ABSTRACT
The word ‘microscope’ originates from the Greek words ‘mikrós’ and ‘skopeîn’, meaning ‘small’ and ‘see’. Using a confocal microscope or commonly known as confocal laser scanning microscope, it is possible to improve the contrast and the resolution of an optical microscope. The resolution of the confocal microscope is diffraction limited but it provides very good image contrast. Field ion microscope is similar to a field emission microscope in construction, viz. sample is in the form of a tip and use of a phosphor screen is made for imaging purpose. A fluorescence microscope resembles a compound microscope but with only difference that the detected light is the fluorescence or phosphorescence originating from the sample. Therefore, image formation, resolution, magnification etc. are similar to that in the compound microscope. The conjugate image of the sample is produced at the detector, hence the name ‘confocal microscope’.
