Abstract: This disclosure presents systems for x-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements that have x-ray flux and flux density several orders of magnitude greater than existing compact systems. These are useful for laboratory or field applications of x-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy (XANES) or extended x-ray fine absorption structure (EXFAS) spectroscopy. The higher brightness is achieved by using designs for x-ray targets that comprise a number of aligned microstructures of x-ray generating materials fabricated in close thermal contact with a substrate having high thermal conductivity. This allows for bombardment with higher electron density and/or higher energy electrons, leading to greater x-ray brightness and high flux. The high brightness x-ray source is then coupled to an x-ray reflecting optical system to collimate the x-rays, and a monochromator, which selects the exposure energy.

Abstract: This disclosure presents systems for total reflection x-ray fluorescence measurements that have x-ray flux and x-ray flux density several orders of magnitude greater than existing x-ray technologies. These may therefore useful for applications such as trace element detection and/or for total-reflection fluorescence analysis. The higher brightness is achieved in part by using designs for x-ray targets that comprise a number of microstructures of one or more selected x-ray generating materials fabricated in close thermal contact with a substrate having high thermal conductivity. This allows for bombardment of the targets with higher electron density or higher energy electrons, which leads to greater x-ray brightness and therefore greater x-ray flux. The high brightness/high flux source may then be coupled to an x-ray reflecting optical system, which can focus the high flux x-rays to a spots that can be as small as one micron, leading to high flux density.

Abstract: An x-ray interferometric imaging system in which the x-ray source comprises a target having a plurality of structured coherent sub-sources of x-rays embedded in a thermally conducting substrate. The system additionally comprises a beam-splitting grating G1 that establishes a Talbot interference pattern, which may be a ? phase-shifting grating, and an x-ray detector to convert two-dimensional x-ray intensities into electronic signals. The system may also comprise a second analyzer grating G2 that may be placed in front of the detector to form additional interference fringes, a means to translate the second grating G2 relative to the detector. The system may additionally comprise an antiscattering grid to reduce signals from scattered x-rays. Various configurations of dark-field and bright-field detectors are also disclosed.

Abstract: This disclosure presents systems for x-ray illumination that have an x-ray brightness several orders of magnitude greater than existing x-ray technologies. These may therefore useful for applications such as trace element detection or for micro-focus fluorescence analysis. The higher brightness is achieved in part by using designs for x-ray targets that comprise a number of microstructures of one or more selected x-ray generating materials fabricated in close thermal contact with a substrate having high thermal conductivity. This allows for bombardment of the targets with higher electron density or higher energy electrons, which leads to greater x-ray flux. The high brightness/high flux x-ray source may then be coupled to an x-ray optical system, which can collect and focus the high flux x-rays to spots that can be as small as one micron, leading to high flux density.

Abstract: We disclose an x-ray interferometric imaging system in which the x-ray source comprises a target having a plurality of structured coherent sub-sources of x-rays embedded in a thermally conducting substrate. The system additionally comprises a beam-splitting grating G1 that establishes a Talbot interference pattern, which may be a ? phase-shifting grating, and an x-ray detector to convert two-dimensional x-ray intensities into electronic signals. The system may also comprise a second analyzer grating G2 that may be placed in front of the detector to form additional interference fringes, and a means to translate the second grating G2 relative to the detector. In some embodiments, the structures are microstructures with lateral dimensions measured on the order of microns, and with a thickness on the order of one half of the electron penetration depth within the substrate. In some embodiments, the structures are formed within a regular array.

Abstract: We disclose a compact source for high brightness x-ray generation. The higher brightness is achieved through electron beam bombardment of multiple regions aligned with each other to achieve a linear accumulation of x-rays. This may be achieved by aligning discrete x-ray sources, or through the use of novel x-ray targets that comprise a number of microstructures of x-ray generating materials fabricated in close thermal contact with a substrate with high thermal conductivity. This allows heat to be more efficiently drawn out of the x-ray generating material, and in turn allows bombardment of the x-ray generating material with higher electron density and/or higher energy electrons, leading to greater x-ray brightness. The orientation of the microstructures allows the use of an on-axis collection angle, allowing the accumulation of x-rays from several microstructures to be aligned to appear to have a single origin, also known as “zero-angle” x-ray emission.

Abstract: We disclose targets for generating x-rays using electron beams, along with their method of fabrication. The targets comprise a number of microstructures fabricated from an x-ray target material arranged in close thermal contact with a substrate such that the heat is more efficiently drawn out of the x-ray target material. This in turn allows irradiation of the x-ray generating substance with higher electron density or higher energy electrons, which leads to greater x-ray brightness, without inducing damage or melting. The microstructures may comprise conventional x-ray target materials (such as tungsten) that are patterned at micron-scale dimensions on a thermally conducting substrate, such as diamond. The microstructures may have any number of geometric shapes to best generate x-rays of high brightness and efficiently disperse heat. In some embodiments, the target comprising microstructures may be incorporated into a rotating anode geometry, to enhance x-ray generation in such systems.