Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

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Rich Field
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Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#1 Post by Rich Field » Tue May 10, 2022 6:00 am

Besides the need for reflected light attachments and different objectives, does a biological microscope have the working space for viewing wafers?

Since we're at it....

Is there a microscope body that can have any manner of stock attachments added to convert from, say, fluorescent light microscopy to Nomarsky to polarized to metalurgical to .......

Kind of like the contractor's white van of microscopes.

Alexander
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#2 Post by Alexander » Tue May 10, 2022 6:31 am

Rich Field wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 6:00 am

Is there a microscope body that can have any manner of stock attachments added to convert from, say, fluorescent light microscopy to Nomarsky to polarized to metalurgical to .......
Most high-end microscopes do fulfill your requirements. A Leica DM6 for example. Just may cost a fortune.

If you want to buy used, a 50 years old Leitz Orthoplan or similar model offers everything you are asking for. Specific part may be hard to find.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#3 Post by Scarodactyl » Tue May 10, 2022 7:57 am

Yeah, this is achievable with pretty much any major modular system. Wafers in particular are easy on wd since they're thin, though you may want a metallurgical stage to be able to easily translate them.
I've tried some nice metallurgical scopes. The olympus bh2 era setup is very good, as is the nikon optiphot (finite and infinite versions) The bausch and lomb balplan is weaker on field coverage but still very good. The basuch/cambridge/leica microzoom can be a good value though it is not very versatile or modular, and is a bit weak on resolution ane only decent in color correction. And more recent ones like the nikon eclipse series or a Mitutoyo finescope are excellent.

MichaelG.
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#4 Post by MichaelG. » Tue May 10, 2022 8:06 am

Scarodactyl wrote:
Tue May 10, 2022 7:57 am
Yeah, this is achievable with pretty much any major modular system. Wafers in particular are easy on wd since they're thin, though you may want a metallurgical stage to be able to easily translate them.
I may be mistaken, but I suspect the potential problem with adapting a ‘Biological’ microscope would its limited throat-depth.

What size of wafer are you considering, Rich Field ?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wafer_(el ... afer_sizes

MichaelG.
Too many 'projects'

Rich Field
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#5 Post by Rich Field » Tue May 10, 2022 5:15 pm

I'm not looking at "wafers" per se.... just happened to notice that a "wafer microscope" is a thing.

In short, it'd be cool to take some of that technology you find on e-bay, for pennies on the dollar, and throw it on a do-it-all chassis.

Throat depth... that looks like a useful term. I'd guess that biological (or clinical?) scopes have pretty small throat depths as a rule, which, I guess, makes sense. Might that include the Alphaphot and Optiphot line?
Last edited by Rich Field on Mon May 30, 2022 6:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Scarodactyl
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#6 Post by Scarodactyl » Tue May 10, 2022 6:43 pm

Thr alphaphot certainly has limitations on that front. The optiphot line includes dedicated wafer scopes as well as more biologically oriented stands. My personal epi microscope uses a nikon measurescope stand which gives a ton of room (and is incidentally massive). Not great for biological usage though.

If you want an SEM-like effect epi DIC can give it on flat surfaces. It is a lot cheaper to set up than transmitted DIC.
Last edited by Scarodactyl on Tue May 10, 2022 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.


wabutter
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#8 Post by wabutter » Sat May 14, 2022 2:06 am

Keep in mind almost all industrial microscopes are augmented biological scopes with accommodation for illumination path and specimen manipulation. Then rebranded to reflect those differences

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blekenbleu
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Re: Convert a biological microscope into a wafer microscope?

#9 Post by blekenbleu » Sat May 14, 2022 8:17 pm

My Optiphot 66 wafer microscope has substantially stronger focus gears than e.g. conventional biological Optiphots.
Some Nikon wafer microscopes also came with diascopic condenser and illumination, so more nearly do-it-all.
Metaphot, Optiphot 1, 66; AO 10, 120, EPIStar, Cycloptic

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