Patent ID: 6080586
Filing Date: 2000-06-27
Classification: B82Y,G01N,G01Q,H01J,Y10S,Y10T

Abstract:
A method of desorbing particles from a surface, comprising:obtaining a near-field probe which is driven by a laser to produce an output light at an output aperture at an output end;determining a near-field distance between said probe and the surface which will enable said probe to image in a near-field mode in which light output from the probe will remain collimated to approximately within a width of the output aperture;adjusting an actual distance between the output end of the near-field probe and the sample to be analyzed, to keep said distance close to said near-field distance;illuminating said sample using said probe, with an amount of energy effective to desorb particles from the surface of the surface;wherein said laser is pulsed with an energy that is effective to desorb particles with each pulse; anda mass spectrometer device which has an element for sucking in particles that are desorbed, and further comprising pulsing said sucking and synchronizing the sucking of particles with pulses of the laser.