Confocal Microscope System Salient Characteristics .pdf

PR# 81-0607-24

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS

Following is a list of the salient characteristics of the required WITec alpha300 apyron Confocal microscope and spectroscopy system:

This confocal microscope system requires the following nine capabilities:

(1) confocal optical imaging,

(2) Raman imaging,

(3) photoluminescence (PL) imaging,

(4) Near-field scanning optical microscopy (NSOM) imaging,

(5) white light transmittance/reflectance imaging,

(6) Atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging,

(7) Pulsed second harmonic microscopy,

(8) Tip-enhanced Raman imaging, and

(9) Time-correlated single-photon-count imaging (fluorescence lifetime imaging, FLIM, and time-resolved luminescence microscopy, TLM, etc.) with multichannel time-correlated photon counting capabilities.

The system requires 25nm lateral resolution for optically interrogating materials down to the single particle level all in one microscope, where multiple spectroscopic data sets can be collected (PL, Raman, AFM, etc.) sequentially, without removing the sample and with aligned sample registration. In addition, software control will be provided for image acquisition and processing. The system includes multiple light sources: white light, and cw, pulsed and picosecond lasers. In addition, a port for coupling our own cw and femtosecond light sources is required. Automated polarization control of source and detection optics is required.

This system will be comprised of:

Confocal microscope with software controlled motorized x,y,z stages (>=25mm travel and x and y, and z), imaging camera, computer system and monitor.

o Automated sample heating-cooling stage, -25 to 120C o Second sample-in-vacuum heating-cooling stage for use from 2, 2.7K – 500K o Software control for all measurements o Software controlled scanning and data collection, plus automated switching of sources o Objectives (for wavelengths 360 nm to NIR):

10x, NA=0.25, WD>9mm

50x, NA=0.55, WD>9mm

50x, NA=0.8, WD>0.5mm

100x, NA=0.9, WD=1.0mm

52x, reflecting objective, NA=0.65, WD>1.5mm, w/cover slip correction

20x, NA=0.5, WD>2mm

Light Sources w/software-controlled power (laser power tunable with <=0.1mW precision) o LED white-light source o 457-nm solid-state laser, >=25 mW, narrow linewidth for Raman spectroscopy o 532-nm DPSS, >=75 mW, narrow linewidth for Raman spectroscopy o 633-nm solid-state laser, >=50mW, narrow linewidth for Raman spectroscopy o 785-nm diode laser, >=125 mW, narrow linewidth for Raman spectroscopy o 1064-nm ultrafast picosecond laser, >200 mW, for SHG measurements o cw/pulsed UV sources:

405-nm 1) cw, 50mW, 2) pulsed <50ps, >=3mW, variable rep. rate up to

40MHz

375-nm 1) cw, 10mW, 2) pulsed <40ps, >=4mW, variable rep. rate up to

40MHz o Free-space external beam coupling for cw and fs-pulsed light, with >=2 alignment mirrors, and 2 apertures

Optical filters (inline) o Raman filters (laser-line and long pass filters) for 457nm, 633nm, and 785 nm excitation, with filter passband starting at =<150, 80, and 65 cm-1 from laser line.

o Raman filter 532-nm narrowband notch filter for simultaneous measurement of stoke and anti-stokes peak at Raman shifts <=10cm^-1 from source o Shortpass filter set for 1064-nm excitation and SHG detection o Long pass filter, passband 435nm - 1650nm

Polarizing optics o Source/detection polarization and analysis o Capable of sourcing/detecting variable linear and circular polarization.

o Visible and NIR wavelengths

Detectors o Visible Spectrometer, 450-750nm, with 150, 600, and 1800 g/mm gratings blazed near 500nm, and an EMCCD >=1600 x 200, QE >90% (@500nm), and 16-bit

A/D converter with >=1300 spectra/sec readout rate.

o NIR Spectrometer, 630-1100nm, with 150, 300, and 1200 g/mm gratings blazed near 800nm, and low dark-current CCD >=2000 x 256 pixels, QE.=95%@800nm, and QE>=65% from 550nm-950nm, and 16-bit A/D converter with >=130 spectra/sec readout rate.

o NIR Spectrometer, 800-1600nm, with 150 and 600 g/mm gratings blazed near

1250nm, and a cooled InGaAs CCD >=1024x1, with QE >80% @1000-1600nm, and 16-bit A/D converter with >=180 spectra/sec readout rate.

o Two SPAD (cooled, dark counts < 50 counts/s) 400-1050nm, resolution down to

50 ps, with simultaneous collection for experiments in TCSPC, time-resolved luminescence, FLIM, etc.

o Counting photomultiplier tube (PMT), visilbe spectra for scanning probe microscopy o Integrated calibration lamp in microscope for calibrating detectors

Scanning probe microscopy o Scanning Nearfield Optical Microscopy (SNOM) extension

Precise x-y-z positioning of cantilever tip

Cantilever SNOM sensors

Active vibration isolation system

Test sample for SNOM o Atomic Force Microscopy extension

AFM Modes: contact mode, lateral force mode (LFM), AC mode, resonant intermittent contact mode with amplitude and phase imaging

Test sample for AFM o Tip-enhanced Raman

Extension for Raman and AFM at the same position (TERS-ready) precision adjustment of focus spot w/piezo-actuators (x,y) for fine-positioning

Software integration o Automated control of hardware (source, coupling, and detection) o Automated data acquisition with ability to automatically correct for nonplanar surfaces o Data analysis software o Integration of all data types (Raman, PL, FLIM, AFM, etc.)

o Additional analysis computer, with software for analyzing data w/o hardware connection.