Patent ID: 7613099

Claim:
A solid immersion lens, comprising: an inclined portion formed on at least a part of a tip end portion of the objective side, and having a convex portion formed on its tip end portion so as to protrude toward the objective side, wherein an inclination angle θ from the optical axis of said inclined portion is expressed as: θ≧θi where θi represents an angle of incidence of incident light; and said convex portion is shaped so as to satisfy the following relationships expressed as: tan −1 ( h/y )<90 °−θi tan −1 (( d+h )/ z ))≧0.10° tan −1 ( d/y )≧0.10° where h represents the height protruding toward the objective side, y represents the length from said optical axis to the edge portion of said convex-like portion, z represents the length from said optical axis to the edge portion of the objective side of said inclined portion and d represents a space between said solid immersion lens and the objective.