Transcript Document

Optical Microscopy
• Introduction
• Lens formula, Image formation and
Magnification
• Resolution and lens defects
• Basic components and their functions
• Common modes of analysis
• Specialized Microscopy Techniques
• Typical examples of applications
Diffraction of Light
Diffraction of light occurs when a
light wave passes by a corner
(or a barrier) or through an
opening (or a slit) that is
physically the approximate size
of, or even smaller than that
light's wavelength.
Sin=/d
/d
1st
2nd 3rd
film
Light waves interfere constructively and destructively.
Resolution of Microscope –
Rayleigh Criteria
Rayleigh Criteria: Angular separation
 of the two points is such that the
central maximum of one image falls
on the first diffraction minimum of
the other
 =m  1.22/d
Resolution of Microscope – in
terms of Linear separation
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To express the resolution in
terms of a linear separation r,
have to consider the Abbe’s
theory
Path difference between the
two beams passing the two
slits is d sin i  d sin   
Assuming that the two beams
are just collected by the
objective, then i =  and
I
II
I
II
dmin = /2sin
Resolution of Microscope –
Numerical Aperture
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If the space between the specimen and the
objective is filled with a medium of refractive index
n, then wavelength in medium n = /n
The dmin = /2n sin = /2(N.A.)
For circular aperture
dmin= 1.22/2(N.A.)=0.61/(N.A.)
where N.A. = n sin is called numerical aperture
Immersion oil n=1.515
Numerical Aperture (NA)
NA=1 -
theoretical
maximum numerical
aperture of a lens
operating with air as
the imaging medium

Angular aperture
(72 degrees)
One half of A-A
NA of an objective is a measure of its ability to
gather light and resolve fine specimen detail at
a fixed object distance. NA = n(sin )
n: refractive index of the imaging medium between
the front lens of objective and specimen cover glass
Resolution of a Microscope (lateral)
The smallest distance between two specimen points
that can still be distinguished as two separate entities
dmin = 0.61/NA
NA=nsin()
 – illumination wavelength (light)
NA – numerical aperture
-one half of the objective angular aperture
n-imaging medium refractive index
dmin ~ 0.3m for a midspectrum  of 0.55m
Factors Affecting Resolution
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Resolution = dmin = 0.61/(N.A.)
Resolution improves (smaller dmin) if  or n or 
Assuming that sin = 0.95 ( = 71.8°)
Wavelength
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Air (n= 1)
Oil (n = 1.515)
Red
650 nm
0.42 m
0.28 m
Yellow
600 nm
0.39 m
0.25 m
Green
550 nm
0.35 m
0.23 m
Blue
475 nm
0.31 m
0.20 m
Violet
400 nm
0.27 m
0.17 m
(The eye is more sensitive to blue than violet)
Optical Aberrations
Reduce the resolution of microscope
Two primary causes of non-ideal lens action:
• Spherical (geometrical) aberration – related to the
spherical nature of the lens
• Chromatic aberration – arise from variations in the
refractive indices of the wide range of frequencies in
visible light
Astigmatism, field curvature and comatic aberrations
are easily corrected with proper lens fabrication.
Defects in Lens
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Spherical Aberration –
Peripheral rays and axial
rays have different focal
points (caused by spherical
shape of the lens surfaces.
causes the image to
appear hazy or blurred and
slightly out of focus.
very important in terms of
the resolution of the lens
because it affects the
coincident imaging of
points along the optical
axis and degrade the
performance of the lens.
Defects in Lens
 Chromatic Aberration
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Axial - Blue light is refracted to
the greatest extent followed by
green and red light, a
phenomenon commonly referred
to as dispersion
Lateral - chromatic difference of
magnification: the blue image of a
detail was slightly larger than the
green image or the red image in
white light, thus causing color
ringing of specimen details at the
outer regions of the field of view
A converging lens can be combined
with a weaker diverging lens, so that
the chromatic aberrations cancel for
certain wavelengths:
The combination – achromatic doublet
Axial resolution – Depth of Field
Depth of Field (F m)
(F m)
Depth of focus (F mm)
NA
F
F
0.1 0.13 15.5
0.4 3.8 5.8
.95 80.0 0.19
The distance above and below The axial range through which
geometric image plane within an object can be focused without
which the image is in focus
any appreciable change in image
sharpness
M
M
NA
NA
F
F
F
F
F is determined by NA.
Basic components and their functions
camera
Beam
splitter
Reflected light
Olympus
BX51
Research
Microscope
Cutaway
Diagram
Transmitted light
Functions of the Major Parts of a
Optical Microscope
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Lamp and Condenser: project a parallel beam
of light onto the sample for illumination
Sample stage with X-Y movement: sample is
placed on the stage and different part of the
sample can be viewed due to the X-Y movement
capability
Focusing knobs: since the distance between
objective and eyepiece is fixed, focusing is
achieved by moving the sample relative to the
objective lens
Light Sources
Condenser
Light from the microscope light source
Condenser gathers light and concentrates it into a
cone of light that illuminates the specimen with
uniform intensity over the entire viewfield
Specimen Stage
Functions of the Major Parts of a
Optical Microscope
 Objective: does the main part of
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magnification and resolves the fine
details on the samples (mo ~ 10 – 100)
Eyepiece: forms a further magnified
virtual image which can be observed
directly with eyes (me ~ 10)
Beam splitter and camera: allow a
permanent record of the real image
from the objective be made on film
Microscope Objectives
dmin = 0.61/NA
Objective specifications
Anatomy of an objective
rical
ture
Objectives are the most important components of a
light microscope: image formation, magnification, the
quality of images and the resolution of the microscope
Eyepiece
(Diaphragm)
M=(L/fo)(25/fe)
Eyepieces (Oculars) work in combination with microscope
objectives to further magnify the intermediate image
Common Modes of Analysis
Depending on the nature of samples, different illumination
methods must be used
• Transmitted OM - transparent specimens
thin section of rocks, minerals and single crystals
• Reflected OM - opaque specimens
most metals, ceramics, semiconductors
Specialized Microscopy Techniques
• Polarized OM - specimens with anisotropic optical
character
Characteristics of materials can be determined
morphology (shape and size), phase distribution
(amorphous or crystalline), transparency or opacity,
color, refractive indices, dispersion of refractive
indices, crystal system, birefringence, degree of
crystallinity, polymorphism and etc.
camera
Beam
splitter
Reflected light
Olympus
BX51
Research
Microscope
Cutaway
Diagram
Transmitted light
Polarization of Light
When the electric field vectors of light are restricted to a
single plane by filtration, then the the light is said to be
polarized with respect to the direction of propagation and
all waves vibrate in the same plane.
Polarized Light Microscope Configuration
Typical examples of
applications
Grain Size Examination
1200C/30min
Thermal Etching
a
1200C/2h
b
20m
A grain boundary intersecting a polished surface is not in
equilibrium (a). At elevated temperatures (b), surface
diffusion forms a grain-boundary groove in order to
balance the surface tension forces.
Grain Size Examination
Objective Lens
x100
Grain Growth - Reflected OM
5m
Polycrystalline CaF2
illustrating normal grain
growth. Better grain size
distribution.
30m
Large grains in polycrystalline
spinel (MgAl2O4) growing by
secondary recrystallization
from a fine-grained matrix
Liquid Phase Sintering – Reflective OM
Amorphous
phase
40m
Microstructure of MgO-2% kaolin body resulting
from reactive-liquid phase sintering.
Image of Magnetic Domains
Magnetic domains and walls on a (110)-oriented
garnet
crystal
(Transmitted
LM
with
oblique
illumination). The domains structure is illustrated in
(b).
Polarized Optical Microscopy (POM)
Reflected POM
Transmitted POM
(a)Surface features of a microprocessor integrated circuit
(b)Apollo 14 Moon rock
Phase Identification by Reflected
Polarized Optical Microscopy
YBa2Cu307-x superconductor material: (a) tetragonal phase and
(b) orthorhombic phase with multiple twinning (arrowed) (100 x).
Specialized LM Techniques
• Enhancement of Contrast
Darkfield Microscopy
Phase contrast microscopy
Differential interference contrast microscopy
Fluorescence microscopy-mainly organic materials
• Confocal scanning optical microscopy (new)
Three-Dimensional Optical Microscopy
inspect and measure submicrometer features in
semiconductors and other materials
• Hot- and cold-stage microscopy
melting, freezing points and eutectics, polymorphs, twin
and domain dynamics, phase transformations
• In situ microscopy
E-field, stress, etc.
• Special environmental stages-vacuum or gases
Contrast
Contrast is defined as the difference in light intensity
between the specimen and the adjacent background
relative to the overall background intensity.
Image contrast, C is defined by
Sspecimen-Sbackgroud
C=
Sspecimen
S
=
SA
Sspecimen and Sbackgroud are
intensities measured from
specimen and backgroud, e.g., A
and B, in the scanned area.
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Angle of Illumination
Bright filed illumination – The normal method of illumination,
light comes from above (for reflected OM)
Oblique illumination – light is not projected along the optical
axis of the objective lens; better contrast for detail features
Dark field illumination – The light is projected onto specimen
surface through a special mirror block and attachment in the
objective – the most effective way to improve contrast.
Light stop
Imax
Imin
Imax-Imin
C=
Imax
C-contrast
Transmitted Dark Field Illumination
Oblique rays
specimen
I
I
distance
distance
Contrast Enhancement
OM images of the green alga Micrasterias
Crystals Growth-Interference
contrast microscopy
Growth spiral on
cadmium iodide
crystals growing
From water
solution (1025x).
Confocal Scanning Optical Microscopy
Three-Dimensional Optical Microscopy
w
Critical dimension measurements
in semiconductor metrology
Cross-sectional image with line scan
at PR/Si interface of a sample
containing 0.6m-wide lines and
1.0m-thick photoresist on silicon.
The bottom width, w, determining
the area of the circuit that is
protected from further processing,
can be measured accurately by
using CSOP.
Measurement
of
the
patterned
photoresist is important because it
allows the process engineer to
simultaneously monitor for defects,
misalignment, or other artifacts that
may affect the manufacturing line.
Hot-stage POM of Phase Transformations
in Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 Crystals
n
T(oC)
(a) and (b) at 20oC, strongly
birefringent domains with extinction
directions along <100>cubic,
indicating a tetragonal symmetry;
(c) at 240oC, phase transition from
the tetragonal into cubic phase with
increasing isotropic areas at the
expense of vanishing strip domains.
E-field Induced Phase Transition in
Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 Crystals
a
Schematic diagram for
in situ domain observations.
b
c
Single domain
Domain structures of PZN-PT
crystals as a function of E-field;
(a)E=20kV/cm, (b) e=23.5kV/cm
(c) E=27kV/cm
Rhombohedral at E=0 and
Tetragonal was induced at E>20kV/cm
Review - Optical Microscopy
• Use visible light as illumination source
• Has a resolution of ~o.2m
• Range of samples characterized - almost
unlimited for solids and liquid crystals
• Usually nondestructive; sample preparation
may involve material removal
•Main use – direct visual observation;
preliminary observation for final characterization with applications in geology, medicine,
materials research and engineering, industries,
and etc.
• Cost - $15,000-$390,000 or more
Characteristics of Materials
Can be determined By OM:
morphology (shape and size), phase distribution
(amorphous or crystalline), transparency or opacity,
color, refractive indices, dispersion of refractive
indices, crystal system, birefringence, degree of
crystallinity, polymorphism and etc.
Limits of Optical Microscopy
• Small depth of field <15.5m
Rough surface
• Low resolution ~0.2m
• Shape of specimen
Thin section or polished surface
Cover glass
specimen
Glass slide
resin
20m
• Lack of compositional and
crystallographic information
Optical Microscopy vs Scanning
Electron Microscopy
radiolarian
25m
OM
Small depth of field
Low resolution
SEM
Large depth of field
High resolution
http://www.mse.iastate.edu/microscopy/