Patent ID: 7151244
Filing Date: 2006-12-19
Classification: B23K,G01Q

Abstract:
1. A system for measuring radiation at a laser peak wavelength that is radiated from a probe tip of a near-field scanning optical microscope (NSOM) probe used for laser machining, the system comprising: a laser source to generate laser light having the laser peak wavelength; the NSOM probe having a substantially cylindrical shape and including: a coupling substrate formed of a material that is substantially transmissive to the laser peak wavelength; an NSOM mount to controllably hold the NSOM probe and the coupling substrate, the NSOM mount including a Z motion stage coupled to one of the NSOM probe or the coupling substrate; an NSOM probe monitor coupled to the NSOM mount for determining a distance between the probe tip of the NSOM probe and a top surface of the coupling substrate; an NSOM controller coupled to the NSOM probe monitor and the Z motion stage, the NSOM controller controlling a vertical position of the one of the NSOM probe or the coupling substrate coupled to the Z motion stage based on the distance between the probe tip of the NSOM probe and the top surface of the coupling substrate determined by the NSOM probe monitor such that radiation is coupled from the probe tip of the NSOM probe into the coupling substrate; and a photodetector optically coupled to the coupling substrate to measure a power of the radiation coupled from the probe tip of the NSOM probe into the coupling substrate.