Carl Zeiss Microscopy Gmbh

Nils Langholz

Ralf Wolleschensky

Thomas Kalkbrenner

Helmut Lippert

Viktor Drescher

Tiemo Anhut

Ralf Netz

Hubert Wahl

Dieter Huhse

Peter Schacht

Matthias Langhorst

Jakob Haarstrich

Matthias Vaupel

Franz Reischer

Tobias Hackel

Wolfgang Schwerdtfeger

The present invention initially relates to a method for generating an image of a sample, said image being pieced together from a plurality of individual microscope images. A microscope is provided, for which a measurement value of a twist angle (&#x3b4;) present between an image recording unit of the microscope and an object stage of the microscope and a measurement accuracy of this measurement value are known. There is a recording of a first individual microscope image of the sample using the microscope and a displacement of the image recording unit and the sample-supporting object stage relative to one another, whereupon a second individual microscope image () of the sample is recorded using the microscope. A search region is determined in the second or first individual microscope image, an overlap region between the individual microscope images being expected in said search region.

Microscope and method for generating an image pieced together from a plurality of individual microscope images

The invention relates to a method for determining the thickness and refractive index of a layer () on a substrate (). The layer () having a layer boundary surface () facing the substrate () and a layer top side () facing away from the substrate (). In said method, the following steps are performed; imaging the layer (), by confocal microscopy, along an optical axis (), determining a point spread function resolved along the optical axis () al the layer boundary surface () and the layer lop side (), determining an apparent thickness of the layer at a lateral point of the layer from the distance between two maxima of the point spread function, determining the widening of a maximum that the point spread function has at the layer boundary surface () relative to the width of the same maximum that the point spread function has at the layer top side (), at the lateral point, and determining the thickness and refractive index of the layer () at the lateral point from the apparent thickness and the widening.

Method for determining the thickness and refractive index of a layer using a shape feature during analysis

A method for determining a height position of an object at of using a microscope which images using a point-spread function along a z-direction (height direction), comprising the steps of imaging the object in the far field and determining a far-field intensity, calculating a maximum intensity expected by multiplying the far-field intensity by a scaling factor, partially confocally imaging the object with the focus in the z-direction within the depth-of-field range, and determining a partially-confocal intensity of the imaging, calculating the intensity of the point-spread function (at the first location) by forming a difference between the partially-confocal intensity and a product of the far-field intensity and a predefined combination factor, calculating the z-coordinate of the focus at a point-spread function maximum, using a previously-known form of the point spread function, its calculated intensity, and the calculated expected maximum intensity, and using the z-coordinate as the height position of the object.

Method for determining a height position of an object

A microscopic imaging method, includes illuminating a specimen with illumination radiation and capturing detection radiation along a detection axis. The detection radiation is caused by the illumination radiation, at a first time as a wide-field signal and at a second time as a composite signal. The composite signal is formed by a superposition of a confocal image and a wide-field image; extracting the confocal image by subtracting the wide-field signal from the composite signal, wherein a correction factor is used. A current correction factor is ascertained for each executed imaging and/or for each imaged specimen () and the confocal image is extracted using the respective current correction factor.

Microscopic imaging method using a correction factor

The invention relates to a microscope () having an objective interchange apparatus () comprising a holder () for receiving a number of objectives () at respective holder positions () and an objective receptacle () which is configured for receiving an objective () and is arranged in an optical beam path () of the microscope (). The microscope () is characterized by an objective delivery device () which is configured for transporting in each case a selected objective () having an objective retainer () between its holder position (), which is delivered to a transfer position (&#xdc;P), and the objective receptacle (), wherein the objective receptacle () remains in the optical beam path () during the transport of the objective (). The objective retainer () has an outer centering diameter () as a reference surface, which diameter is guided against a lateral reference surface located in the objective receptacle () such that a reproducible positioning perpendicular to an optical axis () of the microscope () may be achieved.

Microscope having an objective-exchanging device

A confocal microscope and an associated method for determining a topography of a sample by implementing a correlative spinning disk microscopy is provided. The method includes placing a sample on an object stage of the microscope. Either the object stage is moved vertically to determine the topography of the sample, while first and second images of the sample are captured in an alternating manner. A vertical focus position is stored as metadata for each image. Two first or second images are interpolated to give an intermediate image. A confocal image for a defined vertical position is generated by calculating the intermediate image with the second or first image at the position.

Confocal microscope with aperture correlation

A confocal microscope for determination of a layer thickness comprises: a focus adjusting device configured to adjust a relative displacement between a focus position of the illumination light and a specimen position along an optical axis, wherein measurement signals belonging to different settings of the focus adjusting device can be recorded; an evaluation device for determining a specimen layer thickness as follows: determine intensity band positions of two intensity bands in a measurement graph recorded by a light measuring device, the measurement graph indicating a light intensity in dependence of the focus position; determine a layer thickness on the basis of a positional difference between the intensity band positions; and determine the layer thickness using a mathematical model which describes for overlapping intensity bands a dependence of the intensity band positions on a light wavelength and the layer thickness, considering interference of the illumination light at the layer.

Confocal microscope for determination of a layer thickness and microscopy method for determination of a layer thickness

The invention relates to a light microscope comprising a polychromatic light source for emitting illumination light in the direction of a sample, focussing means for focussing illumination light onto the sample, wherein the focussing means, for generating a depth resolution, have a longitudinal chromatic aberration, and a detection device, which comprises a two-dimensional array of detector elements, for detecting sample light coming from the sample. According to the invention, the light microscope is characterized in that, for detecting both confocal portions and non-confocal portions of the sample light, a beam path from the sample to the detection device is free of elements for completely masking out non-confocal portions. In addition, the invention relates to a method for image recording using a light microscope.

Light microscope and method for image recording using a light microscope

The invention relates to a device for microscopy, with at least one light source for providing illumination light, with a detection unit for detecting light radiated back from a sample, with a microscopy optical unit for guiding illumination light onto the sample and for guiding light radiated back from the sample in the direction of the detection unit and with, arranged in an illumination beam path, an excitation mask () for providing structured illumination. The device is characterized in that the excitation mask is a spatially structured filter, which is transparent to light with a first physical property and which impresses spatial structure onto light with a second physical property that is different from the first physical property. The invention moreover relates to a method for microscopy.

Device and method for microscopy using light with differing physical properties

Examination of a microscopic specimen is described. Height information for a respective plurality of lateral regions of the specimen is obtained from each of multiple specimen recordings, in which the height information of each specimen recording is limited to a respective height measurement range and the height measurement ranges of different specimen recordings are different. An overall image is calculated from the specimen recordings, in which overall image height information of the different specimen recordings is combined. Specimen recordings are recorded at such heights that: the height measurement ranges of different specimen recordings overlap each other, common lateral regions are identified in two respective specimen recordings for which lateral regions height information could be obtained in both specimen recordings, and a link of the height information of different specimen recordings is determined on the basis of the height information of different specimen recordings for at least one common lateral region.

Light microscope and microscopy method for examining a microscopic specimen

Laser scanning microscope and method for the operation thereof having at least two detection channels which has at least one beamsplitter with a splitting of the sample light deviating from the 50:50 split and/or, with 50:50 split in the detection channels, has detectors with differently adjusted gain, or in at least one detection channel with equal light splitting has an additional light attenuator.

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Apolda, Germany

Nils Langholz