Topics Covered
About Bruker Optics
IR- and
Raman-Spectroscopic Microanalysis
Applications of FT-IR- and
Raman-Microscopy
Bruker
Optics, part of the Bruker Corporation (NASDAQ:BRKR) is the leading
manufacturer and worldwide supplier of Fourier Transform Infrared, Near Infrared
and Raman spectrometers for various industries and applications.
Bruker entered the field of FT-IR spectroscopy in 1974. The early instruments
set new standards in research FT-IR with evacuable optics, high resolution and
automatic range change. Since then, the product line has been continuously
expanding with instruments suitable for both analytical and research
applications with exceptional performance characteristics.
Today, Bruker Optics offers FT-IR, NIR, Raman, TD-NMR,
TeraHertz spectrometers and imaging spectrographs for various markets and
applications. Bruker Optics has R&D and manufacturing centers in
Ettlingen, Germany and The Woodlands, USA, technical support centers and sales
offices throughout Europe, North and South America and Asia.
Molecular spectroscopic microanalysis is used to obtain information about the
chemical composition of the sample together with its magnified visual image. The
diameter of samples measured by IR- and Raman microscopy is typically in the
range from 50µm to 1cm. The achievable lateral resolution is dependent from the
used measurement technique and the wavelength of the light that is absorbed and
scattered by the sample, respectively.
Typical resolutions of the different techniques are:
Typical applications of FT-IR- and Raman-Microscopy are:
- Particle analysis
- Chemical determination of defects and contaminations
- Analysis of homogeneity and identity of coatings
- Chemical analysis of individual layers in multilayer systems (e.g. polymer
laminates, paint chips)
- Distribution determination of different components in complex heterogeneous
structures (e.g. biological tissues, tablets, polymers)
It depends on the individual sample composition and the particular analytical
question, which of the different available molecular spectroscopic microscopy
techniques is most suitable. For the measurement of particle and defects
typically an FTIR-microscope of the HYPERION
Series is used. To investigate polymer laminates or paint chips both, FTIR-
and Raman-microscopes are suitable. Inorganic material often can be analyzed
quite easily applying Raman-microscopy. To determine the distribution of
different components in complex structures very quickly, FTIR-imaging is usually
the best method (HYPERION 3000).
Like in macroscopic IR-spectroscopy the measurement modes transmission,
reflectance and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) can be used for
IR-microanalysis. As the ATR technique allows analyzing even non-transparent and
non-reflecting samples without extensive sample preparation quick and easy, this
method is applied very often. For the HYPERION an
extremely powerful ATR-Objective is available, that allows the inspection of the
sample with very high visual quality and stands out due to an exceptional
IR-measurement sensitivity.
Very thin layers on reflective substrates are measured in grazing incidence
reflection (GIR). For this type of measurements the HYPERION
can be equipped with a Grazing Angle Objective (GAO) that even allows the analysis of
(sub-) monolayers.
Source Bruker Optics
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Optics