To inspect structures with dimensions down to the nanometer scale, we use advanced types of optical microscopy.

For example, (spinning disk) confocal microscopy is used to inspect the sample under study one point at a time and allows a 3D reconstruction of thick samples with better contrast than “conventional” optical microscopy allows. Spectral imaging microscopy yields a spectral photos in which each pixel records more spectral bands than just the three RGB bands used to construct a colour photo.

AMOLF has several microscopy techniques dedicated to imaging biological materials. For these techniques, please refer to Light Microscopy of Biological Samples.