Patent ID: 7282157

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a light-propagating probe for a near-field microscope, the light-propagating probe having a light-propagating body that terminates at one end in a hook-shaped section that has a sharpened tip section at a free end thereof, the tip section being coated with a metal film coating except at the tip end thereof to form a transparent opening at the tip end for passing light, a portion of the light-propagating body that extends rearward of the hook-shaped section constituting a spring operating part for functioning as a cantilever capable of being displaced in a direction perpendicular to a sample surface, and the light-propagating body having a reflecting surface for carrying out optical position detection of the tip section, the method comprising: a step of sharpening the light-propagating body; a step of forming the light-propagating body in a hook-shape; a step of forming the reflecting surface; a metal film coating step for forming the transparent opening; a step of protecting the transparent opening with a resist material; a metal film coating step for coating at least the reflecting surface; and a step of removing the resist material.