CMI | SOP003_rev1.0
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personnel, to the supervising CMI staff.
4.4
Maintaining a clean workspace.
Food and drink are NOT allowed
!
4.5
Reporting any and all maintenance issues/concerns to the supervising CMI staff member
immediately.
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Raman overview
Raman spectroscopy is a characterization technique that is widely used in scientific field in recent years. It
actually utilizes the unique Raman spectra for different components as a spectral “finger print” to identify
unknown samples or even further analysis based on the information from the spectra. Raman spectra can be
obtained from various kinds of materials from bulk solids such as paper and cellphone, to nanomaterials such
as thin films and nanoconstructs.
Raman Spectroscopy has many advantages among many characterization techniques, and therefore it is quite
welcome in scientists and laboratory workers. Typically, the samples need little preparation before
characterization and analysis can be carried out through many containers. Raman Spectroscopy is usually not
destructive to samples unless you use too much laser power and focus high-energy laser on a point of the
sample, leading great amount of heat in that small area and thus burning your sample.
In addition, Raman Spectroscopy is typically a fast characterization technique that can perform real-time scan.
It can acquire a Raman spectrum of most substances in seconds via Charge Coupled Device detectors (CCDs)
that have a wide dynamic range for users to select the appropriate exposure time for their sample. Depending
on the raman cross section of the sample of interest, a high resolution scan can be finished in minutes using
the system.
Raman Spectroscopy can do both qualitative and quantitative analysis. Quantitative analysis of the sample is
typically performed by measuring the relative intensities of each peak in the Raman spectrum that are directly
proportional to the relative concentrations of the compounds. Alternatively, chemometric methods can be
used for detailed information and accurate calculation. These quantitative analyses are very sensitive that can
be performed on samples with high concentrations ranging from 90-100% material of interest down to
concentration determination at parts per billion (PPB) levels.
This instruction will guide you to run a Raman spectroscopy scanning step by step and help you obtain your
first Raman spectrum/ image from the WITec Raman
Spectroscopy Instrument. It can also be used as a manual
book for laboratory users in case of operational problems and troubleshooting. This instruction is separated
into sections for instrument overview, step by step alignment and calibration check, acquisition, imaging, and
troubleshooting. Readers should follow the procedures in this instruction in order to operate the Raman
instrument properly.
DANGER: Class 4 laser radiation involved during the procedure!
