Enhance Measurement Efficiency without Compromising Precision
Raman imaging has established itself as a vital technique for chemical and structural analysis across a wide spectrum of industries, including materials science, semiconductor research, battery development, and life sciences. However, when samples exhibit significant surface irregularities such as rough textures, fractures, multilayers, or height variations, maintaining precise focus poses a considerable challenge. Loss of focus not only compromises image quality but also slows down analysis and extends acquisition times due to frequent focus adjustments.
To overcome these challenges, LabSpec® 6 integrates two complementary technologies: NavSharp™ and ViewSharp™. These innovations ensure consistently sharp imaging during navigation while utilizing the actual topography of the sample to optimize Raman data acquisition. This integrated approach revolutionizes how users work with complex samples, driving greater efficiency and producing higher-quality analytical results.
NavSharp™: Continuous clear navigation, even on complex surfaces
During the exploration phase, examining samples with varying height profiles can quickly become a labor-intensive process. In conventional workflows, each movement of the microscope typically requires frequent refocusing, which can hamper efficiency. NavSharp™ overcomes this challenge with its advanced dynamic autofocus feature, which continuously adapts the focal position as the microscope moves, ensuring uninterrupted clarity.
This cutting-edge technology utilizes the motorized Z-axis for real-time surface tracking, allowing users to maintain consistently sharp imaging without disrupting their observation workflow.
Key performance features of NavSharp™ include:
- Vertical resolution of up to approximately 8.5 µm with a 10x objective and up to 0.2 µm with a 100x objective.
- Automatic tracking of surfaces with height variations of several hundred microns.
- Significant reduction in manual refocusing operations.
- Enhanced accuracy through reduced operator errors and improved observation reproducibility.
In practice, this automation significantly speeds up the identification of regions of interest. Users can devote more time to scientific analysis rather than instrument adjustments.
ViewSharp™: Topography for Raman Imaging
While NavSharp™ improves navigation, ViewSharp™ intervenes directly during Raman acquisition. The technology relies on multi-plane reconstruction (Z-stacking), which allows for the simultaneous generation of a fully focused image and a 3D topographic map of the sample.
Specifically, multiple planes are acquired around the focus area. The system then identifies, for each pixel, the Z-position offering the best sharpness. The result is a complete topographic matrix (X, Y, Z) that can be directly used to automatically control focusing during Raman mapping.
This approach offers several measurable advantages:
- Vertical resolution of up to 0.2 µm depending on the objective used.
- Lateral resolution up to 0.2 µm.
- Analysis of height variations up to 30 mm.
- Elimination of point-by-point autofocus cycles during Raman mapping.
- Potential reduction in mapping times by 30 to 70% depending on the sample’s complexity.
Beyond saving time, ViewSharp™ improves the uniformity of focus across the entire analyzed surface. The resulting chemical maps are more accurate, more reproducible, and better suited for studying samples with complex topography.
A synergy that maximizes productivity
The true strength of these two is rooted in how well they complement each other. NavSharp™ provides seamless guidance during the exploration stage, while ViewSharp™ leverages topographic data to automatically fine-tune Raman acquisition.
This integration simplifies and accelerates the workflow: users can effortlessly navigate samples with consistently sharp imaging, capture accurate surface topography, and then perform Raman mapping without the need for repeated autofocusing. By automating these steps, acquisition times can be reduced by up to 50%, all while maintaining reliable focusing quality throughout the measurement process.
Advancing into the next generation of Raman imaging
NavSharp™ and ViewSharp™ transform topography from a limitation to an integral part of the analytical process. By integrating dynamic autofocus, 3D topographic reconstruction, and high-resolution chemical imaging, HORIBA introduces a groundbreaking solution designed to tackle the complexities of modern sample analysis.
This new generation of tools enables researchers, engineers, and quality control specialists to obtain faster, more reliable, and more informative analyses. Faced with increasingly complex samples and growing analytical demands, NavSharp™ and ViewSharp™ are setting new benchmarks for precision in Raman imaging.