What is the Confocal Raman microscope?
Confocal Raman refers to the ability to spatially filter and to control the volume of the sample that is analyzed. The principle is used generally with a microscope system. Just adding a microscope to a Raman spectrometer does not give a controlled sampling volume – for this a spatial filter is required. There are several methods in use today, some confocal, some pseudo confocal and some are better than others – but it is well established that by using a true confocal Raman microscope, it will enable Raman analysis of individual particles or layers on the micron scale or lower to be detected. For a True confocal design, the limits of spatial resolution are defined principally by the laser wavelength and quality of the laser beam that is used and the type of microscope objective selected and so on. For the highest spatial resolution, a correctly matched 100x objective and visible laser excitation will often produce the optimum results.
