Nanoscience: Optical Microscopy

Olympus BX41 Optical Microscope

Optical Microscopy use a broadband visible light source, which is focused onto a sample using a series of lenses of varying magnifications. A wide range of samples can be imaged provided that they are reflective or transparent and the resulting sample images can be magnified up to 1000X with a limiting resolution of 220 nm (Note: assumes that the incident radiation has wavelength of 400 nm).

Olympus BX41 Microscope

Features

  • Transmission and Reflection Imaging
  • 5X, 20X, 50X and 100X Objectives
  • Long working distance available at 50X
  • Bright and Dark field microscopy
  • Fluorescence imaging using DAPI, FTIC & TRITC cubes
  • Phase Contrast Microscopy
  • Polarized Light microscopy

Applications

  • Structure and stability of polymer/biopolymer films
  • Cell identification and cell structures
  • Thin films and surface coatings/modifications
  • Microelectronics
  • Lithography

Examples

Sample Description
Aggregated nickel nanowires (250 nm dia.) suspended in water Aggregated nickel nanowires (250 nm dia.) suspended in water
Dewetting of a spin coated 2kDa MW polystyrene film on silicon after 20 minutes of heating at 95oC Dewetting of a spin coated 2kDa MW polystyrene film on silicon after 20 minutes of heating at 95oC
1 mxiture of polystyrene beads with diameters of 2.4 & 3.0 μm on a glass slide 2D crystal array of 1:1 mxiture of polystyrene beads with diameters of 2.4 & 3.0 μm on a glass slide