Raman microspectroscopy

Warsash Scientific has released the InVia Reflex fully automated Raman microscope from Renishaw. They add simplicity of operation to the performance and flexibility to Renishaw's high optical efficiency Raman microspectrometer design, with a directly coupled Leica DMLM microscope.

The InVia Reflex design features: automatic instrument configuration when excitation wavelengths are switched; automatic switching between white light sample view and Raman acquisition modes; automatic switching to confocal Raman microspectroscopy; automatic alignment optimisation.

InVia's confocal mapping system high spatial resolution <1 µm lateral, 2 µm depth, can be coupled with an encoded sample stage to create maps of chemical composition and physical condition from lines, areas and volumes of samples.

Renishaw's systems for Raman and photoluminescence microspectroscopy support research into the molecular composition and structure of materials in a broad range of fields: determine the presence of a material; determine the chemical composition of an unknown material; determine the structure of a solid material; find the thickness and wear characteristics of a material; determine the orientation of a material; measure stress distribution in a material.

Areas of application include nanoscience (carbon nanotubes, NSOM, diamond films), polymers, semiconductors, superconductors, minerals, inclusions, forensics, thin films, pharmaceuticals, biological studies, liposomes, cancer detection, fibres, clays, explosives, narcotics, etc.