Product

ZEISS LSM 900 for Materials

Versatile Confocal Microscope for Advanced Imaging and Surface Topography

ZEISS LSM 900, the confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) from ZEISS, is the one instrument you will need for materials analysis. Characterize 3D microstructures surfaces topography in your lab or multi-user facility. Combine all essential light microscopy contrasting techniques for materials with high precision topography. Save time on set-up as there is no need to change microscopes. Execute non-contact confocal imaging when evaluating surface roughness. LSM 900 is the ideal tool for a multi-user facility. Extend your upright light microscope, ZEISS Axio Imager.Z2m or your inverted light microscope ZEISS Axio Observer 7, with a confocal scanning module.

Combine light microscopical and confocal imaging
Investigate your sample efficiently
Expand your imaging range

Failure analysis on mobile phone, texture image, overlay, color-coded height map (from left to right)

Combine Light Microscopical and Confocal Imaging

LSM 900, your high-end confocal platform, is made for demanding materials applications, both in 2D and 3D.

Characterize topographic structures and evaluate surface roughness with non-contact confocal imaging
Determine the thickness of coatings and thin films non-destructively
Use a range of imaging techniques including polarization and fluorescence in optical contrast or in confocal mode
Characterize metallographic specimens in reflected light or thin section of rock or polymer in transmitted light

Investigate Your Sample Efficiently

Reduce set-up times and speed up your time-to-result by performing analyses and imaging without having to change microscopes.

Optimize your processes with automated data acquisition at multiple positions on your sample
Simply define a region of interest (ROI) on your overview image and acquire only the area you need
You have the advantage of full flexibility in size and orientation of the ROI with a scanning field of 6144 x 6144 pixels
Take full control of your data and their post-processing

Expand Your Imaging Range

A confocal unit extends your widefield investigations capacity:

Upgrade your Axio Imager.Z2m or your Axio Observer 7 with LSM 900 and take advantage of its versatility in hardware, e.g. objectives, stages and illumination as well as software and interfaces
Add ZEISS ZEN Intellesis, a machine learning-based solution for image segmentation and identify phases
Or add ZEISS ZEN Connect to overlay and organize images from any source when performing multi-modal experiments
Or perform smart data management with ZEISS ZEN Data Storage

Ultra-fine optical sections in the micrometer range

The Confocal Principle

Image Your Entire Sample in 3D

Learn how LSM 900, your confocal laser scanning microscope works: It uses laser light in a confocal beam path to capture defined optical sections of your sample. The sections are combined in a three-dimensional image stack. Its aperture (usually called a pinhole) is arranged in such a way that out-of-focus information will be blocked and only in-focus information can be detected.

_{Caption: Ultra-fine optical sections in the micrometer range}

Learn more on confocal technology

Schematic of confocal principle. In-focus information (yellow). Out-of-focus information (red and blue dotted lines).

Image Your Entire Sample in 3D

LSM 900 is a confocal laser scanning microscope that uses laser light in a confocal beam path to capture defined optical sections of your sample and combine them in a three-dimensional image stack. Its aperture (usually called a pinhole) is arranged in such a way that out-of-focus information will be blocked and only in-focus information can be detected.

An image is generated by scanning in x,y-direction. In-focus information appears bright while out-of-focus information is dark.
By changing the distance between sample and objective lens, the sample is optically sectioned and an image stack is generated.
By analyzing the intensity distribution of a single pixel through the image stack you can calculate the corresponding height. The height information over the whole field of view can then be combined to form a height map.

Software

Inspect Surfaces in 3D with ConfoMap

ConfoMap is ideal to visualize and inspect surface topography in 3D. Evaluate the quality and functional performance of surfaces in accordance with the latest metrology standards, e.g. ISO 25178. Include comprehensive geometric, functional and roughness studies. Create detailed surface analysis reports. Add optional modules for advanced surface texture analysis, contour analysis, grains and particle analysis, 3D Fourier analysis, analysis of surface evolution, and statistics.

Rely on C Epiplan-APOCHROMAT Objectives

Use the apochromatically- and flat-field-corrected C Epiplan-APOCHROMAT objective series for reflected light applications.

Benefit from imaging with enhanced contrast and high transmission in the visible spectral range.
Get optimum results in conventional widefield microscopy, differential interference contrast (DIC) and fluorescence.
C Epiplan-APOCHROMAT objectives are specially designed for confocal microscopy, achieving minimum aberrations at 405 nm over the full field of view. That produces accurate topography data with less distraction noise and artifacts, thus revealing more details of your surface.

See the effect of objectives for confocal microscopy:

Artifacts at edges and noise on plane surface are not shown in this image.

Artifacts at edges and noise on plane surface are clearly visible in this image.

Sample imaged with an objective without correction for 405 nm

Identify color pigments with different excitation wavelengths. Image width 1.47 mm.

Laser Configuration

Choose a Laser Tailored for Your Applications

Extend the application range of your confocal microscope and select between two options:

Imaging with high lateral resolution up to 120 nm is possible with the single-channel system with an ultraviolet laser module (405 nm wavelength), which corresponds to a laser class 2 product
When performing applications like imaging cell growth on biomaterials, configure the LSM 900 with the four laser wavelengths – laser module URGB (with 405, 488, 561, 640 nm). This multi-excitation wavelength allows for detecting the distribution of fluorescent components

Applications

$Color-coded 3D view of a diffractive optical element in a document, typically used for security features.$

Metals & Alloys

Metals & Alloys. Laser polished surface of additive manufactured alloy.

Metals & Alloys. Laser polished surface of additive manufactured alloy.
Steel

Steel. Varying sizes of austenite and ferrite grains in the vicinity of a weld in duplex stainless steel. Image width 445 µm.

Steel. Varying sizes of austenite and ferrite grains in the vicinity of a weld in duplex stainless steel. Image width 445 µm.
Polymers & Compounds

Polymers & Compounds. Multi-layered system, two-layers of a compound polymer.

Polymers & Compounds. Multi-layered system, two-layers of a compound polymer.
Ceramic Surface

Ceramic Surface. Color-coded height map.

Ceramic Surface. Color-coded height map.
Metal Testing for Material Wear

Metal Testing for Material Wear. Volumetric measurement of a hole. 3D view of color-coded height map. Parameters such as volume, surface, depth, perimeter and complexity can be derived in a report.

Metal Testing for Material Wear. Volumetric measurement of a hole. 3D view of color-coded height map. Parameters such as volume, surface, depth, perimeter and complexity can be derived in a report.
Sandstone Porosity

Sandstone Porosity. Investigation of the porosity of sandstone. 3D representation of fluorescent dye, non-contact surface measurement, 4x4 tiles image.

Sandstone Porosity. Investigation of the porosity of sandstone. 3D representation of fluorescent dye, non-contact surface measurement, 4x4 tiles image.
$Color-coded 3D view of a diffractive optical element in a document, typically used for security features.$

Documents

$Color-coded 3D view of a diffractive optical element in a document, typically used for security features.$

Documents. Color-coded 3D view of a diffractive optical element in a document, typically used for security features.

Documents. Color-coded 3D view of a diffractive optical element in a document, typically used for security features.
Failure Analysis

Failure Analysis. Failure analysis on mobile phone, texture image, overlay, color-coded height map (from left to right). Image width 1.1 mm.

Failure Analysis. Failure analysis on mobile phone, texture image, overlay, color-coded height map (from left to right). Image width 1.1 mm.

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