High Resolution Confocal/Differential Confocal Sample-scanning Microscopy Technology And System

Confocal microscopy plays an important role in the field of high-resolution detection because of its excellent lateral resolution,unique chromatography capabilities and Non-contact characteristic.However,the existing confocal microscopy has drawbacks as low imaging efficiency,low linearity and low sensitivity near the focus,low axial resolution and so on.Simultaneously,with the continuous improvement of industrial technology,the structure of the precision components becomes more precise and the function becomes more complex.Therefore,the higher spatial resolution of detection technology is requested,and the existing confocal microscopy can not meet the requirement of imaging detection in high spatial resolution image and detection field.Therefore,the research and development of the non-contact optical microscopy detection technology and system with high resolution has become a significant problem which needs to research in the field of precision detection.The subject “High resolution confocal/ differential confocal sample-scanning microscopy technology and system”,on the basis of the principle of confocal microscopy,proposes two methods which can improve the axial resolution of confocal microscope adopting the sample-scanning mode,and combined with super-resolution image restoration technology,studying high resolution confocal microscopy imaging method and technology,and then the sample-scanning laser confocal microscopy microscopy system with high resolution is developed.The research content has important application value which can be widely used in micro-nano fabrication and detection,biomedicine,semiconductor processing and other fields.The subject is supported by National key Scientific Instrument and Equipment Development Project of China “Development and Application Research for Laser Differential Confocal Imaging and Testing Instrument”(No.2011YQ04013601),and National Natural Science Foundation of China “Precision measurement technique and instrument”(No.51422501).The following are the main innovative research work I have completed so far:Two methods to improve the axial resolution of confocal microscopy imaging system are proposed.The methods is based on the optical arrangement of the traditional confocal microscope and use the way of sample scanning,which can achieve higher focusing precision by using the linear segments in both sides of the confocal axial response curve.And then the axial resolution of the confocal microscopy imaging system is improved.Two methods of focusing using the linear segments in both sides of the confocal axial response curve are proposed: bilateral fitting confocal microscopy imaging method and unilateral shifting confocal microscopy imaging method.A method to improve imaging efficiency of differential confocal microscopy imaging system is proposed.The method bases on the optical arrangement of the differential confocal microscope,and uses the excellent linearity of the segment which is near the zero-crossing point of the differential confocal axial response curve.The imaging system can achieve three-dimensional image by using larger axial scanning interval,then reduces the axial scanning layers and improve the imaging efficiency.Combined with the two proposed methods improving the axial resolution of the confocal microscopy imaging system,a laser confocal microscopy with high spatial resolution based on super-resolution image restoration technology is proposed.It adopts the image restoration algorithm of MPMAP to improve the lateral resolution of confocal microscopy imaging system.The lateral resolution of the confocal microscopy system is increased significantly after the image restoration processing.And then,the axial resolution and lateral resolution of the confocal microscopy imaging system can be improved at the same time.The microscopy imaging system based on the technologies improving the axial resolution of confocal microscopy imaging system and the technology improving the imaging efficiency of differential fitting confocal microscopy imaging system is developed,utilizing which 3-D images of sample is realized.Experiments show: The axial resolutions of bilateral fitting confocal microscopy can be as high as 5 nm,the uncertainty of height measurement is 8.2 nm(k = 2.61),and the lateral resolution is significantly improved by the super-resolution image restoration technology;The axial resolutions of unilateral shfiting confocal microscopy is better than 5 nm,the uncertainty of height measurement is 7.2 nm(k = 1.96),and the lateral resolution is significantly improved by the super-resolution image restoration technology;And when differential fitting confocal microscopy was performed at an axial scanning interval of 60 nm,the uncertainty of height measurement is 8.6 nm(k = 2.48).In summary the confocal microscopy imaging theory is enriched by high resolution sample-scanning confocal / differential confocal microscopy.And the high resolution laser confocal microscopy imaging technique improves both of the lateral resolution and axial resolution of the confocal microscopy imaging system at the same time.Differential fitting confocal microscopy realizes high resolution imaging at large axial scanning intervals and improves the imaging efficiency.Overall,high resolution sample-scanning confocal/ differential confocal microscopy imaging system is a new micro-imaging and measuring instrument with great development potential and wide application prospects...