Laser scanning confocal microscopes

Laser Scanning Microscopes

Unlike conventional optical microscopes, these systems are mainly used for 3D surface analysis and characterization. By incorporating two light sources, a white light for gathering color and a laser source for scanning the surface of an object and collecting detailed height information. As the microscope observes a surface, the laser is scanned in the XYZ directions to collect data throughout the entirety of specified range. The result is a high-resolution, large depth-of-field, color image with nanometer-level height resolution for accurate profile and roughness measurements. This equipment is able to combine a lot of the functionality of an optical microscope, scanning electron microscope, and surface roughness gauge, but still maintain the ease-of-use of an optical microscope.