Microscopy

We specialize in supplying a wide variety of high-purity materials for various scientific and technological applications. Some of the benefits of these products include:

Electron Microscopy (SEM, TEM): Materials like high-purity metals, ceramics, and advanced composites for sample preparation, supporting structures, and calibration standards

Confocal Microscopy: Specialized substrates and coatings optimized for specific fluorophores and improved image quality in fluorescence microscopy

Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM): Materials with well-defined surface structures and properties for calibration and characterization of AFM tips

Our products also provide improved image resolution: High-purity materials often exhibit minimal defects and impurities, leading to clearer and more accurate microscopy images

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field spanning sciences such as physics, biology, chemistry, materials science, and engineering that seeks to characterize structures and processes at molecular and atomic scales.

Since optical microscopes do not provide adequate resolutions at these scales, more powerful tools, such as electron and focused ion beam microscopes, are employed.

In regenerative medicine, for example, stem cells and other tissues are studied for the purposes of tissue engineering. High-resolution microscopes also enable advances in optogenetics, where the effects of light on individual neurons are studied.

Materials scientists make extensive use of microscopy for the chemical and structural analysis of alloys, polymers, ceramics, biomaterials, and more.

The increasing sophistication of materials will continue to drive the demand for microscopy.

Goodfellow applies extensive materials expertise that meets the complex needs of microscopy.

Tungsten, for example, is a relatively inert metal resistant to acids, alkalis, and oxygen. With the highest melting point of all metals, it is relatively easy to work. However, being prone to impurities, tungsten can become extremely brittle and difficult to fabricate. 

An optical microscope comprises an optical system, including an eyepiece, objective and other lenses, and hardware components holding the optical system in place and enabling adjustments to be made such that:

• Lenses are fabricated from optical glass, mainly made from silicon dioxide but also contain other elements such as boron oxide, zinc oxide, or lead oxide. Lenses may also be coated with an anti-reflective coating, typically magnesium fluoride.
• Encasing hardware is fabricated from steel (or steel and zinc alloys) using precision metalworking equipment. Sometimes an inexpensive, hard plastic such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene may be used instead.
• If a mirror is included, it is typically fabricated from a strong glass such as Pyrex® (containing aluminum oxide, silicon dioxide, and boron dioxide). In the event a light bulb is also included, it is fabricated from glass, which encapsulates a tungsten filament and wires made of iron and nickel.
• If a camera is also included, it incorporates lenses fabricated from optical glass, as well as a metal or plastic casing.