ABSTRACT
I. INTRODUCTION Microscopies based on the vibrational spectrum of a molecule provide perhaps the closest approach to universally applicable, chemically selective contrast generation techniques. Infrared and Raman microscopic imaging both use the technology of light microscopy, although in modified form. The mid-infrared and the near-infrared are both employed for microscopic observation. Raman imaging uses the visible region. Like the underlying spectroscopies, infrared microscopy is more widely practiced than Raman microscopy. And like the underlying spectroscopies, each has its characteristic advantages and drawbacks.
