Olympus Corporation is pleased to announce the coming launch on June 3 of the LEXT OLS4500 Nano Search Microscope.

Olympus Corporation is pleased to announce today the coming launch on June 3 of the LEXT OLS4500 Nano　Search Microscope in Japan, China, Republic of Korea, and Thailand. In addition to its laser microscope functions, the LEXT OLS4500 is an industrial Scanning Probe Microscope (SPM) that is capable of making seamless-magnification observations and measurements from millimeters down to nanometers.

The LEXT OLS4500 Nano　Search Microscope combines a laser microscope and scanning probe microscope^*3 (SPM) in the same instrument to allow observation and measurement over a wide range of magnifications (from around 50x up to 1,000,000x). The LEXT OLS4500 was jointly developed with Shimadzu Corporation.
The LEXT OLS4500 incorporates laser microscope functions that include industry- leading guarantees of both repeatability^*1 and accuracy^*2 for non-contact 3D measurement of complex surfaces, new functions such as acquiring 3D images automatically with a single click, and an image acquisition speed that is approximately twice as fast as the existing Olympus models.

● Main Features
New features of the laser scanning microscope functions on LEXT OLS4500 Nano Search Microscope
1. High-resolution observation and highly accurate measurement over a single scan area
2. Designed to be easy to operate even for novice users, including functions for automatic 3D image acquisition
3. 3D image acquisition approximately twice as fast as the existing Olympus models. General features on LEXT OLS4500 Nano Search microscope
4. A single instrument combines optical microscope, laser microscope, and SPM functions

● Launch Background
With products such as portable digital devices and industrial equipment becoming smaller and achieving higher performance over recent years, there has also been a demand for miniaturization and performance enhancements in the sensors and other electronic components used in these products. As these components also require rigorous quality control, there is a need for highly reliable 3D shape measurement instruments capable of measuring surface features such as steps and roughness.
Meanwhile, the range of industries that require quantitative control of minute surface features is expanding rapidly to include the automotive and specialty materials sectors, for example. Accordingly, the nature of samples is also becoming more diverse, including samples with complex shapes or adhesive properties, and in particular there is a growing demand for instruments that can be used not only in research and development but also in applications that are closer to the production process.
The ability of the Olympus LEXT series of 3D measuring laser microscopes to observe and measure 3D surface features with sizes ranging from several hundreds of microns down to the sub-micron level has seen them enter widespread use in both industry and academic research. Now, Olympus has added the new model to meet the demand for making measurements and observations with greater accuracy over a wider area.

● Main Features
New features available of the laser scanning microscope on LEXT OLS4500 Nano　Search microscope
1. High-resolution observation and highly accurate measurement over a wider area
While performing measurements over a wide area typically involves using a low magnification, there is a limit to how clear such images can be rendered. To overcome this problem, the new microscopes can perform high-resolution observation and highly accurate measurement over a wide area using a stitching function that combines up to 625 different high-magnification images together so that minute regions can be identified with high resolution. Whereas most laser microscopes in the past have been used in R&D and related fields for making observations of very small samples, the ability to view large areas with high accuracy also opens up potential applications for the microscopes as quality control tools in industry.

2. Designed to be easy to operate even for novice users, including functions for automatic 3D image acquisition
Traditionally, 3D imaging has required complex settings (brightness and upper and lower limits). With the new Smart Scan mode, in contrast, users can acquire 3D images with a single click. This function has been designed to allow even first-time users to obtain results equivalent to those of an experienced operator.

3. 3D image acquisition approximately twice as fast as the existing Olympus models
The new Ultra-Fast mode acquires 3D images approximately twice as fast as the existing Fast mode, and nine times faster than Fine mode. This boosts inspection efficiency by speeding up shape observation and measurement.

LEXT OLS4500 Nano　Search Microscope features
4. Single instrument combines optical microscope, laser microscope, and SPM^*5 functions
Combining SPM technology with the functions of the LEXT OLS4100 means that observations and measurements can be made over a very wide range of magnifications, from several tens times of magnifications up to approx. x1,000,000. This means the microscope can be used for 3D measurements both of comparatively large samples in the millimeter range and right down to nanometer scales.
Also, the microscope can quickly and accurately switch to making ultra-high-magnification SPM observations (approx.x1,000,000) of features identified using the optical or laser microscope functions, without losing track of the location to be observed. When performing shape measurements of new materials at a research institution, for example, a variety of different observations can be made without having to change samples, and measurements can be made at the most appropriate magnification.

*1: The degree of variation among repeated measurement values. A technical term used in metrology.
*2: How close a measurement value is to its true value. A technical term used in metrology.
*3: A technique for nano-scale observation and measurement by bringing a fine probe (needle) into close proximity to the sample surface.
*4: A nanometer is 1 × 10-9 meters (one-billionth of a meter).
*5: A scanning probe microscope performs nano-scale observation and measurement by bringing a fine probe (needle) into close proximity to the sample surface.

> For the detailed information, please visit LEXT OLS4500 product page