Researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology have developed a novel way to analyze nanoscale objects with nanoscale sensitivity. This means that nanoscale dimensions will be processed with nanoscale measurement precision. This technique was called Through-Focus Scanning Optical Microscop Imaging and will have enormous implications in nanoscale manufacturing, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and semiconductor process control.

Before TSOM imaging, nanoscale objects were analyzed with optical microscopes, but these couldn’t process the images with high sensitivity as the wavelength of light is limited below 100 nanometers. According to Ravikiran Attota, a co-author at the study and researcher at NIST, the TSOM imaging is based on combining many out-of-focus images and to capture the most precise image of an object.

“This imaging uses a set of blurry, out-of-focus optical images for nanometer dimensional measurement sensitivity,” said Attota. The NIST researcher also developed a computer program which processes the TSOM image. Like aforementioned, the TSOM image is acquired using different focal point taken with the help of optical microscopes.

The TSOM imaging can be used in many applications like comparing two nanoscale objects including silicon lines from integrated circuits. This technology could also be used by medical researchers to study golden nanoparticles which could lead to a better delivery of the medicine inside the human body.

Although nanoscale objects or applications could be processed using electrons or probe microscopes, TSOM imaging is far less expensive as there are needed only a few things like a quality optical microscope, and a camera.

“The setup is easily under $50,000, which is much less expensive than electron or probe microscopes currently used for measuring materials at the nanoscale. This method is another approach to extend the range of optical microscopy from microscale to nanoscale dimensional analysis,” concluded Attota.