3D SUPER RESOLUTION OPTICAL MICROSCOPE

Fully automatic optical microscope for fast reading of samples consisting of a transparent dielectric with metal nano-particles immersed in it. The device allows obtaining a nanometric resolution through a three-dimensional, automated and fast analysis method.

How does it work?

The developed technology consists of an optical microscope for the detection and characterisation of nanometre-sized metal particles immersed in a dielectric sample or in nuclear emulsions. Thanks to a special optical system and the use of polarised light, by exploiting the phenomenon of plasmonic resonance, the microscope is able to achieve nanometer scale accuracies in position measurements in the three dimensions, also allowing to perform the analysis of particle shape and size. The speed of analysis, in several orders of magnitude faster than that of traditional methods such as X-ray or electron microscopy, and the non-invasiveness of the investigation make the system suitable and advantageous for the analysis of impurities in certain types of materials.

Applications

• Ultra-fast analysis of surfaces and volumes for the detection of metal particles or impurities;
• Shape and size analysis of nanometric particles within organic or dielectric materials.

Advantages

• Three-dimensional scanning of nanometric objects;
• Non-invasive investigation for the sample;
• Faster response than electron and X-ray microscopy;
• Ability to analyse objects up to a few hundred µm deep in the sample.