Patent ID: 6330062
Filing Date: 2001-12-11
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
Apparatus for measuring the adsorption of molecules onto a thin metal film, said apparatus comprising:means for providing an interferometrically modulated broadband beam of electromagnetic radiation;beam processing means for collimating and polarizing said beam of electromagnetic radiation;a prism transparent to electromagnetic radiation and having first and second surfaces, wherein a first surface of the thin metal film is in intimate contact with the second surface of said prism, and wherein said beam of electromagnetic radiation is incident upon the first surface of said prism and is internally reflected by said prism at the second surface;means for introducing the molecules to a second, opposed surface of the thin metal film so as to form a molecular attachment thereon, wherein said beam of electromagnetic radiation gives rise to surface plasmon resonance at the metal film/molecular attachment interface having characteristics dependent upon the adsorption of molecules on the thin metal film; anddetector means responsive to the internally reflected beam of electromagnetic radiation for providing an output signal representing the surface plasmon resonance on the thin metal film, wherein said output signal is processed using Fourier transform techniques.