Amazing Wafer Stepper Setup

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Smokedaddy
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Post by Smokedaddy »

mawyatt wrote: We have the same stages and using a 16 bit DAC at full scale for greater piezo stage resolution and range.
... and the reason I sent the video links to you. <g> You should send the Youtuber a message.

-JW:

physicsmajor
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Post by physicsmajor »

It seems this OEM lens may need not one, but two coverslips!

See post 2 and following in https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... hp?t=38767

Many of these objectives are from decommissioned gene sequencing machines, and they were used to peer through a relatively thick walled fluid cell, total 300-400 um of glass. The prior thread I linked in my last post shows that it performs much better with 2 stacked coverslips.

https://patents.google.com/patent/US8143599

The YT poster should stick 0.3-0.4mm of glass on that lens and do some comparisons!

Edit: abednego1995 in the above thread has both versions and claims they're identical, different manufacturer part numbers in separate gene sequencing machines rather than different Nikon products. Lou Jost apparently has 3 versions of this lens, and they all need cover slips.
Last edited by physicsmajor on Thu May 21, 2020 10:42 am, edited 1 time in total.

Scarodactyl
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Post by Scarodactyl »

Oddly the ones most available right now are normal, branded ones.

Macro_Cosmos
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Post by Macro_Cosmos »

physicsmajor wrote:Prior thread is very relevant https://www.photomacrography.net/forum/ ... 72&start=0

There are quite a lot of these Nikon 20x/0.75 OEM objectives out there right now, being sold as the OEM versions of the Plan Apo VC, and I don't think they were used in a microscope. One listing shows the lens mounted to an assembly very reminiscent of the photolithography setup shown in the original post (could also be for automated inspection, or gene sequencing as suggested in prior posts). With hundreds of objectives in a large order, Nikon might well have tweaked the lens for this order.

Also of interest, there may be two versions of this OEM objective, and the surplus dealers don't seem to have it completely straight. The YouTube poster has lens clearly marked 1501-9398 (see screenshot earlier in this thread). But the Ebay seller and listing pointed to by that YouTube poster shows pictures of an objective marked 0500-0087, which is also in the listing title. But in the text of that same listing it says "you will receive Nikon 20x Microscope Objective 1501-9398" - maybe they're the same, maybe not!

I don't suppose anyone has both...?
These are a special version of Nikon's similarly spec'd 20x NA0.75 objective which also requires a coverslip. They were used in a microscopy setup (TIRF) and spectral analysers. They can be found in the Illumina GAIIx gene sequencers (it utilises a TIRF microscope, 20x objective marked 0500-0087). The 1501-9398 is found in some kind of spectral analyser device thingy that I know little to nothing about, so I won't guess what it's supposed do do.

Difference between the 0500-0087 and the 1501-9398 is the front. Latter has some kind of white band around the front dome, which I suppose seals the objective from ingress and liquids since it's designed to be shoved into clumps of cells?

These 2 should be optically identical. However both are different to Nikon's Plan Apo 20x NA0.75 objective, as opposed to what these sellers may claim.

Lou Jost
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Post by Lou Jost »

These 2 should be optically identical.
I don't think there is any reason to think this, especially since they are physically different. Different machines will have different wall thicknesses and may also use different wavelengths. One of these days I'll try to measure the optimum coverslip and degree of correction of my three versions (the two OEM versions and the real 20x VC)....I've been too busy to do so lately.

mawyatt
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Post by mawyatt »

The latest SOTA wafer lithography machines evidently cost well north of $100M US :shock:

Of course you need a backup and probably operate more than one line :shock:

Best,
Research is like a treasure hunt, you don't know where to look or what you'll find!
~Mike

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