Other Specialized Microscopes
Apart from the various microscopes described above, there are specialized microscopes built for specific applications and limited usage. Some of them are:
- X-ray Microscopes
- Acoustic Microscopes
- Electron Holography Microscopes
Next, we’ll explore each of these types in depth.
X-ray Microscopes
X-ray microscopes which we commonly know as X-ray machines used in various hospitals uses X-ray, an electromagnetic wave to form a contrast image of the object. The image is generally produced using a special film or a Charge Coupled Device(CCD). X-rays are short-wavelength and high energy radiations and are able to penetrate through maximum objects without getting reflected or refracted.
Also, because of their high energy, X-rays have the ability to penetrate relatively deep into objects, allowing images which can easily show internal structures.
Acoustic Microscopes
Acoustic microscope, as the name suggests, employs sound waves, particularly HF or UHF Ultrasound waves to detect hidden features inside materials and objects. Just as in case of light microscopes where light is emitted, acoustic microscopes emit high frequency ultrasound waves between 5 MHz to 400 MHz to produce high resolution images.
These waves, upon colliding with an object, are either scattered, reflected or absorbed. The reflected waves are then used to produce the image of the object.
Electron Holography Microscopes
Electron holograph microscope are based on the formation of an interference pattern or “hologram” of equidistant fringes in the transmission electron microscope (TEM).
The underlying principle is to create interference patterns between an object wave and a reference wave to create object’s phase and amplitude. It is of two types viz. Off-axis and In-line Holography microscope. It has applications in materials science, semiconductor research, and nanotechnology.
Types of Microscopes
Microscopes are essential tools in various scientific fields for observing objects and specimens at the microscopic level. There are several types of microscopes, each designed for specific applications and offering unique capabilities such as Optical Microscope, Compound Microscope, Electron Microscope, and Scanning Probe Microscope etc.
In this article, we will learn about various Types of Microscopes including their working principles as well as application in the real world.
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