analysis optical system 7. Here, the analysis optical system 7 is an optical system for performing component analysis of the sample SP. The observation optical system 9 is an optical system for performing magnified observation of the sample SP. The head unit 6 is configured as a group of devices that combine the functions of sample analysis and magnified observation of the sample SP.

[0042] In the following explanation, the front-to-back and left-to-right directions of the optical system assembly 1 are defined as shown in Figures 1 to 4. That is, the side facing the user is the front of the optical system assembly 1, and the opposite side is the rear of the optical system assembly 1. When the user and the optical system assembly 1 are facing each other, the right side of the optical system assembly 1 is to the user's perspective, and the left side is to the user's perspective. Note that the definitions of the front-to-back and left-to-right directions are for the purpose of aiding understanding of the explanation and do not limit the actual usage state. It may be used with either direction as the front.

[0043] Furthermore, in the following explanation, the left-right direction of the optical system assembly 1 is defined as the "X direction," the front-back direction of the optical system assembly 1 is defined as the "Y direction," the up-down direction of the optical system assembly 1 is defined as the "Z direction," and the direction of rotation around an axis parallel to this Z axis is defined as the "φ direction." The X and Y directions are orthogonal to each other on the same horizontal plane, and the direction along that horizontal plane is defined as the "horizontal direction." The Z axis is the direction of the normal that is orthogonal to that horizontal plane. These definitions can also be changed as appropriate.

[0044] As will be described in more detail later, the head portion 6 can move along the central axis Ac shown in Figures 2 to 6, or swing around this central axis Ac. This central axis Ac is configured to extend along the horizontal direction, particularly the front-to-back direction, as shown in Figure 6, etc.

[0045] (Stage 4) Stage 4 comprises a base 41 that is installed on a workbench or the like, a stand 42 connected to the base 41, and a mounting platform 5 supported by the base 41 or the stand 42. Stage 4 is a component that defines the relative positional relationship between the mounting platform 5 and the head unit 6, and is configured to be able to mount at least the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 of the head unit 6.

[0046] The base 41 constitutes the lower half of the stage 4 and, as shown in Figure 2, is formed in a pedestal shape with a longer front-to-back dimension compared to its left-to-right dimension. The base 41 has a bottom surface that can be placed on a workbench or the like. A mounting platform 5 is attached to the front part of the base 41.

[0047] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6 and other figures, the rear portion of the base 41 (particularly the portion located behind the mounting platform 5) is provided with a first support portion 41a and a second support portion 41b, arranged in order from the front. Both the first and second support portions 41a and 41b are provided so as to protrude upward from the base 41. The first and second support portions 41a and 41b have circular bearing holes (not shown) that are arranged concentrically with the central axis Ac.

[0048] The stand 42 constitutes the upper half of the stage 4 and, as shown in Figures 2-3, Figure 6, etc., is formed as a column extending vertically perpendicular to the base 41 (especially the bottom surface of the base 41). The head portion 6 is attached to the front of the upper part of the stand 42 via a separate mounting device 43.

[0049] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6 and other figures, the lower part of the stand 42 is provided with a first mounting portion 42a and a second mounting portion 42b, arranged in order from the front. The first and second mounting portions 42a and 42b are configured to correspond to the first and second support portions 41a and 41b described above. Specifically, the first and second support portions 41a and 41b, and the first and second mounting portions 42a and 42b are arranged such that the first support portion 41a is sandwiched between the first mounting portion 42a and the second mounting portion 42b, and the second mounting portion 42b is sandwiched between the first support portion 41a and the second support portion 41b.

[0050] Furthermore, the first and second mounting portions 42a and 42b are formed with circular bearing holes (not shown) that are concentric and of the same diameter as the bearing holes formed in the first and second support portions 41a and 41b. The shaft member 44 is inserted into these bearing holes via bearings (not shown), such as cross roller bearings. The shaft member 44 is positioned so that its axis is concentric with the aforementioned central axis Ac. By inserting the shaft member 44, the base 41 and the stand 42 are connected so that they can swing relative to each other. The shaft member 44, together with the first and second support portions 41a and 41b and the first and second mounting portions 42a and 42b, constitute the tilting mechanism 45 in this embodiment.

[0051] By connecting the base 41 and the stand 42 via the tilting mechanism 45, the stand 42 is supported by the base 41 in a state where it can swing around the central axis Ac. By swinging around the central axis Ac, the stand 42 tilts in the left-right direction with respect to a predetermined reference axis As (see Figures 17A and 17B). In the non-tilted state shown in Figure 4, etc., this reference axis As can be an axis extending perpendicularly to the upper surface (mounting surface 51a) of the mounting table 5. The central axis Ac also functions as the central axis (center of rotation) of the swing caused by the tilting mechanism 45.

[0052] Specifically, the tilting mechanism 45 according to this embodiment allows the stand 42 to be tilted approximately 90° to the right with respect to the reference axis As, or approximately 60° to the left with respect to the reference axis As. As mentioned above, the head portion 6 is attached to the stand 42, so this head portion 6 can also be tilted in the left-right direction with respect to the reference axis As. Tilting the head portion 6 is equivalent to tilting the analytical optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9, and consequently, tilting the analytical optical axis Aa and the observation optical axis Ao, which will be described later.

[0053] The mounting device 43 includes a rail portion 43a that guides the head portion 6 along the longitudinal direction of the stand 42 (which coincides with the vertical direction when not tilted; hereafter referred to as the "approximately vertical direction"), and a lock lever 43b for locking the relative position of the head portion 6 with respect to the rail portion 43a. The rear portion of the head portion 6 (specifically the head mounting member 61) is inserted into the rail portion 43a, and it can be moved along the approximately vertical direction. Then, by operating the lock lever 43b with the head portion 6 set to the desired position, the head portion 6 can be fixed in the desired position. In addition, the position of the head portion 6 can be adjusted by operating the first operation dial 46 shown in Figures 2 and 3.

[0054] Furthermore, the stage 4 or head unit 6 incorporates a head drive unit 47 for moving the head unit 6 in a substantially vertical direction. This head drive unit 47 includes an actuator (e.g., a stepping motor) not shown, controlled by the controller body 2, and a motion conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the output shaft of the stepping motor into substantially vertical linear motion, and moves the head unit 6 based on drive pulses input from the controller body 2. By moving the head unit 6 with the head drive unit 47, the head unit 6, and consequently the analysis optical axis Aa and observation optical axis Ao, can be moved along a substantially vertical direction.

[0055] The mounting platform 5 is positioned in front of the center of the base 41 in the front-to-back direction and is attached to the upper surface of the base 41. The mounting platform 5 is configured as an electrically operated mounting platform provided in an open space, and the sample SP placed on its mounting surface 51a can be moved horizontally, raised and lowered vertically, and rotated along the φ direction.

[0056] Specifically, the mounting table 5 according to this embodiment includes a mounting table body 51 having a mounting surface 51a for mounting a sample SP, a mounting table support part 52 positioned between the base 41 and the mounting table body 51 and displacing the mounting table body 51, and a mounting table drive part 53 shown in Figure 18, which will be described later.

[0057] The mounting platform body 51 has an upper surface that constitutes a mounting surface 51a. This mounting surface 51a is formed to extend substantially horizontally. A sample SP is placed on the mounting surface 51a in an open-air state, that is, not housed in a vacuum chamber or the like.

[0058] The mounting base support portion 52 is a member that connects the base 41 and the mounting base body 51, and is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape that extends along the vertical direction. The mounting base support portion 52 can house the mounting base drive unit 53.

[0059] The mounting platform drive unit 53 includes a plurality of actuators (e.g., stepping motors) controlled by the controller body 2, and a motion conversion mechanism that converts the rotation of the output shafts of the stepping motors into linear motion. Based on drive pulses input from the controller body 2, the mounting platform body 51 is moved. By moving the mounting platform body 51, the mounting platform body 51, and consequently the sample SP placed on its mounting surface 51a, can be moved along the horizontal and vertical directions.

[0060] Similarly, the mounting platform drive unit 53 can also rotate the mounting platform body 51 along the φ direction based on drive pulses input from the controller body 2. By rotating the mounting platform body 51, the mounting platform drive unit 53 can also rotate the sample SP placed on the mounting surface 51a in the φ direction.

[0061] Furthermore, the mounting base body 51 can also be manually moved and rotated by operating the second operation dial 54, as illustrated in Figure 2. Details of the second operation dial 54 are omitted.

[0062] Returning to the description of the base 41 and stand 42, the base 41 has a first tilt sensor Sw3 built into it. This first tilt sensor Sw3 can detect the tilt of the reference axis As perpendicular to the mounting surface 51a with respect to the direction of gravity. On the other hand, the stand 42 has a second tilt sensor Sw4 attached to it. This second tilt sensor Sw4 can detect the tilt of the analysis optical system 7 with respect to the direction of gravity (more specifically, the tilt of the analysis optical axis Aa with respect to the direction of gravity). The detection signals from both the first tilt sensor Sw3 and the second tilt sensor Sw4 are input to the control unit 21.

[0063] (Head section 6) The head unit 6 includes an analysis optical system 7 housed in an analysis housing 70, an observation optical system 9 housed in an observation housing 90, a head mounting member 61, a housing connector 64, and a sliding mechanism (horizontal drive mechanism) 65. The head mounting member 61 is a member for connecting the analysis housing 70 to the stand 42. The housing connector 64 is a member for connecting the observation housing 90 to the analysis housing 70. The sliding mechanism 65 is a mechanism for sliding the analysis housing 70 relative to the stand 42.

[0064] More specifically, the head mounting member 61 according to this embodiment is positioned on the rear side of the head portion 6 and is configured as a plate-shaped member for attaching the head portion 6 to the stand 42. As described above, the head mounting member 61 is fixed to the mounting device 43 of the stand 42.

[0065] The head mounting member 61 has a plate body 61a extending substantially parallel to the rear surface of the head portion 6, and a cover member 61b protruding forward from the lower end of the plate body 61a. In the first mode (first state) described later, where the reflective objective lens 74 is facing the sample SP, the plate body 61a is spaced apart from the rear surface of the head portion 6 in the front-rear direction. In the second mode (second state) described later, where the objective lens 92 is facing the sample SP, the plate body 61a is in close contact with or close to the rear surface of the head portion 6.

[0066] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, a guide rail 65a, which constitutes the sliding mechanism 65, is attached to the left end of the head mounting member 61. The guide rail 65a connects the head mounting member 61 to other elements of the head portion 6 (specifically, the analytical optical system 7, the observation optical system 9, and the housing connector 64) so ​​that they can be displaced relative to each other in the horizontal direction.

[0067] The configurations of the analytical optical system 7 and analytical housing 70, the observation optical system 9 and observation housing 90, the housing connector 64, and the slide mechanism 65 will be described in order below.

[0068] -Analysis optical system 7- Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the analytical optical system 7. Figures 8A and 8B are longitudinal cross-sectional views illustrating the configuration of the reflective objective lens 74 and the side illumination 84. Figure 10 is a bottom view illustrating the configuration of the reflective objective lens 74 and the side illumination 84.

[0069] Furthermore, Figure 11 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the secondary mirror 12, Figure 12 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of the deflection element 73, Figure 13 is a plan view illustrating the positional relationship between the secondary mirror 12 and the deflection element 73, and Figure 14 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating the positional relationship between the primary mirror 11, the secondary mirror 12, and the deflection element 73.

[0070] The analytical optical system 7 is a collection of components for analyzing the sample SP as the object to be analyzed, and each component is housed in the analytical housing 70. The components constituting the analytical optical system 7 include an electromagnetic wave emission unit 71, a collection head consisting of a reflective objective lens 74, and a detector consisting of a first detector 77A and a second detector 77B. At least these components are housed in the analytical housing 70. The elements for analyzing the sample SP also include a control unit 21 as a processing unit.

[0071] The analytical optical system 7 can perform analysis using, for example, the LIBS method. A communication cable C1 for sending and receiving electrical signals to and from the controller body 2 is connected to the analytical optical system 7. This communication cable C1 is not mandatory, and the analytical optical system 7 and the controller body 2 may be connected by wireless communication.

[0072] The term "optical system" used here is used in a broad sense. That is, the analytical optical system 7 is defined as a system that includes not only optical elements such as lenses, but also a light source, an image sensor, etc. The same applies to the observation optical system 9.

[0073] As shown in Figure 7, the analytical optical system 7 according to this embodiment includes an electromagnetic wave emission unit 71, an output adjustment means 72, a deflection element 73, a reflective objective lens 74 as a collection head, a spectroscopic element 75 as a wavelength selection element, a first parabolic mirror 76A, a first detector 77A, a first beam splitter 78A, a second parabolic mirror 76B, a second detector 77B, a second beam splitter 78B, a coaxial illumination 79, an imaging lens 80, a first camera 81 as an imaging unit, and a side illumination 84. Some of the components of the analytical optical system 7 are also shown in Figure 6. The side illumination 84 is shown only in Figures 8A, 8B, and 10 (it is not shown in Figure 7).

[0074] The electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 emits primary electromagnetic waves for analyzing the sample SP. In particular, the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 according to this embodiment is composed of a laser light source that emits laser light as the primary electromagnetic wave.

[0075] Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 according to this embodiment includes an excitation light source composed of a laser diode (LD) or the like, a focusing lens that focuses the laser output from the excitation light source and emits it as laser excitation light, a laser medium that generates a fundamental wave based on the laser excitation light, a Q switch for pulse oscillation of the fundamental wave, a rear mirror and an output mirror for resonating the fundamental wave, and a wavelength conversion element that converts the wavelength of the laser light output from the output mirror.

[0076] Here, as the laser medium, it is preferable to use, for example, a rod-shaped Nd:YAG in order to obtain a high energy per pulse. In this embodiment, the wavelength of the photons emitted from the laser medium by stimulated emission (the so-called fundamental wavelength) is set to 1064 nm in the infrared region.

[0077] Furthermore, a passive Q-switch can be used as the Q-switch, in which the transmittance increases when the intensity of the fundamental wave exceeds a predetermined threshold. A passive Q-switch is composed of a supersaturated absorber such as Cr:YAG. By using a passive Q-switch, it becomes possible to automatically generate pulses when more than a predetermined amount of energy is accumulated in the laser medium. Alternatively, a so-called active Q-switch, in which the attenuation rate can be controlled externally, can also be used.

[0078] Furthermore, the wavelength conversion element is configured to use two nonlinear optical crystals such as LBO (LiB3O3). By using two crystals, it is possible to generate the third harmonic from the fundamental wave. In this embodiment, the wavelength of the third harmonic is set to 355 nm in the ultraviolet region.

[0079] In other words, the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 according to this embodiment can output laser light consisting of ultraviolet light as the primary electromagnetic wave. This makes it possible to perform analysis by the LIBS method even on optically transparent samples SP, such as glass. In addition, a very small percentage of laser light in the ultraviolet region reaches the human retina. By configuring the device so that the laser light does not form an image on the retina, the safety of the device can be enhanced.

[0080] The output adjustment means 72 is positioned on the optical path connecting the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and the deflection element 73, and can adjust the output of the laser light (primary electromagnetic wave). Specifically, the output adjustment means 72 according to this embodiment includes a half-wave plate 72a and a polarizing beam splitter 72b. The half-wave plate 72a is configured to rotate relative to the polarizing beam splitter 72b, and the amount of light passing through the polarizing beam splitter 72b can be adjusted by controlling its rotation angle.

[0081] The laser light (primary electromagnetic wave), whose output has been adjusted by the output adjustment means 72, is reflected by a mirror (not shown) and enters the optical base 700.

[0082] As shown in Figure 7, the optical base 700 is located inside the analysis housing 70 and partitions the space for housing the optical elements that constitute the analysis optical system 7. Specifically, the optical base 700 according to this embodiment houses a deflection element 73, a spectroscopic element 75, a first parabolic mirror 76A, a first beam splitter 78A, a second parabolic mirror 76B, a second beam splitter 78B, an optical element 79b that constitutes the coaxial illumination 79, and an imaging lens 80. The optical base 700 is also located adjacent to the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 in the internal space of the analysis housing 70. The optical base 700 corresponds to a "second housing" provided inside the analysis housing 70.

[0083] The deflection element 73 receives laser light (primary electromagnetic wave) emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and deflects this laser light (primary electromagnetic wave) in the direction of the optical axis of the reflective objective lens 74 (along the direction of the analysis optical axis Aa).

[0084] More specifically, the deflection element 73 is arranged to reflect the primary electromagnetic waves output from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and passed through the output adjustment means 72, and guide them to the sample SP via the reflective objective lens 74. At the same time, it also passes through the secondary electromagnetic waves generated at the sample SP in response to these primary electromagnetic waves (light emitted in conjunction with the plasma formation that occurs on the surface of the sample SP, hereinafter also referred to as "plasma light") and guides them to the first detector 77A and the second detector 77B. The deflection element 73 is also arranged to pass through the visible light focused for imaging and guide most of it to the first camera 81.

[0085] The reflective objective lens 74 functions as a collection head that collects secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP in response to the emission of primary electromagnetic waves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71. In particular, the reflective objective lens 74 according to this embodiment is configured to focus the laser light as the primary electromagnetic wave and irradiate the sample SP with it, and to collect the plasma light (secondary electromagnetic wave) generated in the sample SP in response to the laser light (primary electromagnetic wave) irradiated onto the sample SP. In this case, the secondary electromagnetic wave corresponds to the electromagnetic wave emitted in conjunction with the plasma formation that occurs on the surface of the sample SP.

[0086] The reflective objective lens 74 is configured to coaxially integrate the optical system for the emission of primary electromagnetic waves from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and the optical system for receiving reflected light at the first camera 81 and receiving secondary electromagnetic waves at the first and second detectors 77A and 77B. In other words, the reflective objective lens 74 is shared by two types of optical systems.

[0087] In this embodiment, a single reflective objective lens 74 can perform three functions—irradiating the sample SP with primary electromagnetic waves, collecting secondary electromagnetic waves from the sample SP, and imaging the sample SP with the first camera 81—without interfering with each other.

[0088] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the depth of focus of the primary electromagnetic wave emitted from the analytical optical system 7 is deeper than the depth of field of the first camera 81. With this configuration, even if the sample SP is irradiated with primary electromagnetic waves while being observed using the first camera 81 of the analytical optical system 7, there is no need to readjust the focus of the primary electromagnetic wave. As a result, the focus of the primary electromagnetic wave emitted from the analytical optical system 7 can be automatically adjusted to the position being observed by the first camera 81.

[0089] Furthermore, the depth of focus at which the primary electromagnetic waves are focused may be deeper than the depth of focus at which the secondary electromagnetic waves guided to the detectors 77A and 77B are focused. In other words, in order to improve the collecting efficiency of the secondary electromagnetic waves, the aperture of the collecting optical system of the reflective objective lens 74 may be increased so that the depth of focus is shallower than that of the primary electromagnetic waves.

[0090] The reflective objective lens 74 has an analytical optical axis Aa that extends along the aforementioned approximately vertical direction. The analytical optical axis Aa is positioned parallel to the observation optical axis Ao of the objective lens 92 of the observation optical system 9. In the following description, "radial direction" refers to a direction that is perpendicular to the unit vector extending along the analytical optical axis Aa and extends radially from the analytical optical axis Aa. Similarly, "circumferential direction" refers to a direction that is perpendicular to the unit vector extending along the analytical optical axis Aa and the radial direction, and that circles the analytical optical axis Aa. Furthermore, "optical axis direction" in relation to the analytical optical system 7 refers to the direction extending along the analytical optical axis Aa.

[0091] More specifically, the reflective objective lens 74 according to this embodiment is a Schwarzschild-type objective lens consisting of two mirrors. As shown in Figures 7, 8A, and 8B, this reflective objective lens 74 includes a connecting member 74a mounted on the analysis housing 70, a mirror housing 74b connected to the analysis housing 70 via the connecting member 74a, an annular and relatively large-diameter primary mirror 11, a disc-shaped and relatively small-diameter secondary mirror 12, and a support member 14 for connecting the secondary mirror 12 to the mirror housing 74b.

[0092] The connecting member 74a is formed in the shape of a base with a through hole coaxial with the analytical optical axis Aa. The connecting member 74a is fastened to the lower end of the optical base 700 in a circumferentially fixed state (non-rotatable state). This fastening fixes the angular position of the reflective objective lens 74. Furthermore, the connecting member 74a is positioned so that its through hole and the through hole provided at the lower end of the optical base 700 are in communication with each other.

[0093] The mirror housing 74b is formed in a cylindrical shape that tapers in diameter as it approaches the bottom. The mirror housing 74b is fixed to the lower surface of the connecting member 74a in a circumferential manner. The inner circumferential surface of the mirror housing 74b supports the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12, respectively.

[0094] Both the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12 are formed to be rotationally symmetric with respect to the analytical optical axis Aa. The reflective objective lens 74 is configured to focus secondary electromagnetic waves using the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12, and to guide the focused secondary electromagnetic waves to the aperture 11a of the primary mirror 11.

[0095] The primary mirror 11 is composed of a cylindrical member having a central axis coaxial with the analytical optical axis Aa and a through hole in the radial center. As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the through hole in the primary mirror 11 constitutes an opening 11a for passing primary and secondary electromagnetic waves. The lower end face of the primary mirror 11 is mirror-finished and constitutes the primary reflective surface 11b. The cylindrical primary mirror 11 is supported by the mirror housing 74b.

[0096] More specifically, the primary mirror 11 has an opening 11a in its radial center, and a primary reflecting surface 11b that reflects secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP in response to the emission of primary electromagnetic waves. The primary reflecting surface 11b is provided around the opening 11a.

[0097] The secondary mirror 12 is composed of a lens having an optical axis coaxial with the analytical optical axis Aa. As shown in Figures 8A, 8B, and 11, the lens constituting the secondary mirror 12 is provided with a secondary reflective surface 12b, which has a mirror-finished upper end face, and a transmission region 12a, which is configured to transmit primary electromagnetic waves without mirror finishing. In addition, the support member 14 that supports the lens in the secondary mirror 12 defines a hollow space for the passage of secondary electromagnetic waves. The secondary mirror 12 is supported by the mirror housing 74b via the support member 14. The secondary mirror 12 is connected to the analytical housing 70 via the support member 14, the mirror housing 74b, the connecting member 74a, and the optical base 700.

[0098] More specifically, the secondary reflective surface 12b is located on the outer edge of the secondary mirror 12 and receives and further reflects the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the primary reflective surface 11b of the primary mirror 11. The secondary reflective surface 12b is formed in a roughly donut shape. The transmission region 12a is located in the center of the secondary mirror 12 and is arranged so that primary electromagnetic waves can pass through it. The transmission region 12a is formed in a roughly disc shape.

[0099] As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, a concave meniscus lens can be used as the lens constituting the secondary mirror 12, with its convex surface facing upwards and its concave surface facing downwards. The secondary reflective surface 12b is provided at the periphery of the lens and is formed in an annular shape with its mirror surface facing substantially upwards.

[0100] The transmission region 12a is located in the radial center of the lens (for example, a concave meniscus lens). The primary electromagnetic wave passing through the transmission region 12a propagates while expanding the beam diameter.

[0101] As shown in Figure 11, the support member 14 has an annular mirror support member 14a and a second support leg portion 14b connected to the mirror support member 14a. The support member 14 supports a secondary mirror 12 which is composed of a transparent region 12a and a secondary reflective surface 12b provided around it, and the secondary mirror 12 can be connected to the inner wall portion of the mirror housing 74b.

[0102] The mirror support member 14a is positioned around the secondary reflective surface 12b and is formed in an annular shape coaxial with the analytical optical axis Aa. The mirror support member 14a is attached to the inner circumferential surface of the mirror housing 74b in a non-rotatable manner. The mirror support member 14a is attached to the analytical housing 70 via the mirror housing 74b and the connecting member 74a. The inner circumferential surface of the mirror support member 14a and the outer circumferential surface of the cylindrical body housing the concave meniscus lens and the tertiary lens 13 described later define the space through which the secondary electromagnetic waves pass.

[0103] The second support legs 14b extend radially from the outer edge of the secondary reflective surface 12b and are connected to the inner circumferential surface of the mirror housing 74b. More specifically, the second support legs 14b are configured to extend radially from the cylindrical body. In this embodiment, three second support legs 14b are provided at approximately 120° intervals in the circumferential direction.

[0104] Furthermore, a tertiary lens 13 is positioned between the transmission region 12a and the mounting surface 51a in the approximately vertical direction. This tertiary lens 13 transmits the primary electromagnetic waves that have passed through the transmission region 12a and focuses them.

[0105] The tertiary lens 13 comprises a lens body 13a and an optical thin film 13b. The tertiary lens 13 is positioned coaxially with the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12.

[0106] The lens body 13a may be composed of a biconvex lens with a diameter smaller than the overall outer diameter of the concave meniscus lens constituting the secondary mirror 12, and larger than the outer diameter of the transmission region 12a of the concave meniscus lens alone. The primary electromagnetic waves passing through the lens body 13a propagate while being focused in the radial direction.

[0107] The focal position of the optical system formed by the transmission region 12a and the lens body 13a coincides with the focal position of the optical system formed by the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12 (see black dot f in Figures 8A and 8B).

[0108] The optical thin film 13b is provided on the lower surface of the lens body 13a and is interposed between the transmission region 12a and the mounting surface 51a. The optical thin film 13b blocks reflected light such as visible light reflected by the sample SP. As a result, the first camera 81, which acts as an imaging unit, collects reflected light reflected by the primary reflective surface 11b and the secondary reflective surface 12b. The optical thin film 13b may also be provided on the concave surface of the concave meniscus lens constituting the secondary mirror 12, which is located on the opposite side of the transmission region 12a. The optical thin film 13b should be positioned between the transmission region 12a and the mounting surface 51a in the optical axis direction. Alternatively, instead of providing the optical thin film 13b on the tertiary lens 13, or in addition to this optical thin film 13b, visible light may be blocked by a deflection element 73, or a light-blocking member that blocks visible light may be provided in the optical path connecting the deflection element 73 and the tertiary lens 13.

[0109] In the reflective objective lens 74 configured as described above, the primary mirror 11 allows primary electromagnetic waves to pass through its aperture 11a. The primary electromagnetic waves that have passed through the aperture 11a then sequentially pass through the transmission region 12a of the secondary mirror 12 and the lens body 13a of the tertiary lens 13 before irradiating the sample SP (see optical path L1 in Figures 8A and 14).

[0110] In this process, the secondary mirror 12 expands the beam diameter of the laser light (primary electromagnetic wave) passing through its transmission region 12a, and the tertiary lens 13 focuses the laser light, which has been expanded by the transmission region 12a, to a predetermined focal position f. The laser light focused by the tertiary lens 13 converges at a focal length corresponding to the focal position f. This laser light diffuses conically as it moves beyond the predetermined focal length. If the reflective objective lens 74 is not fastened to the optical base 700, the laser light will propagate as parallel light as shown in the optical path L1 of Figure 14, without convergence.

[0111] Note that the third-order lens 13 is not essential. Instead of providing the third-order lens 13, the second-order mirror 12 may be constructed using a convex lens.

[0112] When a laser beam (primary electromagnetic wave) is shone onto the sample SP, plasma light (secondary electromagnetic wave) corresponding to the primary electromagnetic wave is generated and returns towards the reflective objective lens 74. The plasma light collected by the reflective objective lens 74 is guided to the primary mirror 11.

[0113] The primary mirror 11 reflects the secondary electromagnetic waves returning from the sample SP through its primary reflective surface 11b. The secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the primary reflective surface 11b are guided to the secondary reflective surface 12b of the secondary mirror 12.

[0114] The secondary mirror 12 receives the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the primary reflecting surface 11b with its secondary reflecting surface 12b and emits them approximately upward. The secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the secondary reflecting surface 12b propagate along a cylindrical (hollow cylindrical) optical path. In this case, the optical path formed by the secondary electromagnetic waves is configured to surround the optical path of the primary electromagnetic waves, which propagates in a cylindrical shape, as shown in Figure 8A. In other words, the primary electromagnetic waves propagate through the hollow portion of the cylinder in the optical path of the secondary electromagnetic waves so as to be coaxial with the secondary electromagnetic waves.

[0115] The secondary electromagnetic waves propagating along the cylindrical optical path are then emitted from the aperture 11a of the primary mirror 11 in a state coaxial with the primary electromagnetic waves. The secondary electromagnetic waves emitted from the aperture 11a are guided to the deflection element 73 as shown in Figure 14 (see optical path L2 in Figures 8A and 14).

[0116] The primary electromagnetic waves input to the reflective objective lens 74, and the secondary electromagnetic waves output from the reflective objective lens 74, are both optically connected to other elements via a deflection element 73. This deflection element 73 is configured to be suitable for the aforementioned reflective objective lens 74.

[0117] Specifically, the deflection element 73 according to this embodiment is composed of a partial mirror having a reflective region 731 and a hollow region 732. Of these, the reflective region 731 is positioned opposite the transmission region 12a so as to reflect primary electromagnetic waves along the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens 74. The hollow region 732 allows secondary electromagnetic waves focused by the reflective objective lens 74 to pass through.

[0118] More specifically, the deflection element 73 includes a plate-shaped element support member 73a with a through hole 73b, a mirror member 73c positioned in the center of the through hole 73b and constituting a reflection region 731, and a first support leg portion 73d extending radially from the outer surface of the mirror member 73c and connected to the inner surface of the through hole 73b. The through hole 73b penetrates the element support member 73a in the direction of the optical axis.

[0119] Of these, the element support member 73a is formed in the shape of a rectangular thin plate and is positioned between the spectroscopic element 75 and the aperture 11a of the reflective objective lens 74 in the optical axis direction. The element support member 73a is attached to the analysis housing 70 in a position in which its thickness direction is inclined with respect to the optical axis direction.

[0120] As shown in Figure 14, the through-hole 73b is formed to penetrate the element support member 73a along the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens 74. In other words, the through-hole 73b extends in a direction inclined with respect to the thickness direction of the element support member 73a.

[0121] As shown in Figure 13, the through-hole 73b is formed to have a circular cross-section with a constant inner diameter when viewed along the optical axis of the reflective objective lens 74. In this case, the central axis of the through-hole 73b coincides with the optical axis of the reflective objective lens 74, i.e., the analytical optical axis Aa. That is, the through-hole 73b is formed to appear oval when viewed along the thickness direction of the element support member 73a, and is configured to have a substantially circular projection surface when projected onto a plane perpendicular to the analytical optical axis Aa.

[0122] The mirror member 73c is composed of an optical mirror positioned with its mirror surface facing diagonally downward. The mirror surface of the mirror member 73c constitutes a reflection region 731. This reflection region 731 is aligned with the transmission region 12a in the optical axis direction and can reflect primary electromagnetic waves and guide them to the transmission region 12a.

[0123] As shown in Figure 13, the mirror member 73c is formed to have a circular shape with a constant inner diameter when viewed along the optical axis of the reflective objective lens 74. In this case, the central axis of the mirror member 73c coincides with the central axis of the through hole 73b and the analytical optical axis Aa. That is, the mirror member 73c is formed in an oval shape when viewed along the direction perpendicular to its mirror surface, and is configured to have a substantially circular projection surface when projected onto a plane perpendicular to the analytical optical axis Aa.

[0124] The hollow region 732 is defined by the inner surface of the through-hole 73b and the outer surface of the mirror member 73c. ​​This hollow region 732 is located radially outward from the reflection region 731 and allows secondary electromagnetic waves to pass through.

[0125] Here, as shown in Figure 13, when the secondary mirror 12, support member 14, and deflection element 73 are viewed in plan along the analysis optical axis Aa, the outer diameter of the mirror member 73c is formed to be smaller than the inner diameter of the secondary reflective surface 12b. Therefore, as shown in the optical path L2 in Figure 14, the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the secondary reflective surface 12b and propagating in a cylindrical shape pass through the hollow region 732 without being obstructed by the reflection region 731.

[0126] The first support legs 73d extend radially from the outer surface of the mirror member 73c and are connected to the inner surface of the through hole 73b. Specifically, there are three first support legs 73d, spaced approximately 120° apart in the circumferential direction.

[0127] As shown in Figure 13, the first and second support legs 73d and 14b are arranged to overlap each other when viewed along the optical axis. Here, the thickness of the first support leg 73d in the circumferential direction is approximately the same as the thickness of the second support leg 14b in the circumferential direction. Secondary electromagnetic waves that are emitted weaving between the second support legs 14b can pass through the hollow region 732 without being obstructed by the first support leg 73d.

[0128] Secondary electromagnetic waves that pass through the hollow region 732 without being obstructed by the reflective region 731 and the first support leg 73d reach the spectroscopic element 75. The spectroscopic element 75 is positioned between the deflection element 73 and the first beam splitter 78A in the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens 74, and guides a portion of the secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP to the first detector 77A, while guiding the rest to the second detector 77B, etc. Most of the latter plasma light is guided to the second detector 77B, but the remainder reaches the first camera 81.

[0129] More specifically, the secondary electromagnetic waves returning from the sample SP include various wavelength components in addition to the wavelength corresponding to the laser light as the primary electromagnetic wave. Therefore, the spectroscopic element 75 according to this embodiment reflects the electromagnetic waves in the shorter wavelength band of the secondary electromagnetic waves returning from the sample SP and guides them to the first detector 77A. The spectroscopic element 75 also transmits electromagnetic waves in other bands and guides them to the second detector 77B.

[0130] More specifically, the spectroscopic element 75 is made of a material that has a higher transmittance of the second component in the infrared region, which belongs to the wavelength region above the predetermined wavelength, compared to the first component in the ultraviolet region, which belongs to the wavelength region below the predetermined wavelength. Such materials include glass materials and synthetic resins.

[0131] For example, when using a glass material, since glass itself has a low reflectivity of electromagnetic waves, an optical thin film that reflects electromagnetic waves belonging to the first component can be deposited on the glass surface to reflect electromagnetic waves belonging to the ultraviolet wavelength region and guide them to the first detector 77A.

[0132] The spectroscopic element 75 according to this embodiment receives secondary electromagnetic waves focused by the reflective objective lens 74. This spectroscopic element 75 is a so-called dichroic mirror, and of the incident secondary electromagnetic waves, it reflects the secondary electromagnetic waves corresponding to the first component in the ultraviolet region, while transmitting the secondary electromagnetic waves corresponding to the second component in the infrared region. As mentioned above, the main material of the spectroscopic element 75 has a relatively low transmittance of the first component and a relatively high transmittance of the second component. Therefore, the spectroscopic element 75 can minimize the overall loss of secondary electromagnetic waves due to absorption by materials such as glass, compared to the case where the first component in the ultraviolet region is transmitted.

[0133] The first parabolic mirror 76A is a so-called parabolic mirror and is positioned between the spectroscopic element 75 and the first detector 77A. The first parabolic mirror 76A focuses the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the spectroscopic element 75 and directs the focused secondary electromagnetic waves into the first detector 77A.

[0134] More specifically, the first parabolic mirror 76A reflects secondary electromagnetic waves, including the visible light band and the ultraviolet region, which are focused by the reflective objective lens 74, pass through the deflection element 73, and then reflected by the spectroscopic element 75. The first parabolic mirror 76A is configured to focus the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the first parabolic mirror 76A onto the first detector 77A.

[0135] Here, the first detector 77A generates an intensity distribution spectrum, which is the intensity distribution of plasma light (secondary electromagnetic wave) generated in the sample SP for each wavelength. In particular, this first detector 77A is configured to receive secondary electromagnetic waves in the ultraviolet region reflected by the spectroscopic element 75, and has an entrance slit 77a for receiving the secondary electromagnetic waves.

[0136] The focal position of the first parabolic mirror 76A may be positioned to coincide with the entrance slit 77a, or it may be positioned to not coincide with the entrance slit 77a. The latter position corresponds to a layout that is offset from the just-focus position. This layout is effective in cases where the energy of the reflected laser light is strong and could damage the entrance slit 77a.

[0137] Furthermore, the first detector 77A is supported by the first plate 701 shown in Figures 7 and 9. This first plate 701 is connected to the upper surface of the optical base 700. The first detector 77A is connected to the optical base 700 via the first plate 701. This connection allows for stable positioning of the incident slit 77a relative to the light guide optical system 7a, such as the first parabolic mirror 76A.

[0138] Furthermore, a first adjustment mechanism 771 is provided near the first detector 77A to adjust the relative position of the first detector 77A with respect to the first plate 701 (shown only in Figure 7). By using this first adjustment mechanism 771, the relative position of the incident slit 77a with respect to the optical guide optics system 7a can be adjusted.

[0139] It should be noted that connecting the first plate 701 to the optical base 700 is not mandatory. For example, the first plate 701 may be configured to be connected to the inner wall of the analysis housing 70. In such a configuration, the first adjustment mechanism 771 will adjust the relative position of the first detector 77A with respect to the analysis housing 70.

[0140] The first detector 77A receives secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP and focused by the reflective objective lens 74, and generates an intensity distribution spectrum, which is the intensity distribution of the secondary electromagnetic waves for each wavelength. The first detector 77A is configured to receive secondary electromagnetic waves that have been spectrally separated upstream of the second detector 77B in the optical path of the secondary electromagnetic waves starting from the reflective objective lens 74. Of the plasma light generated in the sample SP, the first component on the ultraviolet side is guided to the first detector 77A by being reflected multiple times without transmission through lenses or the like. That is, the first component on the ultraviolet side is guided to the first detector 77A via the reflective optical system, such as the reflective objective lens 74 and the first parabolic mirror 76A, without passing through a transmission optical system. Since chromatic aberration does not occur, the accuracy of the analysis can be improved.

[0141] In particular, when the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 is configured using a laser light source and the reflective objective lens 74 is configured to focus the light generated in response to the irradiation of the laser light, the first detector 77A separates the light by reflecting it at different angles for each wavelength and causes each of the separated wavelengths to be incident on an image sensor having multiple pixels. This makes it possible to make the wavelength of light received by each pixel different and to obtain the received intensity for each wavelength. In this case, the intensity distribution spectrum corresponds to the intensity distribution for each wavelength of light.

[0142] As the first detector 77A, for example, one based on a Czerny-Turner type detector can be used. The first detector 77A is configured to be suitable for detecting the first component in the ultraviolet region. The entrance slit of the first detector 77A is aligned to coincide with the focal position of the first parabolic mirror 76A. The intensity distribution spectrum generated by the first detector 77A is input to the control unit 21 of the controller body 2.

[0143] The first beam splitter 78A reflects a portion of the light transmitted through the spectroscopic element 75 (secondary electromagnetic waves in the infrared region, including the visible light band) and directs it to the second detector 77B, while transmitting the remaining portion (a portion of the visible light band) and directing it to the second beam splitter 78B. Of the plasma light belonging to the visible light band, a relatively large amount of plasma light is directed to the second detector 77B, and a relatively small amount of plasma light is directed to the first camera 81 via the second beam splitter 78B.

[0144] The second parabolic mirror 76B is a so-called parabolic mirror and is positioned between the first beam splitter 78A and the second detector 77B. The second parabolic mirror 76B focuses the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the first beam splitter 78A and directs the focused secondary electromagnetic waves into the second detector 77B.

[0145] More specifically, the second parabolic mirror 76B reflects the infrared-out-of-the-flammation secondary electromagnetic waves that have passed through the deflection element 73 and the spectroscopic element 75, and then been reflected by the first beam splitter 78A. The second parabolic mirror 76B is configured to focus the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the second parabolic mirror 76B onto the second detector 77B.

[0146] Here, the second detector 77B, similar to the first detector 77A, generates an intensity distribution spectrum, which is the intensity distribution for each wavelength of plasma light (secondary electromagnetic wave) generated in the sample SP, when laser light (primary electromagnetic wave) is irradiated from the analysis housing 70, which serves as the housing, onto the sample SP placed on the mounting stage 5. In particular, the second detector 77B is configured to receive plasma light in the infrared region that has passed through the spectroscopic element 75, and has an entrance slit 77a for receiving the plasma light.

[0147] The focal position of the second parabolic mirror 76B may be positioned to coincide with the entrance slit 77a of the second detector 77B, or it may be positioned to not coincide with the entrance slit 77a. The latter position corresponds to a layout that is offset from the just-focus position. This layout is effective in cases where the energy of the reflected laser light is strong and could damage the entrance slit 77a.

[0148] Furthermore, the second detector 77B is supported by a second plate 702, as shown in Figures 7 and 9. This second plate 702 is connected to the upper surface of the optical base 700. The second detector 77B is connected to the optical base 700 via the second plate 702. This connection allows for stable positioning of the incident slit 77a relative to the light guide optical system 7a, such as the second parabolic mirror 76B.

[0149] Furthermore, a second adjustment mechanism 772 is provided near the second detector 77B to adjust the relative position of the second detector 77B with respect to the second plate 702. By using this second adjustment mechanism 772, the relative position of the incident slit 77a with respect to the light guide optical system 7a can be adjusted.

[0150] It should be noted that connecting the second plate 702 to the optical base 700 is not mandatory. For example, the second plate 702 may be configured to be connected to the inner wall of the analysis housing 70. In such a configuration, the second adjustment mechanism 772 will adjust the relative position of the second detector 77B with respect to the analysis housing 70.

[0151] The second detector 77B receives secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP and focused by the reflective objective lens 74, and generates an intensity distribution spectrum, which is the intensity distribution of the secondary electromagnetic waves for each wavelength. The second detector 77B is configured to receive secondary electromagnetic waves spectrally separated downstream of the first detector 77A in the optical path of the secondary electromagnetic waves starting from the reflective objective lens 74. Of the plasma light generated in the sample SP, the infrared-side second component is guided to the second detector 77B through multiple reflections, except for transmission through the spectroscopic element 75. That is, the infrared-side second component is guided to the first detector 77A via the reflective optical system, such as the reflective objective lens 74 and the first parabolic mirror 76A. Since the occurrence of chromatic aberration can be minimized, the accuracy of the analysis can be improved.

[0152] In particular, when the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 is configured using a laser light source and the reflective objective lens 74 is configured to focus the light generated in response to the irradiation of the laser light, the second detector 77B separates the light by reflecting it at different angles for each wavelength and causes each of the separated wavelengths to be incident on an image sensor having multiple pixels. This makes it possible to make the wavelength of light received by each pixel different and to obtain the received intensity for each wavelength. In this case, the intensity distribution spectrum corresponds to the intensity distribution for each wavelength of light.

[0153] As the second detector 77B, for example, one based on a Czerny-Turner type detector can be used. The second detector 77B is configured to be suitable for detecting the second component in the infrared region. The entrance slit of the second detector 77B is aligned to coincide with the focal position of the second parabolic mirror 76B. The intensity distribution spectrum generated by the second detector 77B is input to the control unit 21 of the controller body 2, similar to the intensity distribution spectrum generated by the first detector 77A.

[0154] The control unit 21 receives the intensity distribution spectrum in the ultraviolet region generated by the first detector 77A and the intensity distribution spectrum in the infrared region generated by the second detector 77B. Based on these intensity distribution spectra, the control unit 21 performs component analysis of the sample SP using the basic principles described later. By combining the intensity distribution spectrum in the ultraviolet region and the intensity distribution spectrum in the infrared region, the control unit 21 can perform component analysis using a wider frequency range.

[0155] The second beam splitter 78B reflects the illumination light (visible light) emitted from the LED light source 79a and passed through the optical element 79b, and irradiates the sample SP with this light via the first beam splitter 78A, spectroscopic element 75, deflection element 73, and reflective objective lens 74. The reflected light (visible light) reflected from the sample SP returns to the analytical optical system 7 via the reflective objective lens 74.

[0156] The second beam splitter 78B further transmits the reflected light that has passed through the first beam splitter 78A and the plasma light that has passed through the first beam splitter 78A without reaching the first and second detectors 77A and 77B, from the reflected light that has returned to the analysis optical system 7, and directs it into the first camera 81 via the imaging lens 80.

[0157] The coaxial illumination 79 includes an LED light source 79a that emits illumination light and an optical element 79b through which the illumination light emitted from the LED light source 79a passes. The coaxial illumination 79 functions as a so-called "coaxial incident illumination." The illumination light emitted from the LED light source 79a propagates coaxially with the laser light (primary electromagnetic wave) output from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and irradiated onto the sample SP, and the light (secondary electromagnetic wave) returning from the sample SP.

[0158] More specifically, the coaxial illumination 79 irradiates illumination light through an optical path coaxial with the primary electromagnetic wave emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71. Specifically, the portion of the illumination light's optical path connecting the deflection element 73 and the reflective objective lens 74 is coaxial with the primary electromagnetic wave's optical path. In addition, the portion of the illumination light's optical path connecting the first beam splitter 78A and the reflective objective lens 74 is coaxial with the secondary electromagnetic wave's optical path.

[0159] In the example shown in Figure 7, the coaxial illumination 79 is built into the analysis housing 70, but this disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. For example, the light source may be laid out outside the analysis housing 70, and the light source and the analysis optical system 7 may be coupled to the optical system via an optical fiber cable.

[0160] The side illumination 84 is positioned to surround the reflective objective lens 74, which serves as the collection head. The side illumination 84 illuminates the sample SP from the side (in other words, from a direction inclined with respect to the analytical optical axis Aa).

[0161] More specifically, the side illumination 84 is positioned to surround the outer circumference of the reflective objective lens 74. More specifically, the side illumination 84 is composed of annular illumination that surrounds the reflective objective lens 74 in a ring shape. The central axis of the ring corresponding to the side illumination 84 (the central axis when the side illumination 84 is considered as a ring) is positioned to be coaxial with the analytical optical axis Aa.

[0162] Specifically, the side-emitting illumination 84 according to this embodiment includes a housing 84a, an LED light source (light source) 84b that emits illumination light, a light guide member 84c that transmits the illumination light emitted from the LED light source 84b, and a diffuser plate 84d.

[0163] The housing 84a is formed in a substantially cylindrical shape with a larger diameter than the connecting member 74a and the mirror housing 74b that constitute the reflective objective lens 74. The housing 84a covers the outer circumference of the reflective objective lens 74 (the connecting member 74a and the mirror housing 74b). As shown in Figures 8A and 8B, in this embodiment, the housing 84a is supported by the analysis housing 70 rather than the reflective objective lens 74. The inner circumferential surface of the housing 84a is radially spaced apart from the outer circumferential surface of the reflective objective lens 74.

[0164] The housing 84a houses the LED light source 84b, the light guide member 84c, and the diffuser plate 84d. The LED light source 84b, the light guide member 84c, and the diffuser plate 84d are arranged radially between the outer circumferential surface of the reflective objective lens 74 and the inner circumferential surface of the housing 84a.

[0165] The LED light source 84b is supported by the inner circumferential surface of the housing 84a. The LED light source 84b is arranged in a ring along the circumferential direction, and can emit annular illumination light. Also, as shown in Figure 10, when the reflective objective lens 74 is viewed from below along the analytical optical axis Aa, the LED light source 84b is divided into multiple blocks (four blocks in the illustrated example) along the circumferential direction. The LED light source 84b is configured so that each divided block can be lit individually. In the example shown in Figure 10, illumination light can be emitted from one block located at the 3 o'clock position when the circumferential direction is considered as a clock, or from multiple blocks such as at the 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions. The illumination light emitted from the LED light source 84b is irradiated onto the sample SP via the light guide member 84c and the diffuser plate 84d.

[0166] Specifically, in this embodiment, the LED light source 84b is positioned radially closer to the inner surface of the housing 84a than to the outer surface of the reflective objective lens 74. The LED light source 84b is positioned radially outward from the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12. The LED light source 84b can also be positioned, for example, between the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12, so as to be closer to the analysis housing 70 than the secondary mirror 12 (in other words, further away from the sample SP than the secondary mirror 12) in the direction along the analysis optical axis Aa (the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens 74).

[0167] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, the LED light source 84b is positioned at a distance from the outer surface of the reflective objective lens 74, in other words, it is positioned in a non-contact state with respect to the reflective objective lens 74. The side illumination 84 is configured to be connected to the reflective objective lens 74 via the optical base 700, and not directly connected to the reflective objective lens 74. In addition, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, a vent 84e is provided above the LED light source 84b. This vent 84e opens on the side of the housing 84a.

[0168] The reflective objective lens 74 is constructed by combining multiple lenses into a single objective lens, and is therefore more sensitive to temperature changes than an objective lens made from a single lens. For this reason, it is desirable to implement measures to suppress heat transfer to the reflective objective lens 74 so that the measurement accuracy does not deteriorate due to temperature changes.

[0169] Therefore, as described above, by connecting the LED light source 84b to the reflective objective lens 74 in a non-contact manner and providing a ventilation opening 84e in the housing 84a, heat transfer from the LED light source 84b to the reflective objective lens 74 can be suppressed.

[0170] The light guide member 84c diffuses the illumination light emitted from the LED light source 84b in the radial direction. The illumination light diffused by the light guide member 84c is emitted while expanding radially (see optical path L3 in Figure 8B).

[0171] Specifically, the light guide member 84c according to this embodiment consists of an annular member having an inner circumferential surface that is continuously reduced in diameter in the radial direction as it approaches the mounting surface 51a along the analytical optical axis Aa, and an outer circumferential surface that is also continuously reduced in diameter in the radial direction.

[0172] Here, the inner circumferential surface of the light guide member 84c narrows more steeply in diameter than the outer circumferential surface as it approaches the mounting surface 51a along the analysis optical axis Aa. Therefore, the plate thickness of the light guide member 84c in the radial direction is formed to gradually increase as it approaches the mounting surface 51a along the analysis optical axis Aa.

[0173] The illumination light that has passed through the light guide member 84c is amplified according to the angle θl between the inner and outer surfaces of the light guide member 84c. By adjusting the size of the angle θl, the spread of the illumination light emitted from the side illumination 84 can be controlled. In particular, the angle θl in this embodiment is configured such that the illumination light that has passed through the light guide member 84c irradiates a region that includes at least the focal position f of the primary electromagnetic wave. The illumination light amplified by the light guide member 84c passes through the diffuser plate 84d and irradiates the mounting surface 51a.

[0174] Compared to the coaxial illumination 79 described above, the side illumination 84 irradiates illumination light through an optical path that is inclined with respect to the primary electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71. The analysis and observation device A can use both the coaxial illumination 79 and the side illumination 84 interchangeably.

[0175] To this end, the control unit (specifically, the lighting control unit 27 described later) 21, which acts as a processing unit, inputs a control signal to at least one of the side-emitting lights 84 and the coaxial lights 79 so that illumination light is emitted from at least one of the side-emitting lights 84 and the coaxial lights 79.

[0176] By adjusting the control signals generated by the control unit 21, each block constituting the LED light source 84b can be individually lit, as described above. In addition, the control unit 21 can control the lighting state of each light source, such as the light intensity of the coaxial lighting 79 or the side lighting 84.

[0177] The first camera 81 is housed in the analysis housing 70 and connected to the upper end of the optical base 700, as shown in Figures 7 and 9. The first camera 81 collects reflected light from the sample SP via a reflective objective lens 74. The first camera 81 images the sample SP by detecting the amount of light received by the collected reflected light. The optical axis of the first camera 81 is coaxial with the primary electromagnetic wave, the secondary electromagnetic wave, and the illumination light. The reflected light collected by the first camera 81 includes both reflected light from the illumination light emitted from the side illumination 84 and reflected light from the illumination light emitted from the coaxial illumination 79. In other words, the first camera 81, as the imaging unit, is shared by the coaxial illumination 79 and the side illumination 84.

[0178] More specifically, the first camera 81, acting as the imaging unit, receives reflected light collected by the reflective objective lens 74, which acts as the collection head. Here, the first camera 81 collects the reflected light through a common optical path with the secondary electromagnetic waves focused by the reflective objective lens 74. This common optical path corresponds to the optical path of the reflected light connecting the reflective objective lens 74 and the spectroscopic element 75. This optical path is spectrally separated by the spectroscopic element 75.

[0179] In other words, the spectroscopic element 75 according to this embodiment receives secondary electromagnetic waves and reflected light through a common optical path, and can spectrally separate the common optical path so that the secondary electromagnetic waves are guided to the detector (first detector 77A) and the reflected light is guided to the imaging unit (first camera 81). Here, the first optical path corresponds to the optical path connecting the spectroscopic element 75, the first parabolic mirror 76A, and the incident slit 77a. The second optical path corresponds to the optical path connecting the spectroscopic element 75 and the first camera 81.

[0180] Thus, the portion of the reflected light path connecting the first beam splitter 78A and the reflective objective lens 74 is coaxial with the secondary electromagnetic wave path. Furthermore, the portion of the reflected light path connecting the deflection element 73 and the reflective objective lens 74 is coaxial with the primary electromagnetic wave path. Additionally, the portion of the reflected light path connecting the second beam splitter 78B and the reflective objective lens 74 is coaxial with the illumination light path.

[0181] In this embodiment, the first camera 81 uses a plurality of pixels arranged on its light-receiving surface to photoelectrically convert light incident through the imaging lens 80 into an electrical signal corresponding to the optical image of the subject (sample SP).

[0182] The first camera 81 may consist of multiple light-receiving elements arranged along a light-receiving surface. In this case, each light-receiving element corresponds to a pixel, and an electrical signal can be generated based on the amount of light received by each light-receiving element. Specifically, the first camera 81 in this embodiment is composed of an image sensor made of a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), but is not limited to this configuration. For example, an image sensor made of a CCD (Charged-Coupled Device) can also be used as the first camera 81.

[0183] The first camera 81 then inputs the electrical signals generated by detecting the amount of light received at each photodetector to the control unit 21 of the controller body 2. Based on the input electrical signals, the control unit 21 generates image data corresponding to the optical image of the subject.

[0184] The light returning from the sample SP is split and incident on the first detector 77A, the second detector 77B, and the first camera 81. Therefore, the amount of light received by the first camera 81 is smaller than that received by the second camera 93, which will be described later, in the observation optical system 9. As a result, the image data based on the electrical signal input from the first camera 81 (second image data I2) tends to have a different brightness than the image data based on the electrical signal input from the second camera 93 (first image data I1). Therefore, the first camera 81 is designed to ensure the same brightness as the image data generated by the second camera 93 by adjusting its exposure time.

[0185] The optical components described so far are housed in the aforementioned analysis housing 70. A through-hole 70a is provided on the lower surface of the analysis housing 70. The reflective objective lens 74 faces the mounting surface 51a through this through-hole 70a.

[0186] A shielding member 83, as shown in Figure 7, may be placed inside the analysis housing 70. This shielding member 83 is positioned between the through hole 70a and the reflective objective lens 74, and can be inserted into the optical path of the laser beam based on an electrical signal input from the controller body 2 (see the dotted line in Figure 7). The shielding member 83 is configured to be at least unable to transmit laser light.

[0187] By inserting a shielding member 83 in the optical path, the emission of laser light from the analysis housing 70 can be limited. The shielding member 83 may be placed between the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and the output adjustment means 72.

[0188] As shown in Figure 15, the analysis housing 70 contains not only the space for the analysis optical system 7 but also the space for the slide mechanism 65. In that sense, the analysis housing 70 can also be considered as an element of the slide mechanism 65.

[0189] Specifically, the analysis housing 70 according to this embodiment is formed in a box shape in which the front-to-back dimension is shorter than the left-to-right dimension. The left portion of the front surface 70b of the analysis housing 70 protrudes forward to secure the movement range of the guide rail 65a in the front-to-back direction. Hereinafter, this protruding portion will be referred to as the "protruding part" and designated with reference numeral 70c. In the vertical direction, this protruding part 70c is located in the lower half of the front surface 70b (in other words, only the lower half of the left portion of the front surface 70b protrudes).

[0190] -Regarding the relationship between optical paths- The analytical optical system 7 causes primary electromagnetic waves to be incident on the sample SP via the output adjustment means 72, the reflection region 731 of the deflection element 73, the aperture 11a of the primary mirror 11, and the transmission region 12a of the secondary mirror 12. Here, as shown in Figure 14, the reflection region 731, the aperture 11a, and the transmission region 12a are arranged in order along the analytical optical axis Aa. Therefore, the transmission region 12a in this embodiment transmits the primary electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and passing through the aperture 11a, thereby causing the primary electromagnetic waves to be emitted along the analytical optical axis Aa.

[0191] The primary electromagnetic wave emitted along the analytical optical axis Aa is irradiated onto the sample SP and scattered or absorbed. The irradiation of the sample SP by the primary electromagnetic wave generates secondary electromagnetic waves. These generated secondary electromagnetic waves return to the analytical optical system 7 via the reflective objective lens 74. Generally, these returned secondary electromagnetic waves will contain a variety of wavelengths.

[0192] Therefore, the analytical optical system 7 causes ultraviolet-out-of-the-violet secondary electromagnetic waves to be incident on the first detector 77A via the primary reflection surface 11b of the primary mirror 11, the secondary reflection surface 12b of the secondary mirror 12, the aperture 11a of the primary mirror 11, the hollow region 732 of the deflection element 73, the spectroscopic element 75, and the first parabolic mirror 76A.

[0193] The analytical optical system 7 also causes secondary electromagnetic waves in the infrared region to be incident on the second detector 77B via the primary reflective surface 11b of the primary mirror 11, the secondary reflective surface 12b of the secondary mirror 12, the aperture 11a of the primary mirror 11, the hollow region 732 of the deflection element 73, the spectroscopic element 75, the first beam splitter 78A, and the second parabolic mirror 76B.

[0194] Thus, the analytical optical system 7 directs the secondary electromagnetic waves to the detectors 77A and 77B without the intervention of optical fibers. In other words, the analytical optical system 7 according to this embodiment guides the secondary electromagnetic waves to the detectors 77A and 77B without passing them through optical fibers. The analytical optical system 7 has a so-called fiberless configuration in terms of the optical path of the secondary electromagnetic waves.

[0195] Furthermore, the analytical optical system 7 according to this embodiment guides the ultraviolet-outer secondary electromagnetic waves to the first detector 77A using only the reflection of electromagnetic waves, without passing them through a glass material. The analytical optical system 7 has a fiberless and all-reflection system (an optical system that uses only the reflection of electromagnetic waves) configuration for the optical path of the ultraviolet-outer secondary electromagnetic waves.

[0196] The analytical optical system 7 also allows only the spectroscopic element 75 to pass through when guiding the infrared secondary electromagnetic waves to the second detector 77B. The analytical optical system 7 is designed to be fiberless and to suppress electromagnetic wave transmission as much as possible in relation to the optical path of the infrared secondary electromagnetic waves.

[0197] Furthermore, the analytical optical system 7 according to this embodiment irradiates the first electromagnetic wave in a straight line by passing it sequentially through the reflection region 731, the aperture 11a, and the transmission region 12a, which are arranged along the analytical optical axis Aa. On the other hand, the secondary reflection surface 12b is positioned in the optical axis direction of the reflective objective lens 74 so as to be closer to the mounting surface 51a than the primary reflection surface 11b.

[0198] Therefore, when the secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP are reflected by the primary reflecting surface 11b and then propagate from the primary reflecting surface 11b towards the secondary reflecting surface 12b, they initially propagate in a direction approaching the mounting surface 51a. Subsequently, the secondary electromagnetic waves reflected by the secondary reflecting surface 12b fold back in their propagation direction and propagate in a direction away from the mounting surface 51a.

[0199] Thus, secondary electromagnetic waves propagate through multiple reflections. The optical path of secondary electromagnetic waves is longer than that of primary electromagnetic waves, for example, because of the folding caused by multiple reflections.

[0200] Furthermore, as described above, when a concave meniscus lens is used as the secondary mirror 12 and a convex lens is used as the tertiary lens 13, or when a convex lens is used as the secondary mirror 12 without using the tertiary lens 13, the ultraviolet laser light incident on the reflective objective lens 74 is focused by either of the convex lenses and reaches a focal point at a predetermined focal length Df. In either configuration, the reflective objective lens 74 can diffuse the ultraviolet laser light in a conical shape by gradually decreasing the energy density of the ultraviolet laser light as it moves away from the focal length Df or more.

[0201] -Basic principles of analysis using the Analytical Optical System 7- The control unit 21, and in particular the spectral analysis unit 213 described later, performs component analysis of the sample SP based on the intensity distribution spectra input from the first detector 77A and the second detector 77B, which act as detectors. As a specific analytical method, the LIBS method can be used, as described above. The LIBS method is a method for analyzing the components contained in the sample SP at the elemental level (a so-called elemental analysis method).

[0202] Generally, when high energy is imparted to a substance, electrons separate from the atomic nucleus, causing the substance to enter a plasma state. The electrons separated from the atomic nucleus are temporarily in a high-energy and unstable state, but as they lose energy from that state, they are recaptured by the atomic nucleus and transition to a low-energy and stable state (in other words, they return from a plasma state to a non-plasma state).

[0203] Here, the energy lost from electrons is emitted from them as electromagnetic waves, but the magnitude of the energy of these electromagnetic waves is determined by the energy levels based on the shell structure unique to each element. In other words, the energy of the electromagnetic waves emitted when electrons return from a plasma to a non-plasma state has a value unique to each element (more precisely, the orbital of the electron bound to the atomic nucleus). The magnitude of the energy of the electromagnetic waves is determined by the wavelength of those electromagnetic waves. Therefore, by analyzing the wavelength distribution of electromagnetic waves emitted from electrons, that is, the wavelength distribution of light emitted from a substance during plasma formation, it becomes possible to analyze the components contained in that substance at the elemental level. This method is generally called atomic emission spectroscopy (AES).

[0204] The LIBS method is an analytical technique belonging to the AES method. Specifically, in the LIBS method, energy is imparted to a substance (sample SP) by irradiating it with a laser (primary electromagnetic wave). Here, the area irradiated by the laser is locally plasma-generated, and by analyzing the intensity distribution spectrum of the light (secondary electromagnetic wave) emitted as a result of this plasma generation, it is possible to analyze the components of the substance.

[0205] In other words, as described above, the wavelength of each plasma light (secondary electromagnetic wave) has a unique value for each element. Therefore, if the intensity distribution spectrum forms a peak at a specific wavelength, the element corresponding to that peak is a component of the sample SP. Furthermore, if the intensity distribution spectrum contains multiple peaks, the component ratio of each element can be calculated by comparing the intensity (amount of light received) of each peak.

[0206] The LIBS method does not require vacuuming, allowing component analysis to be performed in an open atmospheric state. Furthermore, although it is a destructive test of the sample SP, it does not require processing such as dissolving the entire sample SP, and the positional information of the sample SP is preserved (it is merely a localized destructive test).

[0207] -Observation Optical System 9- The observation optical system 9 is a collection of components for observing the sample SP as the object to be observed, and each component is housed in the observation housing 90. The components constituting the observation optical system 9 include an objective lens 92 and a second camera 93 as a second imaging unit. At least these components are housed in the observation housing 90. The elements for observing the sample SP also include a control unit 21 as a processing unit.

[0208] The observation optical system 9 includes an observation unit 9a having an objective lens 92. As shown in Figure 3, this observation unit 9a corresponds to a cylindrical lens barrel located at the lower end of the observation housing 90. The observation unit 9a is held by the analysis housing 70. The observation unit 9a can be removed from the observation housing 90 as a standalone unit.

[0209] The observation housing 90 is connected to a communication cable C2 for sending and receiving electrical signals with the controller unit 2, and an optical fiber cable C3 for guiding illumination light from an external source. Note that the communication cable C2 is not mandatory, and the observation optical system 9 and the controller unit 2 may be connected wirelessly.

[0210] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, the observation optical system 9 includes a mirror group 91, an objective lens 92, a second camera 93 as a second imaging unit, a second coaxial illumination 94, and a second side illumination 95.

[0211] The objective lens 92 has an observation optical axis Ao that extends approximately vertically, and focuses illumination light to irradiate the sample SP placed on the mounting stage body 51, as well as focusing the light (reflected light) from the sample SP. The observation optical axis Ao is positioned parallel to the analysis optical axis Aa of the reflective objective lens 74 of the analysis optical system 7. The reflected light collected by the objective lens 92 is received by the second camera 93.

[0212] The mirror group 91 transmits the reflected light collected by the objective lens 92 and guides it to the second camera 93. The mirror group 91 according to this embodiment can be configured using a total reflection mirror and a beam splitter, as illustrated in Figure 6. The mirror group 91 also reflects the illumination light emitted from the second coaxial illumination 94 and guides it to the objective lens 92.

[0213] The second camera 93 collects reflected light focused by the objective lens 92 and detects the amount of light received by the collected reflected light to image the sample SP. Specifically, the second camera 93 in this embodiment converts the light incident from the sample SP through the objective lens 92 into an electrical signal corresponding to the optical image of the subject (sample SP) using a plurality of pixels arranged on its light-receiving surface.

[0214] The second camera 93 may consist of multiple light-receiving elements arranged along a light-receiving surface. In this case, each light-receiving element corresponds to a pixel, and it becomes possible to generate an electrical signal based on the amount of light received by each light-receiving element. The second camera 93 in this embodiment is composed of an image sensor made of CMOS, similar to the first camera 81, but an image sensor made of CCD can also be used.

[0215] The second camera 93 then inputs the electrical signals generated by detecting the amount of light received at each photodetector to the control unit 21 of the controller body 2. Based on the input electrical signals, the control unit 21 generates image data corresponding to the optical image of the subject.

[0216] The second coaxial illuminator 94 emits illumination light guided from the optical fiber cable C3. The second coaxial illuminator 94 illuminates with illumination light through a common optical path with the reflected light focused via the objective lens 92. In other words, the second coaxial illuminator 94 functions as a "coaxial incident illumination" coaxial with the observation optical axis Ao of the objective lens 92. Alternatively, instead of guiding illumination light from the outside via the optical fiber cable C3, the light source may be built into the observation unit 9a. In that case, the optical fiber cable C3 would not be necessary.

[0217] The second side illumination 95 is composed of a ring illumination arranged to surround the objective lens 92, as schematically illustrated in Figure 6. Similar to the side illumination 84 in the analytical optical system 7, the second side illumination 95 illuminates the sample SP from diagonally above. Although detailed illustrations are omitted, the central axis of the second side illumination 95 when considered as a ring coincides with the observation optical axis Ao. Also, similar to the side illumination 84, the second side illumination 95 is divided into multiple blocks in the circumferential direction, and each block is configured to be lit individually.

[0218] In the example shown in Figure 10, the second side illumination 95, similar to the side illumination 84 of the analytical optical system 7, is divided into four blocks located at the 12 o'clock, 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock positions when the circumferential direction is considered as a clock. Illumination light can be emitted from one block located at the 3 o'clock position, or from multiple blocks such as the 6 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions.

[0219] The analysis and observation device A can use the second coaxial illumination 94 and the second side illumination 95 interchangeably. To this end, the control unit (specifically, the illumination control unit 216 described later) 21, which acts as a processing unit, inputs a control signal to at least one of the second side illumination 95 and the second coaxial illumination 94 so that illumination light is emitted from at least one of the two.

[0220] By adjusting the control signals generated by the control unit 21, each block constituting the second side-emitting illumination 95 can be individually lit, as described above. In addition, the control unit 21 can control the lighting state of each illumination, such as the light intensity of the second coaxial illumination 94 or the second side-emitting illumination 95.

[0221] -Housing connector 64- The housing connector 64 is a component for connecting the observation housing 90 to the analysis housing 70. When the housing connector 64 connects both housings 70 and 90, the analysis optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 move together as a single unit.

[0222] The housing connector 64 can be attached to the inside or outside of the analysis housing 70, that is, to the inside or outside of the analysis housing 70, or to the stand 42. In particular, in this embodiment, the housing connector 64 is attached to the outer surface of the analysis housing 70.

[0223] Specifically, the housing connector 64 according to this embodiment is configured to be attachable to the aforementioned protrusion 70c of the analysis housing 70, and is designed to hold the observation unit 9a to the right of the protrusion 70c.

[0224] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, when the observation housing 90 is connected to the analysis housing 70 by the housing connector 64, the front surface of the protruding portion 70c protrudes forward from the housing connector 64 and the front portion of the observation housing 90. Thus, in this embodiment, when the housing connector 64 holds the observation housing 90, when viewed from the side (when viewed from a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 by the slide mechanism 65), the observation housing 90 and at least a part of the analysis housing 70 (the protruding portion 70c in this embodiment) are laid out to overlap.

[0225] In this embodiment, the housing connector 64 fixes the observation housing 90 to the analysis housing 70, thereby fixing the relative position of the analysis optical axis Aa with respect to the observation optical axis Ao.

[0226] Specifically, as shown in Figure 15, the housing connector 64 holds the observation housing 90, so that the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa are aligned along the direction in which the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 move relative to the mounting table 5 by the sliding mechanism 65 (in this embodiment, the front-to-back direction). In particular, in this embodiment, the observation optical axis Ao is positioned further forward than the analysis optical axis Aa.

[0227] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, the housing connector 64 holds the observation housing 90, so that the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa are positioned such that their positions coincide in a non-moving direction (left-right direction in this embodiment) that is along the horizontal direction and perpendicular to the aforementioned movement direction (front-back direction in this embodiment).

[0228] -Slide mechanism 65- Figure 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of the slide mechanism 65. Figures 16A and 16B illustrate the horizontal movement of the head unit 6.

[0229] The slide mechanism 65 is configured to move the relative positions of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 with respect to the mounting stage body 51 along the horizontal direction, so that imaging of the sample SP by the observation optical system 9 and irradiation of electromagnetic waves (laser light) when generating an intensity distribution spectrum by the analysis optical system 7 (in other words, irradiation of electromagnetic waves by the electromagnetic wave emission part 71 of the analysis optical system 7) can be performed on the same location on the sample SP which is the object to be observed.

[0230] The direction of relative position movement by the slide mechanism 65 can be the direction of alignment of the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa. As shown in Figure 15, the slide mechanism 65 according to this embodiment moves the relative positions of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 with respect to the mounting base body 51 along the front-to-back direction.

[0231] The slide mechanism 65 according to this embodiment displaces the analysis housing 70 relative to the stand 42 and the head mounting member 61. Since the analysis housing 70 and the observation unit 9a are connected by a housing connector 64, displacing the analysis housing 70 will also displace the observation unit 9a as a whole.

[0232] Specifically, the slide mechanism 65 according to this embodiment includes a guide rail 65a and an actuator 65b, the guide rail 65a being configured to protrude forward from the front surface of the head mounting member 61.

[0233] More specifically, the base end of the guide rail 65a is fixed to the head mounting member 61. On the other hand, the tip portion of the guide rail 65a is inserted into a housing space partitioned within the analysis housing 70 and is attached to the analysis housing 70 in a manner that allows it to be inserted into and removed from the analysis housing 70. The direction in which the analysis housing 70 is inserted into and removed from the guide rail 65a is equal to the direction that separates or brings the head mounting member 61 and the analysis housing 70 closer together (in this embodiment, the front-to-back direction).

[0234] The actuator 65b can be, for example, a linear motor or a stepping motor that operates based on an electrical signal from the control unit 21. By driving this actuator 65b, the analysis housing 70, and consequently the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7, can be displaced relative to the stand 42 and the head mounting member 61. If a stepping motor is used as the actuator 65b, a motion conversion mechanism is further provided that converts the rotational motion of the output shaft of the stepping motor into linear motion in the forward and backward direction.

[0235] The slide mechanism 65 further includes a movement sensor Sw2 for detecting the amount of movement of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7. The movement sensor Sw2 can be configured as, for example, a linear scale (linear encoder) or a photointerrupter.

[0236] The movement sensor Sw2 detects the relative distance between the analysis housing 70 and the head mounting member 61 and inputs an electrical signal corresponding to that relative distance to the controller body 2. The controller body 2 calculates the amount of change in the relative distance input from the movement sensor Sw2 to determine the displacement of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7.

[0237] As shown in Figures 16A and 16B, when the slide mechanism 65 is activated, the head unit 6 slides horizontally, causing the relative positions of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 with respect to the mounting stage 5 to move (horizontally). This horizontal movement allows the head unit 6 to switch between a first mode in which the reflective objective lens 74 is facing the sample SP and a second mode in which the objective lens 92 is facing the sample SP. The slide mechanism 65 can slide the analysis housing 70 and the observation housing 90 between the first and second modes.

[0238] As shown in Figures 16A and 16B, in the first mode, the head unit 6 is in a relatively advanced position, and in the second mode, the head unit 6 is in a relatively retracted position. The first mode is the operating mode for performing component analysis of the sample SP using the analytical optical system 7, and the second mode is the operating mode for performing magnified observation of the sample SP using the observation optical system 9.

[0239] In particular, the analytical observation device A according to this embodiment is configured such that the location pointed to by the reflective objective lens 74 in the first mode and the location pointed to by the objective lens 92 in the second mode are the same location. Specifically, the analytical observation device A is configured such that the location where the analytical optical axis Aa and the sample SP intersect in the first mode and the location where the observation optical axis Ao and the sample SP intersect in the second mode are the same location (see Figure 16B).

[0240] To achieve this configuration, the amount of movement D2 of the head unit 6 when the slide mechanism 65 is operated is set to be the same as the distance D1 between the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa (see Figure 15). In addition, the alignment direction of the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa is set to be parallel to the direction of movement of the head unit 6, as shown in Figure 15.

[0241] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by adjusting the dimensions of the housing connector 64 in the approximately vertical direction, the distance between the sample SP and the center of the reflective objective lens 74 in the first mode (first state) (more specifically, the point where the analysis optical axis Aa and the reflective objective lens 74 intersect) is set to match the distance between the sample SP and the center of the objective lens 92 in the second mode (second state) (more specifically, the point where the observation optical axis Ao and the objective lens 92 intersect). This setting can also be achieved by determining the focus position using autofocus. By setting it in this way, the focal position can be matched between the first mode, which is when analyzing the sample SP, and the second mode, which is when observing the sample SP. By matching the focal position in both modes, it becomes possible to maintain a focused state before and after switching modes.

[0242] Furthermore, by adjusting the dimensions of the housing connector 64, the focal position may be designed to roughly coincide between the first and second modes, and the focal position may be more precisely adjusted by autofocus when switching modes. In this way, since the focal positions are designed to roughly coincide in advance, the time required for autofocus can be reduced.

[0243] Typically, the working width (WD) of a reflective objective lens 74 is shorter than that of a general objective lens such as the objective lens 92. Therefore, in this embodiment, the lens diameter of the reflective objective lens 74 is set to be larger than that of the objective lens 92, thereby making the WD of the reflective objective lens 74 longer than usual.

[0244] By configuring the sample SP as described above, it becomes possible to perform image generation by the observation optical system 9 and intensity distribution spectrum generation by the analysis optical system 7 (specifically, irradiation of the primary electromagnetic wave by the analysis optical system 7 when an intensity distribution spectrum is generated by the analysis optical system 7) on the same location in the sample SP from the same direction, both before and after switching between the first and second modes.

[0245] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 16B, the cover member 61b of the head mounting member 61 is positioned to cover (shield) the reflective objective lens 74 that constitutes the analytical optical system 7 in the first mode, when the head portion 6 is relatively retracted, and to be positioned to be spaced away from (unshielded) the reflective objective lens 74 in the second mode, when the head portion 6 is relatively advanced.

[0246] In the former shielding state, even if laser light is emitted unintentionally, the laser light can be shielded by the cover member 61b. This improves the safety of the device.

[0247] (Details of the tilting mechanism 45) Figures 17A and 17B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the tilting mechanism 45. The tilting mechanism 45 will be further explained below, including its relationship with the housing connector 64, with reference to Figures 17A and 17B.

[0248] The tilting mechanism 45 is a mechanism composed of the aforementioned shaft member 44, etc., and can tilt at least the observation optical system 9 of the analysis optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 with respect to a reference axis As perpendicular to the mounting surface 51a.

[0249] As described above, in this embodiment, the housing connector 64 integrally connects the analysis housing 70 and the observation housing 90, thereby maintaining the relative position of the observation optical axis Ao with respect to the analysis optical axis Aa. Therefore, when the observation optical system 9 having the observation optical axis Ao is tilted, the analysis optical system 7 having the analysis optical axis Aa will tilt integrally with the observation optical system 9, as shown in Figures 17A and 17B.

[0250] Thus, the tilting mechanism 45 according to this embodiment tilts the analytical optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 integrally while maintaining the relative position of the observation optical axis Ao with respect to the analytical optical axis Aa.

[0251] Furthermore, the operation of the slide mechanism 65 and the operation of the tilt mechanism 45 are independent of each other, and combinations of both operations are permitted. Therefore, the slide mechanism 65 can move the relative positions of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 while maintaining the tilted position of the observation optical system 9 by the tilt mechanism 45. In other words, as shown by the double arrow A1 in Figure 17B, the analysis observation apparatus A according to this embodiment allows the head portion 6 to slide back and forth while the observation optical system 9 remains tilted.

[0252] In particular, in this embodiment, since the analytical optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 are configured to tilt integrally, the slide mechanism 65 moves the relative positions of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 while maintaining the tilted state of both the observation optical system 9 and the analytical optical system 7 by the tilt mechanism 45.

[0253] Furthermore, the analytical observation device A is configured to perform eucentric observation. That is, the analytical observation device A defines a device-specific three-dimensional coordinate system formed by three axes parallel to the X, Y, and Z directions, respectively. The memory device 21b of the control unit 21 further stores the coordinates of the intersection points in the three-dimensional coordinate system of the analytical observation device A, which will be described later. The coordinate information of the intersection points may be pre-stored in the memory device 21b when the analytical observation device A is shipped from the factory. In addition, the coordinate information of the intersection points stored in the memory device 21b may be updateable by the user of the analytical observation device A.

[0254] As shown in Figures 17A and 17B, if the angle of the analytical optical axis Aa with respect to the reference axis As is referred to as the "tilt θ", the analytical observation device A is configured to allow the emission of laser light when the tilt θ is below, for example, a predetermined first threshold θmax. Hardware constraints can be imposed on the tilt mechanism 45 in order to keep the tilt θ below the first threshold θmax. For example, the operating range of the tilt mechanism 45 may be physically limited by providing a brake mechanism (not shown) to the tilt mechanism 45.

[0255] The observation optical axis Ao, which is the optical axis of the objective lens 92, intersects the central axis Ac. When the objective lens 92 oscillates about the central axis Ac, the intersection position of the observation optical axis Ao and the central axis Ac remains constant, while the angle (tilt θ) of the observation optical axis Ao with respect to the reference axis As changes. In this way, when the user oscillates the objective lens 92 about the central axis Ac using the tilt mechanism 45, for example, if the observation target portion of the sample SP is at the above intersection position, even if the objective lens 92 is tilted, a eucentric relationship is maintained in which the center of the field of view of the second camera 93 does not move from the same observation target portion. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the observation target portion of the sample SP from moving out of the field of view of the second camera 93 (the field of view of the objective lens 92).

[0256] In particular, in this embodiment, since the analytical optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 are configured to tilt integrally, the analytical optical axis Aa, which is the optical axis of the reflective objective lens 74, intersects the central axis Ac, just like the observation optical axis Ao. When the reflective objective lens 74 oscillates about the central axis Ac, the intersection position of the analytical optical axis Aa and the central axis Ac is maintained constant, while the angle (tilt θ) of the analytical optical axis Aa with respect to the reference axis As changes.

[0257] As mentioned above, the tilting mechanism 45 allows the stand 42 to be tilted approximately 90° to the right with respect to the reference axis As, or approximately 60° to the left with respect to the reference axis As. However, if the analytical optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 are configured to tilt integrally, tilting the stand 42 excessively could cause the laser light emitted from the analytical optical system 7 to be directed towards the user.

[0258] Therefore, if the inclination of the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa with respect to the reference axis As is denoted as θ, it is desirable that the inclination θ be kept within a range that satisfies a predetermined safety standard, at least under conditions in which laser light can be emitted. Specifically, as described above, the inclination θ in this embodiment is adjustable within a range below a predetermined first threshold θmax.

[0259] <Details of Controller Unit 2> Figure 18 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the controller body 2. Figure 19 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the control unit 21. In this embodiment, the controller body 2 and the optical system assembly 1 are configured separately, but this disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. At least a part of the controller body 2 may be provided in the optical system assembly 1.

[0260] As described above, the controller body 2 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 21 that performs various processing and a display unit 22 that displays information related to the processing performed by the control unit 21. The control unit 21 includes a processing unit 21a consisting of a CPU, system LSI, DSP, etc., a storage device 21b consisting of volatile memory, non-volatile memory, etc., and an input / output bus 21c.

[0261] The control unit 21 is configured to perform both the generation of image data of the sample SP based on the amount of light received from the sample SP, and the analysis of the substances contained in the sample SP based on the intensity distribution spectrum.

[0262] More specifically, as illustrated in Figure 18, the control unit 21 is electrically connected to at least the following: mouse 31, console 32, keyboard 33, head drive unit 47, mounting platform drive unit 53, electromagnetic wave emission unit 71, output adjustment means 72, LED light source 79a, first camera 81, shielding member 83, LED light source 84b, second camera 93, second coaxial illumination (second coaxial illumination) 94, second side illumination (second side illumination) 95, actuator 65b, lens sensor Sw1, movement amount sensor Sw2, first tilt sensor Sw3, and second tilt sensor Sw4.

[0263] The control unit 21 electrically controls the head drive unit 47, the mounting platform drive unit 53, the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71, the output adjustment means 72, the LED light source 79a, the first camera 81, the shielding member 83, the LED light source 84b, the second camera 93, the second coaxial illumination 94, the second side illumination 95, and the actuator 65b.

[0264] Furthermore, the output signals from the first camera 81, the second camera 93, the lens sensor Sw1, the movement sensor Sw2, the first tilt sensor Sw3, and the second tilt sensor Sw4 are input to the control unit 21. The control unit 21 performs calculations based on the input output signals and then performs processing based on the calculation results.

[0265] For example, based on the detection signal of the first tilt sensor Sw3 and the detection signal of the second tilt sensor Sw4, the control unit 21 calculates the tilt θ of the analysis optical system 7 with respect to the reference axis As perpendicular to the placement surface 51a. When the tilt exceeds a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 21 notifies the user with a warning or the like.

[0266] In addition, the control unit 21 can identify at least the type of the objective lens 92 among the types of the observation optical system 9 corresponding to the observation unit 9a fixed to the analysis optical system 7 by the housing connector 64, and execute the process related to the imaging of the sample SP based on the identification result. Here, the identification of the type of the objective lens 92 can be performed based on the detection signal of the lens sensor Sw1. As the process related to the imaging of the sample SP, the control unit 21 can execute, for example, adjustment of the exposure time of the second camera 93 and adjustment of the brightness of the illumination light.

[0267] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, the control unit 21 according to the present embodiment includes a mode switching unit 211, a spectrum acquisition unit 212, a spectrum analysis unit 213, an image processing unit 214, an illumination setting unit 215, and an illumination control unit 216. These elements may be realized by a logic circuit or may be realized by executing software.

[0268] - Mode switching unit 211 - The mode switching unit 211 switches from the first mode to the second mode or from the second mode to the first mode by moving the analysis optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 forward and backward along the horizontal direction (the front-rear direction in the present embodiment).

[0269] Specifically, the mode switching unit 211 according to the present embodiment reads in advance the distance between the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa stored in the storage device 21b in advance. Next, the mode switching unit 211 operates the actuator 65b of the slide mechanism 65 to move the analysis optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 forward and backward.

[0270] Here, the mode switching unit 211 compares the displacement amounts of the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 detected by the displacement sensor Sw2 with the previously read distance, and determines whether or not the former displacement amount has reached the latter distance. Then, at the timing when the displacement amount reaches a predetermined distance, the forward and backward movement of the analysis optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 is stopped. The predetermined distance may be determined in advance, or may be configured such that the predetermined distance coincides with the maximum movable range by the actuator 65b.

[0271] Note that after switching to the second mode by the mode switching unit 211, the head unit 6 can also be tilted.

[0272] -Spectrum acquisition unit 212- The spectrum acquisition unit 212 acquires an intensity distribution spectrum by emitting a laser beam from the analysis optical system 7 in the first mode. Specifically, the spectrum acquisition unit 212 according to the present embodiment emits a laser beam (ultraviolet laser beam) as a primary electromagnetic wave from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71, and irradiates the sample SP through the reflective objective lens 74. When the sample SP is irradiated with the laser beam, the surface of the sample SP is locally plasmaized, and when returning from the plasma state to a gas or the like, light (secondary electromagnetic wave) having energy corresponding to the width between energy levels is emitted from the electrons. The secondary electromagnetic wave thus emitted returns to the analysis optical system 7 through the reflective objective lens 74 and reaches the first camera 81, the first detector 77A, and the second detector 77B.

[0273] Based on the light returned to the first camera 81, the image processing unit 214 generates image data. Also, based on the light returned to the first and second detectors 77A, 77B, the spectrum acquisition unit 212 spectrally divides the received light amount for each wavelength to generate an intensity distribution spectrum. The intensity distribution spectrum generated by the spectrum acquisition unit 212 is input to the spectrum analysis unit 213.

[0274] Furthermore, the spectrum acquisition unit 212 synchronizes the light reception timing of the first and second detectors 77A and 77B with the laser light emission timing. By setting it in this way, the spectrum acquisition unit 212 can acquire the intensity distribution spectrum in accordance with the laser light emission timing.

[0275] -Spectral Analysis Unit 213- The spectral analysis unit 213 performs component analysis of the sample SP based on the intensity distribution spectrum generated by the spectral acquisition unit 212. As already explained, when using the LIBS method, the surface of the sample SP is locally plasma-generated, and the peak wavelength of the light emitted when it returns from the plasma state to a gas has a unique value for each element (more precisely, the electron orbital of electrons bound to the atomic nucleus). Therefore, by identifying the peak position of the intensity distribution spectrum, it is possible to determine that the element corresponding to that peak position is a component contained in the sample SP. Furthermore, by comparing the magnitudes (peak heights) of the peaks, the component ratio of each element can be determined, and the composition of the sample SP can be estimated based on the determined component ratios.

[0276] The analysis results from the spectral analysis unit 213 can be displayed on the display unit 22 or stored in the storage device 21b in a predetermined format.

[0277] -Image processing unit 214- The image processing unit 214 can control the display mode on the display unit 22 based on image data generated by the second camera 93 in the observation optical system 9 (first image data I1 described later), image data generated by the first camera 81 in the analysis optical system 7 (second image data I2 described later), and analysis results from the spectral analysis unit 213.

[0278] In particular, the image processing unit 214 according to this embodiment makes the area captured by the second camera 93 (for example, the center position of the area) and the area captured by the first camera 81 (for example, the center position of the area) coincide before and after switching between the first mode and the second mode. The image processing unit 214 can adjust the display modes of the first and second cameras 81 and 93, and by extension, the first and second image data I1 and I2 generated by each camera 81 and 93, so that the respective areas coincide.

[0279] In addition, the image processing unit 214 can also overlay an index P1 indicating the laser beam irradiation position (more generally, the area irradiated by electromagnetic waves) on the second image data I2, as shown in Figures 26 and 27 described later.

[0280] -Lighting setting section 215- The lighting setting unit 215, when switching from the first mode to the second mode, or from the second mode to the first mode, stores the lighting conditions before the mode switch and sets the lighting conditions after the mode switch based on the stored lighting conditions.

[0281] More specifically, the lighting setting unit 215 according to this embodiment sets the lighting conditions after the switch so as to reproduce the lighting conditions referenced before the switch, among the lighting conditions related to the coaxial lighting 79 and the side lighting 84 in the first mode, and the lighting conditions related to the second coaxial lighting 94 and the second side lighting 95 in the second mode, before and after the switch between the first mode and the second mode.

[0282] Here, "lighting conditions" refers to the control parameters related to the first camera 81, coaxial illumination 79, and side illumination 84, and the control parameters related to the second camera 93, second coaxial illumination 94, and second side illumination 95. Lighting conditions include the light intensity of each illumination, the illumination status of each illumination, etc. Lighting conditions consist of multiple configurable items.

[0283] Control parameters related to the light intensity of each light source include the magnitude of the current flowing through the LED light source 79a, the timing of current application, and the application time. For example, the light intensity of the coaxial light source 79 can be controlled by the magnitude of the current flowing through the LED light source 79a. These control parameters also include the exposure time of the first camera 81, the second camera 93, etc.

[0284] The control parameters associated with the illumination status of each light include, for example, information indicating which blocks among the blocks constituting the side illumination 84 and the second side illumination 95 should be illuminated.

[0285] The lighting setting unit 215 compares the current lighting conditions, i.e., the items referenced before the mode switch, with the items that can be set after the mode switch, from among the lighting conditions consisting of multiple setting items, and extracts the common items.

[0286] The lighting setting unit 215 sets the lighting conditions so that the settings from before the mode switch are reused for the extracted common items, and stores them in the storage device 21b. For example, consider a case where, when switching from the second mode to the first mode, the second side illumination 95 is used in the second mode before the switch, and the side illumination 84 is used in the first mode after the switch. In this case, the lighting setting unit 215 stores the light intensity of the second side illumination 95 and the blocks of the second side illumination 95, which consists of four blocks, that were lit in the second mode before the switch. The lighting setting unit 215 sets the lighting conditions, including the light intensity and the blocks that were lit, and stores them in the storage device 21b.

[0287] Incidentally, if there is an item unique to one of the lighting conditions before and after the switching, for example, if there is an item that can only be set in the state after the switching and the setting items before the switching cannot be referred to, the lighting setting unit 215 can set the current lighting conditions by reading the initial setting of the lighting conditions or reading the lighting conditions used at the previous use. That is, in the storage device 21b, the lighting conditions referred to at the past use are stored in the order of their use, and the lighting setting unit 215 can set the items that cannot be diverted among the lighting conditions based on the stored content.

[0288] Also, after the mode switching, the lighting conditions can be manually changed through the operation unit 3.

[0289] Also, when performing the initial setting and adjustment of the lighting conditions, the visible light transmittance of the optical elements of the analysis optical system 7 through which the light reflected by the sample SP returns to the first camera 81, such as the spectroscopic element 75 and the imaging lens 80, and the light reception sensitivity of the imaging element constituting the first camera 81, and the visible light transmittance of the optical elements constituting the observation optical system 9, such as the mirror group 91, and the light reception sensitivity of the imaging element constituting the second camera 93, may be considered.

[0290] Also, when switching from the first mode to the second mode or from the second mode to the first mode, by adjusting the light amount of the lighting so as to make the brightness of the image data displayed on the display unit 22 constant, the exposure times of the first camera 81 and the second camera 93 can be made common.

[0291] Thereby, the frame rates of the first camera 81 and the second camera 93 can be made common. Incidentally, the brightness of the image data can be made constant by controlling, for example, so that the product of the visible light transmittance and the light reception sensitivity related to each of the first camera 81 and the second camera 93 is constant.

[0292] - Lighting control unit 216 - The lighting control unit 216 reads the lighting conditions set by the lighting setting unit 215 from the storage device 21b and controls the coaxial lighting 79, side lighting 84, second coaxial lighting 94, or second side lighting 95 to reflect the read lighting conditions. This control makes it possible to turn on one or both of the coaxial lighting 79 and side lighting 84, or to turn on one or both of the second coaxial lighting 94 and second side lighting 95.

[0293] The lighting control unit 216 also temporarily turns off all coaxial lights 79 and side lights 84 when emitting laser light in the first mode, regardless of the lighting conditions.

[0294] The lighting control unit 216 also stores the lighting conditions that were referenced at the time of the switch-off in the storage device 21b before switching off the coaxial lighting 79 or the side lighting 84.

[0295] The lighting control unit 216 undoes the dimming of the coaxial illumination 79 and the side illumination 84 at a timing after the laser beam emission is complete (for example, around the time of analysis by the spectral analysis unit 213). At that time, the lighting control unit 216 reads the lighting conditions stored in the storage device 21b before dimming and reflects them in the illumination of the coaxial illumination 79 or the side illumination 84.

[0296] <Specific examples of control flow> Figure 20 is a flowchart illustrating the basic operation of the analytical observation device A. Figure 21 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for setting lighting conditions by the lighting setting unit 215, and Figure 22 is a flowchart illustrating the procedure for analyzing the sample SP by the analytical optical system 7 and the procedure for controlling the lighting state by the lighting control unit 216. Furthermore, Figure 23 is a diagram illustrating the display screen of the analytical observation device A.

[0297] First, in step S1 of Figure 20, the observation optical system 9 searches for the object to be analyzed in the second mode. In this step S1, based on user input, the control unit 21 searches for the part of the sample SP that should be analyzed by the analysis optical system 7 (object to be analyzed) while adjusting conditions such as the exposure time of the second camera 93, the illumination light guided by the optical fiber cable C3, and the brightness of the image data (first image data I1) generated by the second camera 93. At this time, the control unit 21 saves the first image data I1 generated by the second camera 93 as needed.

[0298] Furthermore, the control unit 21 can be configured to automatically adjust the exposure time of the second camera 93 and the brightness of the illumination light based on the detection signal from the lens sensor Sw1, without requiring any user input.

[0299] Figure 23 illustrates the display screen when a sample SP placed on the mounting surface 51a is imaged from an oblique angle above in the second mode. As shown in Figure 23, a groove M1 representing the letter "A" is provided on the upper surface of the sample SP.

[0300] Figure 24 also illustrates the display screen when the sample SP is imaged from directly above (θ=±0°) using the second side illumination 95 in the second mode. In this case, the first image data I1 generated by the image processing unit 214 based on the detection signal from the second camera 93 is displayed on the display unit 22.

[0301] On the other hand, Figure 25 illustrates the display screen when the sample SP is imaged from directly above (θ=±0°) using the second coaxial illumination 94 in the second mode. In this case, the first image data I1 generated by the image processing unit 214 based on the detection signal from the second camera 93 is displayed on the display unit 22.

[0302] As illustrated in Figures 24 and 25, when using the second side illumination 85 and when using the second coaxial illumination 94, images are obtained that appear as if the contrast of the first image data I1 is reversed. Specifically, for example, when using a sample SP with a uniform surface such as metal, a lot of specularly reflected light is emitted from the metal surface. Therefore, when using the second coaxial illumination 94, a relatively large amount of reflected light is collected by the objective lens 92, resulting in a relatively bright image. On the other hand, when using the second side illumination 85 with the same sample SP, a relatively small amount of specularly reflected light is collected by the objective lens 92, resulting in a relatively dark image.

[0303] In this way, by varying the brightness and darkness of an image depending on the type of lighting, information that is difficult to see with one type of lighting (for example, the surface condition of a sample SP) may become easier to see with the other type of lighting.

[0304] For example, in the examples shown in Figures 24 and 25, the brightness of minute irregularities such as scratches Sc1 and Sc2 on the surface of the sample SP changes, in addition to the groove M1. In Figure 24, the groove M1 is easily visible, but scratches Sc1 and Sc2 are difficult to see. Furthermore, scratch Sc3 is even more difficult to see in Figure 24. On the other hand, in Figure 25, the groove M1 becomes difficult to see, but scratches Sc1 and Sc2 become easier to see. Also, scratch Sc3 is clearly visible in Figure 25. In this way, by changing the lighting according to the type of sample SP, the user can more appropriately understand the surface condition of the sample SP.

[0305] In the following step S2, the control unit 21 receives a switching instruction from the second mode to the first mode based on the user's input. At this point, the operation of the slide mechanism 65 by the mode switching unit 211 has not yet been performed.

[0306] Next, in step S3, before performing the mode switching, the lighting conditions are set by the lighting setting unit 215. The process performed in step S3 is as shown in Figure 21. That is, step S3 in Figure 20 is composed of steps S31 to S40 in Figure 21.

[0307] First, in step S31 of Figure 21, the lighting setting unit 215 acquires each item that constitutes the current lighting conditions (lighting conditions being referenced in the second mode).

[0308] In the following step S32, the lighting setting unit 215 acquires the items that are available in the first mode from among the items that constitute the lighting conditions to be referenced in the first mode.

[0309] In the following step S33, the lighting setting unit 215 compares each item of the current lighting conditions acquired in step S31 with the available items acquired in step S32 and extracts items that are common to both.

[0310] In the following step S34, the lighting setting unit 215 determines whether or not common items were extracted in step S33 (whether or not common items exist). If the determination is YES, the unit proceeds to step S35; otherwise, it proceeds to step S36.

[0311] In step S35, the illumination setting unit 215 reuses the current illumination conditions for common items extracted in step S33 from among the multiple illumination conditions (items that can be reused in both the first and second modes, such as which direction blocks to illuminate in the side illumination 84 and the second side illumination 95). On the other hand, for items not extracted in step S33 (for example, setting items specific to the first mode related to the configuration of the analytical optical system 7), it reads the settings used last time, initial settings, etc. Once the settings for each item are complete, the illumination setting unit 215 proceeds to step S39 and stores the illumination conditions for the first mode in the storage device 21b.

[0312] Meanwhile, in step S36, the lighting setting unit 215 determines whether a previously used setting exists. If the determination is YES, the unit proceeds to step S37; otherwise, it proceeds to step S38. In step S37, the lighting setting unit 215 reads the previously used setting as the lighting condition and proceeds to step S39, storing the read lighting condition in the storage device 21b as the lighting condition for the first mode. Also, in step S38, the lighting setting unit 215 reads the initial setting as the lighting condition and proceeds to step S39, storing the read lighting condition in the storage device 21b as the lighting condition for the first mode.

[0313] In step S40, following step S39, the lighting control unit 216 turns off the observation lighting (second coaxial lighting 94 or second side lighting 95) and terminates the flow shown in Figure 21. After that, the control process proceeds from step S3 to step S4 in Figure 20.

[0314] In step S4, the mode switching unit 211 activates the slide mechanism 65 to slide the observation optical system 9 and the analysis optical system 7 together, thereby switching from the second mode to the first mode.

[0315] In the subsequent step S5, after the mode switching is completed, the illumination control unit 216 performs illumination control, and the spectrum acquisition unit 212 and spectrum analysis unit 213 perform component analysis of the sample SP. The processing performed in step S5 is as shown in Figure 22. That is, step S5 in Figure 20 is composed of steps S51 to S61 in Figure 22.

[0316] First, in step S51, the lighting control unit 216 reads the lighting conditions set by the lighting setting unit 215 from the storage device 21b. In the following step S52, the lighting control unit 216 turns on the analytical lighting (coaxial lighting 79 or side lighting 84) to reflect the lighting conditions read in step S51. As a result, each control parameter related to the analytical lighting, such as the exposure time of the first camera 81 and the amount of illumination light emitted from the LED light source 79a, reproduces the control parameters in the second mode as closely as possible.

[0317] In this embodiment, the reflective objective lens 74 for component analysis has a shallower depth of field during observation compared to the observation objective lens 92. Therefore, in step S53 following step S52, the illumination control unit 216 performs autofocus at various points in the second image data I2 and generates a fully focused image.

[0318] Furthermore, if the magnification of the objective lens 92 is lower than that of the reflective objective lens 74, the image processing unit 214 can use the first image data I1 saved during the switch from the second mode to the first mode as a mapping image, and display on the display unit 22 which parts of the mapping image are being captured as the second image data I2.

[0319] Figure 25 illustrates the display screen when the sample SP is imaged from directly above (θ=±0°) using coaxial illumination 79 in the first mode. In this case, the second image data I2 generated by the image processing unit 214 based on the detection signal from the first camera 81 is displayed on the display unit 22.

[0320] On the other hand, Figure 26 illustrates the display screen when the sample SP is imaged from directly above (θ=±0°) using side illumination 84 in the second mode. In this case, the second image data I2 generated by the image processing unit 214 based on the detection signal from the first camera 81 is displayed on the display unit 22.

[0321] Comparing the case using coaxial illumination 79 with the case using side illumination 84, similar to the comparison between the second side illumination 95 and the second coaxial illumination 94, an image is obtained that appears as if the contrast of the second image data I2 has been reversed. By using the two types of illumination, as mentioned above, the brightness of minute irregularities such as scratches Sc1 and Sc2 present on the surface of the sample SP, in addition to the groove M1, changes. By changing the illumination according to the type of sample SP, the user can more appropriately understand the surface condition of the sample SP.

[0322] Furthermore, the image processing unit 214 can also overlay a mark P1 on the second image data I2, indicating the laser beam irradiation position (laser irradiation point). This mark P1 indicates the laser beam's aiming point. By checking the position of mark P1, the user can confirm whether the analysis target is properly set. Based on the operation input (e.g., manual input by the user) indicating the confirmation result, the image processing unit 214 can proceed with the control process.

[0323] If the object to be analyzed is not properly set, the head unit 6 drives the mounting platform drive unit 53 to adjust the position of the mounting platform body 51, for example, based on user input. This corrects the relative position of the sample SP with respect to the mark P1.

[0324] In the following step S54, the control unit 21 determines whether or not it has received an instruction to irradiate with laser light. This determination is performed, for example, based on user input. The control unit 21 repeats step S54 until this determination is YES.

[0325] In the following step S55, the image processing unit 214 saves the second image data I2, taken immediately before the laser beam is emitted, to the storage device 21b. In the following step S56, the illumination control unit 216 stores the illumination status at that time (illumination conditions at the moment immediately before the laser beam is emitted) in the storage device 21b. In the following step S57, the illumination control unit 216 turns off the illumination for analysis (coaxial illumination 79 or side illumination 84).

[0326] Then, in step S58, the spectrum acquisition unit 212 emits laser light from the analysis optical system 7 to the sample SP. In this step S58, the first and second detectors 77A and 77B receive the light (secondary electromagnetic waves) emitted due to the plasma formation of the sample SP. At this time, the reception timing of the first and second detectors 77A and 77B is set to be synchronized with the laser light emission timing. The spectrum acquisition unit 212 acquires the intensity distribution spectrum in accordance with the laser light emission timing.

[0327] In the following step S59, the illumination control unit 216 turns on the illumination for analysis (coaxial illumination 79 or side illumination 84). In the following step S60, the illumination control unit 216 reads the illumination conditions stored in the memory device 21b and controls the illumination for analysis to reflect those illumination conditions. This reproduces the illumination state immediately before the emission of the laser light. Note that the order of steps S59 and S60 may be reversed, or both steps may be configured to be executed simultaneously.

[0328] In the subsequent step S61, the spectral analysis unit 213 analyzes the intensity distribution spectrum to perform an analysis of the elemental components and their ratios contained in the sample SP, and to estimate the material based on the component ratios. The material estimation results are displayed, for example, on the display unit 22. This completes step S5 in Figure 20, and the flow shown in Figure 20 is finished.

[0329] <Main features of the analytical and observation device A> (Features that contribute to improved measurement accuracy) As described above, the transmission region 12a in this embodiment transmits the primary electromagnetic waves emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71 and passing through the opening 11a, as illustrated in Figures 8A and 14, thereby causing the primary electromagnetic waves to be emitted along the analysis optical axis Aa of the reflective objective lens 74. The primary electromagnetic waves are irradiated onto the sample SP in a state coaxial with respect to the analysis optical axis Aa. This makes it possible to collect the secondary electromagnetic waves generated in the sample SP as sufficiently as possible by the primary mirror 11. This increases the intensity of the secondary electromagnetic waves reaching the first and second detectors 77A and 77B, and consequently improves the detection accuracy of the analysis observation device A.

[0330] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the secondary electromagnetic waves collected by the reflective objective lens 74 reach the first or second detector 77A, 77B via the first or second parabolic mirrors 76A, 76B. By configuring the system to guide the secondary electromagnetic waves using only the reflection system, a fiberless configuration that eliminates the need for optical fibers can be realized. This minimizes the loss of secondary electromagnetic waves and, consequently, improves the detection accuracy of the analytical observation device A.

[0331] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, by aligning the focal positions of the first and second parabolic mirrors 76A and 76B with the entrance slits 77a and 77a of the first and second detectors 77A and 77B, respectively, the gain of the secondary electromagnetic waves received by the first and second detectors 77A and 77B can be maximized. This is effective in improving the detection accuracy of the analytical observation device A.

[0332] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, the analytical observation device A is configured to guide the first component in the ultraviolet region, where loss due to transmission through the glass material is a concern, to the first detector 77A without passing through the spectroscopic element 75, which is mainly made of glass material, while guiding the second component in the infrared region, where the effect of loss is smaller than that of the first component, through the spectroscopic element 75 to the second detector 77B. This configuration makes it possible to achieve detection by multiple detectors while suppressing secondary electromagnetic wave loss as much as possible. Detection by multiple detectors contributes to improving wavelength resolution. Therefore, this configuration contributes to improving measurement accuracy by suppressing secondary electromagnetic wave loss and improving wavelength resolution.

[0333] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, the deflection element 73 reflects the primary electromagnetic wave through the reflection region 731 and guides it to the reflective objective lens 74, while allowing the secondary electromagnetic wave to pass through the hollow region 732. By allowing the secondary electromagnetic wave to pass through the hollow region 732, the loss of the secondary electromagnetic wave can be suppressed. Therefore, this configuration is effective in achieving both the coaxial alignment of the primary electromagnetic wave by the reflection region 731 and the improvement of measurement accuracy due to the suppression of secondary electromagnetic wave loss.

[0334] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 12, a single deflection element 73 can simultaneously create both a reflection region 731 and a hollow region 732. Such a configuration is effective in achieving both the coaxial alignment of the primary electromagnetic wave by the reflection region 731 and improved measurement accuracy due to the suppression of secondary electromagnetic wave loss.

[0335] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, secondary electromagnetic waves that have passed through the region near the first support leg 73d can pass through the deflection element 73 without being blocked by the second support leg 14b. This is effective in suppressing the loss of secondary electromagnetic waves and, consequently, improving the measurement accuracy of the analysis and observation device A.

[0336] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, the through-hole 73b that demarcates the hollow region 732 is formed to extend along the direction of the analytical optical axis Aa of the reflective objective lens 74. By forming it in this way, when the through-hole 73b is rotated by a predetermined angle around the analytical optical axis Aa, the through-hole 73b can be configured to be rotationally symmetric (three-fold symmetry in the illustrated example) in a plan view. This ensures a distance between the inner surface of the through-hole 73b and the secondary electromagnetic waves passing through the hollow region 732, thereby suppressing interference between the through-hole 73b and the secondary electromagnetic waves. This is effective in suppressing the loss of secondary electromagnetic waves and contributes to improving measurement accuracy.

[0337] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in addition to the primary electromagnetic waves, the optical axis of the first camera 81 is also coaxial with the reflective objective lens 74. This makes it possible to perform three functions—irradiating the sample SP with primary electromagnetic waves, collecting secondary electromagnetic waves from the sample SP, and imaging the sample SP with the first camera 81—without interfering with each other, using a single reflective objective lens 74.

[0338] Furthermore, by interposing an optical thin film 13b between the transmission region 12a and the mounting surface 51a, the collection of reflected light through the transmission region 12a is suppressed, and reflected light can be collected only by the primary reflective surface 11b and the secondary reflective surface 12b. This suppresses the risk of double imaging of reflected light in the first camera 81, which in turn is advantageous for improving measurement accuracy.

[0339] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 7, in addition to the optical axis of the first camera 81, the coaxial illumination 79 is also coaxial with the reflective objective lens 74. This makes it possible to achieve four functions—irradiation of the sample SP with primary electromagnetic waves, collection of secondary electromagnetic waves from the sample SP, imaging of the sample SP by the first camera 81, and illumination of the sample SP with illumination light—without interfering with each other, using a single reflective objective lens 74.

[0340] (Features that contribute to improved usability) Furthermore, the analytical observation apparatus A according to this embodiment is equipped with a first camera 81 as an imaging unit for analysis, and as an illumination device used for imaging by the first camera 81, it is equipped with a side illumination 84 that irradiates the object to be analyzed from diagonally above, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B. By providing the side illumination 84 around the reflective objective lens 74 which serves as the collection head, the user can grasp surface conditions that would be difficult to capture using other illumination methods such as coaxial illumination. This improves the usability in component analysis.

[0341] Furthermore, by positioning the side illumination 84 on the outer circumference of the reflective objective lens 74, illumination light can be irradiated over a wider area without compromising the compactness of the reflective objective lens 74. This enables the generation of image data with excellent visibility, allowing users to more clearly understand the surface condition of the sample SP.

[0342] Furthermore, the side illumination 84 according to this embodiment can irradiate illumination light in a manner that is rotationally symmetrical around the analytical optical axis Aa of the reflective objective lens 74, as shown in Figure 10, for example. This is advantageous for sufficiently irradiating the area imaged by the first camera 81 with illumination light.

[0343] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8B, by emitting illumination light through the light guide member 84c, the illumination light can be irradiated over a wider area. This suppresses vignetting that may occur due to the secondary mirror 12 and the second support leg 14b, etc. By suppressing vignetting, shading in the image data can be suppressed. This generates image data with better visibility, allowing the user to understand the surface condition of the sample SP more clearly.

[0344] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, by configuring the system so that the side illumination 84 and the reflective objective lens 74 are not directly connected, thermal connection between the LED light source 84b and the primary mirror 11 and secondary mirror 12 is suppressed. This suppresses the thermal influence on the primary mirror 11 and secondary mirror 12 caused by heat generated from the LED light source 84b. By suppressing the thermal influence on the primary mirror 11 and secondary mirror 12, positional misalignment of both mirrors 11 and 12 can be suppressed. This is effective in ensuring the accuracy of component analysis by the control unit 21.

[0345] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8A and 8B, by positioning the LED light source 84b between the primary mirror 11 and the secondary mirror 12 in the optical axis direction, the LED light source 84b can be configured not to come too close to the mounting surface 51a. This ensures sufficient space for housing the light guide member 84c in the optical axis direction. Also, by configuring the LED light source 84b not to be too far from the mounting surface 51a, the inclination angle of the side illumination 84 with respect to the reflective objective lens 74 can be sufficiently ensured without excessively increasing the diameter of the side illumination 84. This allows illumination light to be directed to the appropriate area, and image data with excellent visibility can be generated. As a result, the surface condition of the sample SP can be more clearly understood by the user.

[0346] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10, the side-illumination 84, which consists of multiple blocks, can be illuminated from various angles by individually lighting each block. This allows the user to more clearly understand the surface condition of the sample SP.

[0347] Furthermore, the analysis and observation device A according to this embodiment can use two types of illumination devices with different irradiation directions. This allows for the generation of more varied image data, which in turn is advantageous in allowing the user to understand the surface condition of the sample SP.

[0348] Furthermore, the analytical observation device A can utilize two types of illumination devices with different irradiation directions, not only in the analytical optical system 7 but also in the observation optical system 9. This allows for the generation of more varied image data, which in turn is advantageous in enabling the user to understand the surface condition of the sample SP.

[0349] Furthermore, as explained using Figures 21 and 22, the control unit 21, as a processing unit, can generate image data under conditions as similar as possible during both the observation and analysis of the sample SP. This makes it possible to switch between image data generated during observation (first image data I1) and image data generated during analysis (second image data I2) without causing any discomfort to the user, which is advantageous in improving usability.

[0350] Furthermore, the analysis and observation device A according to this embodiment is configured to match the focal length during the observation and analysis of the sample SP. This makes it possible to generate image data under conditions as similar as possible during the observation and analysis of the sample SP. As a result, it becomes possible to switch between the image data generated during observation (first image data I1) and the image data generated during analysis (first image data I1) without causing any discomfort to the user, which is advantageous in improving usability.

[0351] Other embodiments (Modified hardware configuration) Figure 28 is a bottom view showing a modified example of side illumination.

[0352] In the above embodiment, the side illumination 84 was configured as an annular illumination capable of emitting annular illumination light, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. The side illumination according to the present disclosure includes illumination devices in general that are arranged to surround a reflective objective lens 74 as a collection head and irradiate the sample SP with illumination light from diagonally above. That is, the side illumination is not limited to the annular illumination 84 illustrated in the upper part of Figure 28, but may also be a rectangular illumination 84' illustrated in the middle part of Figure 28, or a cross-shaped illumination 84'' illustrated in the lower part of Figure 28.

[0353] Furthermore, although the above embodiment was configured such that the observation housing 90 was supported by the outer surface of the analysis housing 70, this disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. The observation housing 90 or observation unit 9a may be configured to be supported by the inner surface of the analysis housing 70. In this case, the observation housing 90 or observation unit 9a will be housed in the analysis housing 70, similar to the analysis optical system 7.

[0354] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa were configured to be parallel to each other, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration. The analysis optical system 7 and the observation optical system 9 can also be arranged so that the observation optical axis Ao and the analysis optical axis Aa are in a twisted position.

[0355] (Variations in the analysis method) The analytical observation apparatus A according to the above embodiment was configured to perform component analysis by emitting laser light as a primary electromagnetic wave from the electromagnetic wave emission unit 71, but the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration.

[0356] For example, by using infrared light as the primary electromagnetic wave, analysis may be performed by infrared spectroscopy instead of the LIBS method. Specifically, the chemical structure of molecules contained in the object may be analyzed by irradiating the object with infrared light and measuring the transmitted or reflected light (secondary electromagnetic wave). Alternatively, analysis may be performed by Raman spectroscopy, using monochromatic light as the electromagnetic wave and examining the physical properties of the object, such as crystallinity, using the Raman scattered light produced by irradiating the object with monochromatic light. Furthermore, analysis may be performed by ultraviolet-visible-near-infrared spectroscopy by using light in the ultraviolet, visible, and infrared regions of approximately 180-3000 nm as the electromagnetic wave. Specifically, qualitative and quantitative analysis of the target component contained in the object may be performed by irradiating the object with electromagnetic waves and measuring the transmitted or reflected light. In addition, spectroscopic analysis in the X-ray region may be performed by using X-rays as the electromagnetic wave. Specifically, X-ray fluorescence analysis may be performed, in which an object (sample) is irradiated with X-rays, and the elements of the object are analyzed by the energy and intensity of the fluorescent X-rays, which are characteristic X-rays generated as a result. Alternatively, an electron beam may be used instead of electromagnetic waves, and the surface of the object may be analyzed by the energy and intensity of the backscattered electrons generated by irradiating the object with the electron beam. The configuration described herein is also applicable when performing such spectroscopy. [Explanation of symbols]

[0357] A. Analytical observation device (analytical device) 1 Optical System Assembly 2. Controller unit 21 Control Unit (Processing Unit) 215 Lighting setting section 216 Lighting Control Unit 64 Housing connector 65 Slide mechanism 7 Analytical optical system 70 Analytical Enclosures 71 Electromagnetic wave emission part 73 Deflection element 731 Reflection area 732 Hollow area 73a Element support member 73b Through hole 73c Mirror component 73d First support leg 74. Reflecting objective lens (collection head) 11 Primary Mirror 11a opening 11b Primary reflective surface 12 Secondary Mirror 12a Transparent area 12b Secondary reflective surface 13. Third-order lens 13b Optical thin film 14 Support Member 14a Mirror support member 14b Second support leg 75 Spectroscopic element 76A First Parabolic Mirror (Parabolic Mirror) 76B Second Parabolic Mirror (Parabolic Mirror) 77A First Detector (Detector) 77B Second Detector (Detector) 77a Entrance slit (light receiving section) 79 Coaxial lighting 81. First camera (imaging unit) 84 Side illumination 84a enclosure 84b LED light source (light source) 84d Diffuser 9. Observation Optical System 90 Observation enclosure 92 Objective lens 93 Second camera (second imaging unit) 94. Second coaxial illumination (second coaxial illumination) 95. Second side illumination (second side illumination) Aa. Analytical optical axis (optical axis of a reflective objective lens) Ao Observation Optical Axis I1 First Image Data I2 Image Data 2 SP Sample (Analyte)

Claims

1. An analytical device for observing and analyzing an analyte, A platform on which the object to be analyzed is placed, An analytical optical system including an electromagnetic wave emission unit that irradiates the object to be analyzed, which is placed on the mounting stage, with an electron beam or primary electromagnetic wave, and a detector that detects the energy generated in the object to be analyzed by the irradiation, An analytical housing for the aforementioned analytical optical system, An observation optical system, integrally held with the analytical optical system, includes a first objective lens for collecting light from the object to be analyzed, and a first camera for imaging the object by detecting the amount of light received from the object to be analyzed through the first objective lens. An observation housing that houses the aforementioned observation optical system, A housing connector that detachably holds the observation housing, which includes one observation optical system from among several different types of observation optical systems, to the analysis housing, The aforementioned analytical optical system is tilted by a tilting mechanism that causes the optical axis of the analytical optical system to be tilted with respect to a second axis perpendicular to the mounting base by oscillating the analytical optical system around a first axis extending in a direction parallel to the mounting base described above, A horizontal drive mechanism for changing the relative position of the analysis optical system and the observation optical system with respect to the mounting platform, A control unit controls the horizontal drive mechanism and changes the relative position based on the distance between the optical axis of the analysis optical system and the optical axis of the observation optical system, thereby switching between a first mode in which the analysis optical system faces the object to be analyzed and irradiates the object to be analyzed with the electron beam or the primary electromagnetic wave, and a second mode in which the observation optical system faces the object to be analyzed and observes the object to be analyzed with the observation optical system, and performs analysis of the surface of the object to be analyzed based on the detection signal obtained by the analysis optical system in the first mode, and generation of image data based on the reflected light received by the observation optical system in the second mode. The system includes an image processing unit that controls the display mode displayed on the display unit based on the analysis results of the surface of the object to be analyzed performed by the control unit and the image data of the object to be analyzed generated by the control unit. Analyzer.

2. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 1, The control unit receives a switching instruction to switch between the first mode and the second mode, and, based on the receipt of the switching instruction, transmits a control signal to the horizontal drive mechanism to change the relative positions of the analysis optical system and the observation optical system with respect to the aforementioned stand. Analyzer.

3. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 2, The horizontal drive mechanism includes an actuator that changes the relative position based on a control signal transmitted from the control unit. Based on receiving the switching instruction, the control unit transmits a switching signal to the horizontal drive mechanism to move it based on the distance between the optical axis of the analysis optical system and the optical axis of the observation optical system. The horizontal drive mechanism, upon receiving the switching signal, activates the actuator to switch between a state in which the analytical optical system is facing the object to be analyzed and a state in which the observation optical system is facing the object to be analyzed. Analyzer.

4. In the analytical apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 3, The control unit identifies the type of the first objective lens included in the observation optical system corresponding to the observation housing fixed to the housing connector, and adjusts the exposure time of the first camera in the observation optical system based on the identification result. Analyzer.

5. In an analytical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The tilting mechanism causes the optical axis of the analytical optical system and the optical axis of the observation optical system, which is held by the analytical optical system, to tilt with respect to the second axis by integrally swinging them around the first axis. Analyzer.

6. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 5, The tilting mechanism tilts the optical axis of the observation optical system with respect to the second axis while maintaining a constant intersection position between the optical axis of the observation optical system and the first axis. Analyzer.

7. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 6, The tilting mechanism causes the analytical optical system and the observation optical system held within the analytical optical system to oscillate integrally around the first axis such that the first objective lens oscillates about the first axis. Analyzer.

8. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 5, The horizontal drive mechanism changes the relative position of the analysis optical system and the observation optical system with respect to the aforementioned stand, while the tilting mechanism maintains the tilted position of the observation optical system and the analysis optical system. Analyzer.

9. In the analytical apparatus described in any one of claims 1 to 8, The image processing unit causes the display unit to display an overlay on the image data generated by the control unit, which includes an index indicating the position where the electron beam or primary electromagnetic wave is irradiated in the first mode. Analyzer.

10. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 6 or 7, The system includes a memory that stores three-dimensional coordinates indicating the intersection position of the optical axis of the observation optical system and the first axis. Analyzer.

11. In an analytical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, The electromagnetic wave emitting unit emits laser light as the primary electromagnetic wave, The detector detects plasma light generated in the object to be analyzed by the laser light emitted from the electromagnetic wave emission unit, The analytical optical system further includes a second objective lens for focusing light from the object to be analyzed, and a second camera for imaging the object by detecting the amount of light received from the object to be analyzed through the second objective lens. The control unit generates image data based on the reflected light received by the analysis optical system in the first mode. The image processing unit makes the field of view of the image data based on the reflected light received by the observation optical system in the second mode match the field of view of the image data based on the reflected light received by the analysis optical system in the first mode. Analyzer.

12. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 11, The analytical optical system includes a first coaxial illumination and a first side illumination for irradiating the object to be analyzed with illumination light. The observation optical system includes a second coaxial illumination and a second side illumination for irradiating the object to be analyzed with illumination light. The system further includes a memory for storing the lighting status of the second coaxial illumination and the second side illumination, The control unit, In the second mode, in which the observation optical system is positioned in front of the object to be analyzed, the illumination state of the second coaxial illumination and the second side illumination when the object to be analyzed is imaged by the first camera is stored in the memory. The system switches from the second mode to the first mode, in which the analytical optical system is positioned in front of the object to be analyzed, and at least one of the first coaxial illumination and the first side illumination is turned on based on the lighting state stored in the memory, thereby reproducing the lighting conditions that were in place when the object to be analyzed was imaged by the second camera in the second mode. In the first mode, image data is generated based on reflected light from the object to be analyzed, which is illuminated by at least one of the second coaxial illumination and the second side illumination. Analyzer.

13. In the analytical apparatus described in claim 11, The first camera has a memory for storing the exposure time, The control unit, In the second mode, in which the observation optical system is positioned in front of the object to be analyzed, the exposure time of the first camera when the object to be analyzed is imaged by the first camera is stored in the memory. Switch from the second mode to the first mode in which the analysis optical system is positioned in front of the object to be analyzed, and set the exposure time of the second camera based on the exposure conditions stored in the memory. In the first mode, image data is generated based on the reflected light from the object to be analyzed. Analyzer.

14. In an analytical apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 10, The electromagnetic wave emitting unit irradiates the electron beam, The detector detects reflected electrons generated by the object to be analyzed by the electron beam emitted by the electromagnetic wave emission unit, The control unit analyzes the surface of the object to be analyzed based on the detection signal obtained by the detector. Analyzer.

15. In the analytical apparatus described in Claim 1, The housing connector fixes the distance between the optical axis of the analysis optical system and the optical axis of the observation optical system. The control unit controls the horizontal drive mechanism to move the analysis optical system and the observation optical system together by a fixed distance, thereby switching between the first mode and the second mode. Analyzer.

16. In the analytical apparatus described in Claim 15, The housing connector connects the observation housing, which includes the observation optical system, to the analysis housing such that the optical axis of the analysis optical system and the optical axis of the observation optical system are parallel to each other. Analyzer.

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