Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy Advantages and Disadvantages

This article explains about Near-Field Scanning Optical Microscopy Advantages and Disadvantages and Safety Concern.

The advantages of the NSOM are given below.

High resolution up to 2-5nm can be obtained.
By contrast mechanism, the properties such as refractive index, chemical structure, and local stress can be observed.
The conductive, non-conductive or transparent sample can be used to examine no special sample creation needed.
There are advantages related to the optical microscopy and there are benefits of albeit higher resolution.
The benefits of the electron microscopy can be obtained through using NSOM.
Using NSOM also requires minimal sample preparation.
NSOM if operated in ambient, there can be advantages of the liquid environments (Hsu, 2001).
The spectroscopy techniques can be concerned in NSOM.
NSOM focuses to enable the probe different materials properties
NSOM microscope if operated effectively, there can be advantages of spectroscopy.
NSOM also support conventional optical microscopes.
NSOM focus on the light source and collection mode.
Nanometer resolution is concerned by NSOM.
Single molecule sensitivity is there in the NSOM.

Disadvantages of NSOM:

There is some limitation of the NSOM are given below.
For the high resolution of the image, it takes a long scan time to process it.
The shear force mode and the other contact operations are not helpful for soft materials.
The working distance is very low and has the extremely shallow depth of field.
NSOM only limited to the surface studies.
Disadvantages of NSOM device include the topographic image, as there could be issues.
There could be correlate structural issues in the NSOM device.
Physical properties of NSOM device can create problems.
The NSOM device can be opposite sometime.
There could be issues of side’s reflection mode (Hsu, 2001).
The contact tasks are not useful for delicate materials.
The working separation can be low.
NSOM device may has tapered optical fiber.
In NSOM device laser light can be coupled.
NSOM device may had ineffective illumination source (Hsu, 2001).
There can be high determination of the picture.

Safety concerns of NSOM:

There are some precautions to use NSOM device.
Cells or tissue can be damaged with the laser light while using NSOM for cell or tissue imaging.
Laser light can affect the operator of NSOM device.
Effective practices of NSOM; result in the position resolution and accuracy.
For NSOM scanning optical microscope; MCL-NSOM need to be used (Hsu, 2001).
NSOM gadget are very few to utilize.
Laser light can be harmful as there are tissue imaging.
NSOM need to be concerned with the microscope’s versatile design.
Constant force feedback and shear force feedback both can be effective approaches.
NSOM versatile designs can help researchers to focus on the instruments that are effective.
Feedback mechanisms is important to achieve high resolution in the tasks of NSOM
NSOM is helpful in the optical microscopy techniques (Hsu, 2001).
Feedback mechanisms need to be concerned timely.

Hsu, J. W. (2001). Near-field scanning optical microscopy studies of electronic and photonic materials and devices. Materials Science and Engineering: R: Reports, 33(1), 1-50.