Abstract
The SIL is now an essential component of the modern FA lab. But the SIL has very specific requirements to produce good results: and the aplanatic SIL (or ASIL) has even more stringent requirements. In particular, it requires a very specific sample thickness, and a very flat surface. In addition, there are situations where a commercial SIL lens is not compatible with the requirements at hand. This paper describes a method for fabricating an in-situ SIL that can be adjusted for different sample thicknesses, using a combination of materials and techniques that are both readily available and easily learned. In contrast to diffractive lenses, our SILs are much more efficient with regard to delivering a focused laser beam to the spot of interest, and do not require the use of a FIB to fabricate them.
