Optical Microscope

Construction Details:
There are two optical microscopes i.e. simple and compound microscope. The
compound Optical compound microscope is made of two compound convex
lenses, an objective and an eyepiece while the simple optical microscope uses just
one lens for magnifying the image of an object. The eyepiece of compound
microscope has a small aperture whereas the objective has a larger one. Both are
fitted at the ends of a sliding tubes. The eyepiece is placed at a position where the
observer views an object i.e. the draw tube. Then comes the body tube at the end
of which the objective is fitted. This whole mechanism of tubes is held by curved
arm and is moved up and down with help of a coarse adjustment. The specimen is
placed on stage and is held in place with clamps. Below the stage there is a mirror
which provides a light source. This light passes through the condenser before
reaching the specimen. [1]
Working Principle:
The Optical Microscope uses a combination of light and lenses to produce a
magnified image of an object. The objective produces a real, magnified and
inverted image of the specimen within the focal length of the eyepiece. The
eyepiece produces just another more magnified image of the image created by
objective. [2]

Specimen preparation:
First the sample must be cut from a larger sample in such a way to not to change
the microstructure too much. This sample must have all the features of the
original sample. Then the sample is grinded to remove the layer damage
produced by cutting. This is done in several steps each time using a finer grinding
paper each time removing scratches left by last grinding. Then the sample is
polished by diamond microns to produce a smooth surface. Etching is used to
reveal the microstructure of the metal through selective chemical attack. This
enables the light to be reflected properly showing us grains. [3]
Grinded sample:

Polished:

Etching:
Capabilities and Applications:
An optical microscope has a magnification of 1000X to 2000X.It can be used to
study grains, dislocations etc. in materials. It can also be used to study cells in
biological field.

Scanning Electron Microscope

Construction:
It consists of an electron gun which produces a beam of electrons. These are
produced by heating a tungsten filament which causes it to release electrons. This
beam then passes through condenser lenses made of magnets capable of
bending the path of light. This allows the beam to be focused and controlled.
Then the beam passes through an aperture which is a thin metal plate with holes
used to stop off axis electrons and is used to focus the beam. Then comes the two
scan coils which produce magnetic fields perpendicular to each other and can
make the electrons move in different directions. Then the beam enters the
sample chamber where it hits the sample releasing secondary electrons,
backscatter electrons and x rays. These are detected by Electron detector
(scintillator).The info from the detector is fed into a Computer to produce graph
or image of sample structure. [4]
Working Principle:
Electrons are used to create image a beam is produced with the help of an e gun.
This beam is the accelerated using condenser lenses and coils. This beam then
strikes the specimen in a vacuum causing release of electrons from the specimen
than these are collected with the help of detectors .Then these scanned electrons
are used to produce an image. This way the electron beam is used to scan from
left to right to produce a whole image of the specimen.

Sample preparations:
First the sample must be cleaned to get a clear image. Appropriate solvents must
be used for organic or inorganic specimen. Inorganic materials don’t require much
more treatment but for organic samples the specimen must be stabilized using
fixatives to preserve the structure. Then it must be rinsed to remove fixatives.
Then it must be dehydrated thereby replacing water with other organic solvent
such as ethanol. Then the sample is dried. If the sample is a nonmetal it is ten
coated with conductive material Using sputter coater. [5]

Capabilities and applications:

It has a magnification ranging from 20X to approximately 30,000X and has a
spatial resolution of 50 to 100 nm. It has wide use in topography and morphology.
It can be used to study micro fractures .It is also used to study composition of the
sample. In biology it is used to produce 3D tissue images and is also used to study
virus structures. It can also be used in forensics to study rifling impressions on
crime scenes. [6]

TEM

Construction:
It has a similar construction to the SEM .It consists of a tungsten filament e gun
which is used to produce electrons. Then come the set of magnetic condenser
lens used to condense the electrons and is also used to adjust the size of the
electron that fall on to the specimen. The specimen is placed after the condensing
lens. And then comes the objective lens and aperture used to increases the
contrast of the image. As electrons pass through the sample they are scattered at
different angles and the objective lens and aperture are used to focus the
electrons. The magnetic projector lens is placed later in order to achieve higher
magnification. The image can be recorded by using a fluorescent screen.

Working Principal:
Electrons are used to create image. Stream of electrons produced by the electron
gun is made to pass through the specimen with the help of magnetic condensing
lens. The beam is partially transmitted and partially diffracted. Both these beams
are used to form the image. These beams are focused using objective lens and
aperture. Then the image is formed on florescent screen. [7]

Sample preparation:
The sample for TEM must be very thin to allow light to pass through the sample. It
must be less than 150nm.The material we use for TEM must be first removed
from bulk material this can be done by ion milling, ultra micronomy and
mechanical polishing. In mechanical polishing we polish the material to a height
we need .To polish we use diamond lapping film. This is done by rotating the film
while pushing the sample with the film creating a wedge shape usually. The thick
part to handle and thin to scan. Then it is glued on to a grid and then it is plasma
cleaned. Non conducting samples must be coated with conducting material such
as carbon. [8]

Capabilities and applications:

A scanning transmission electron microscope has 50 pm resolution and
magnifications of up to about 10,000,000X. TEMs provide topographical,
morphological, compositional and crystalline information. The main purpose of a
TEM is to provide internal structure of a sample. It can also be used to find faults
and fractures in micro sized items. [10]
 Scanning Probe Microscope

Construction:
There are a number of probe microscopes but we will just discuss only the basic
components of STM. The most important component of is the probe tip which is
made of metal. The type of microscope depends on the probe tip. Then comes
the piezoelectric tube to which the probe tip is attached. Then come the
electronics such as the amplifier and feedback loop. All piezos are connected to
the feedback loop controlling the tip position. [11]

Working Principle
The tiny probe with a very sharp tip is brought into very close proximity (i.e., to
within on the order of a nanometer) of the specimen surface. This probe is then
moved across the surface with a raster motion. A potential is applied between
probe and sample and a strong tunneling current is passed through the circuit.
These probe movements are monitored electronically stored in a computer which
then generates the three-dimensional image. The probe can move in three piezos
x y and z. [12]

Specimen Preparation:
The scanning Probe microscope (tunneling) can only be used for metal specimen.
Capabilities and Applications:
It has magnification in the 1000000000X range. Scanning probe microscopes
(SPMs) use a range of tools to produce images of surfaces and structures at the
nanoscale level. Unlike with optical microscopes, SPM users don’t see the sample
surface directly - they see an image that represents the surface of the sample.
Different types of SPMs are atomic force microscopes, magnetic force
microscopes, and scanning tunneling microscopes. They can be used to study
mechanical fractures and faults. [13]
REFRENCES:

1. http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/micro-biology/working-principle-and-parts-of-a-compound-
microscope-with-diagrams/26509
2. https://brainly.in/question/5029114
3. http://www.icbl.hw.ac.uk/learnem/doitpoms/OpticalMicroscopy/metallography.htm
4. https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/akhtarkamal94/scanning-electron-microscope-
38294237
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electron_microscope
6. https://www.slideshare.net/gurya87/scanning-electron-microscope-sem
7. https://www.microscopemaster.com/transmission-electron-microscope.html
8. https://www.coursera.org/lecture/nanotechnology/transmission-electron-microscopy-sample-
preparation-demonstration-oJT1t
9. https://www.slideshare.net/mobile/sanashaikh106/scanning-probe-microscopy
10. Callisters engineering materials book
11. Callisters engineering materials book