Zeiss broadens the horizons of laser scanning microscopy

Citation

(2004), "Zeiss broadens the horizons of laser scanning microscopy", Anti-Corrosion Methods and Materials, Vol. 51 No. 6. https://doi.org/10.1108/acmm.2004.12851fad.004

Zeiss broadens the horizons of laser scanning microscopy

Zeiss broadens the horizons of laser scanning microscopy

Keywords: Microscope, Laser scanning

Carl Zeiss has released a new version of its confocal laser scanning microscope, LSM 5 PASCAL. Designed for materials research and quality inspection, the LSM 5 PASCAL MAT handles quantitative surface analysis and the characterisation of materials with ease (Figure 1 and Plate 3).

Figure 1 Highly resolved topography of an array of soldered joints

Plate 3 The new Axioskop 2 MAT microscope features two unique Carl Zeiss technologies, C-DIC and C-TIC, to speed up sample throughput and ease operator workload

An expanded topography package enhances the microscope's capabilities for non-contact optical 2D and 3D surface analysis. In addition to the convenient acquisition, processing and presentation of XYZ image stacks, the package now allows the recording of XZ profiles along a straight line or free-hand curve.

Topographic animations can be generated and exported in all 3D presentation modes. Complete processing runs including filtering, fitting and least-squares algorithms are saved as parameter files that can be reused later.

StitchArt, the new PASCAL software, allows high-resolution recording of long profiles and topographies extending over more than 100 times the microscope's scanning field. This enables the LSM 5 PASCAL to acquire and measure arrays of highly resolved image stacks containing long-strip assembled height profiles and large-area segments of material sample surfaces. StitchArt matches the imaging frame size to the application, making it suitable for everything from roughness to waviness analysis, thin films to steep edges, and micro- or macro-scales.

The LSM 5 PASCAL is also now available with three new microscope stands: Axioskop 2 MAT, Axiovert 200 MAT and Axiotron 2. This makes non-contact 3D materials analysis of large-surface and bulky specimens simple, enabling nanometer- scale height steps to be measured quickly and precisely.

For further information, contact: Carl Zeiss Ltd., PO Box 78, Woodfield Road, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, AL7 1LU, UK.