Science Lab

Learn. Share. Contribute. The knowledge portal of Leica Microsystems. Find scientific research and teaching material on the subject of microscopy. The portal supports beginners, experienced practitioners and scientists alike in their everyday work and experiments. Explore interactive tutorials and application notes, discover the basics of microscopy as well as high-end technologies. Become part of the Science Lab community and share your expertise.

Some 2D measurements, e.g., lengths and areas, made on a PCB sample with a Leica measurement microscope using the Enersight software.

How to Select the Right Measurement Microscope

With a measurement microscope, users can measure the size and dimensions of sample features in both 2D and 3D, something crucial for inspection, QC, failure analysis, and R&D. However, choosing the…

Example of calibrating a microscope at a higher magnification value using a stage micrometer.

Microscope Calibration for Measurements: Why and How You Should Do It

Microscope calibration ensures accurate and consistent measurements for inspection, quality control (QC), failure analysis, and research and development (R&D). Calibration steps are described in this…

Image of magnetic steel taken with a 100x objective using Kerr microscopy. The magnetic domains in the grains appear in the image with lighter and darker patterns. A few domains are marked with red arrows. Courtesy of Florian Lang-Melzian, Robert Bosch GmbH, Germany.

Rapidly Visualizing Magnetic Domains in Steel with Kerr Microscopy

The rotation of polarized light after interaction with magnetic domains in a material, known as the Kerr effect, enables the investigation of magnetized samples with Kerr microscopy. It allows rapid…

Region of a patterned wafer inspected using optical microscopy and automated and reproducible DIC (differential interference contrast). With DIC users are able to visualize small height differences on the wafer surface more easily.

6-Inch Wafer Inspection Microscope for Reliably Observing Small Height Differences

A 6-inch wafer inspection microscope with automated and reproducible DIC (differential interference contrast) imaging, no matter the skill level of users, is described in this article. Manufacturing…

Optical microscope image, which is a composition of both brightfield and fluorescence illumination, showing organic contamination on a wafer surface. The inset images in the upper left corner show the brightfield image (above) and fluorescence image (below with dark background).

Visualizing Photoresist Residue and Organic Contamination on Wafers

As the scale of integrated circuits (ICs) on semiconductors passes below 10 nm, efficient detection of organic contamination, like photoresist residue, and defects during wafer inspection is becoming…

Particulate contamination in between moving metal plates.

Key Factors for Efficient Cleanliness Analysis

An overview of the key factors necessary for technical cleanliness and efficient cleanliness analysis concerning automotive and electronics manufacturing and production is provided in this article.

Image of an integrated-circuit (IC) chip cross section acquired at higher magnification showing a region of interest.

Structural and Chemical Analysis of IC-Chip Cross Sections

This article shows how electronic IC-chip cross sections can be efficiently and reliably prepared and then analyzed, both visually and chemically at the microscale, with the EM TXP and DM6 M LIBS…

Spirogyra algae (Conjugation), Transmitted Light Differential Interference Contrast.

Differential Interference Contrast (DIC) Microscopy

This article demonstrates how differential interference contrast (DIC) can be actually better than brightfield illumination when using microscopy to image unstained biological specimens.

The various solutions from Leica Microsystems for cleanliness analysis.

Factors to Consider for a Cleanliness Analysis Solution

Choosing the right cleanliness analysis solution is important for optimal quality control. This article discusses the important factors that should be taken into account to find the solution that best…