Array Tomography is a volumetric microscopy method employed to visualize and reconstruct 3D images of serial sections. Tissue samples or cells embedded in resin are cut into consecutive sections with an ultramicrotome and collected onto a sample carrier (e.g. cover glass). The sequence of the sections determines the z-position and allows the reconstruction of the 3rd dimension. Therefore the z-resolution of the resulting 3D data set is determined by the thickness of the section.

The correlation of scanning electron microscope (SEM) data especially with an image acquired using a fluorescence light microscope (LM), enables the visualization of fluorescently labeled biological structures in their ultrastructural context not only in 2D but now in 3D with the ZEN Correlative Array Tomography module.