Multi-Spectral Microspectroscopy - Goals and Progress

The practice of microspectroscopic analysis now spans the complete optical spectrum. The most recently popular of these measurements is the mid-infrared region where transmission, specular reflection and diffuse reflection measurements are performed with a microscope apparatus. Also, renewed and widened interest in micro-Raman spectroscopy has been brought about by the recent FT-Raman work, whose key benefit is the fact that the measurement is performed in the near-infrared region. Here, fluorescent interference is minimized. In the ultraviolet and visible regions of the spectrum, absorption and fluorescence measurements with microscopic apparatus are well developed. Currently, if one wishes to make use of all of these optical microspectroscopies, he must buy several different microscope/spectrometers, optimized for the particular measurement and type of specimen. Interestingly, there need be little difference in the microscope portion of these aparrati for the different measurements. This paper will discuss the evolutionary steps necessary to design a combined multi-spectral microspectrometer. What is to be gained is not only a cost savings, but also the ability to use the pieces of data collectively, improving the robustness of both quantitative and qualitative types of measurements.