Patent ID: 6750457
Filing Date: 2004-06-15
Classification: G01J,G01N

Abstract:
A device for analyzing sample arrays deposited on a substrate surface, the device comprising:a stage for holding the substrate, said stage movable along a first axis of said surface; at least one laser producing an illumination beam; focus optics in the path of the illumination light, said illumination focus optics focusing said illumination beam into a beam spot; a beam scanner for scanning said beam spot along a second axis of said surface; an objective lens, which gathers a percentage of light emitted from samples on said substrate and transmits collected light along an optical axis of said illumination beam to a light detector; a beam directing optic positioned between said laser and said objective lens said beam directing optic including an inner light directing element that directs the illumination beam to the objective lens and an outer light directing element disposed as an annulus about the inner light directing element, said outer light directing element directing collected emitted light at an angle relative to the optical axis of the illumination beam to detection optics; a spatial filter, acting in conjunction with the beam spot and objective lens to confine detection to a limited depth of field, said depth of field in a defined spatial relation to said substrate surface; and a light detection optics positioned to detect light which passes through said spatial filter.