Abstract: An x-ray tube can include an x-ray window sealed to a mount. An inner-collimator can be adjacent to, but not sealed to, the x-ray window. The inner-collimator can be sandwiched between the x-ray window and an insulating-layer. The insulating-layer can span an inner-collimator-aperture of the inner-collimator, forming an isolated cavity at the inner-collimator-aperture. Walls of the cavity can include the x-ray window, the inner-collimator, and the insulating-layer. The x-ray tube can have a light weight, can block x-rays in undesirable directions, and can shape the x-ray beam.

Abstract: A wire grid polarizer (WGP) can include an array of support-ribs on a substrate. Sides of the support-ribs can be inclined to one side. A wire can be applied on an upper-side and distal end of each support-rib, each wire being separate from wires on adjacent support-ribs. The WGP can be made with reduced or no etching.

Abstract: A voltage-multiplier can be more compact by arrangement in a stack of separate voltage-multiplier-stages. Each of the voltage-multiplier-stages can include electronic-components on a planar-face of a circuit-board. The planar-face of each circuit-board can be parallel with respect to other circuit-boards in the stack. The electronic-components on each voltage-multiplier-stage can be configured to multiply an input-voltage to provide an output-voltage with a higher voltage than the input-voltage. Each voltage-multiplier-stage in the stack can be electrically coupled to two adjacent voltage-multiplier-stages, except that two outermost voltage-multiplier-stages of the stack can be electrically coupled to only one adjacent voltage-multiplier-stage of the stack.

Abstract: Each wire 12 of a wire grid polarizer can include a cap 22 on a reflective rib 21. The cap 22, with dimensions and material as specified herein, can protect the reflective rib 21 from corrosion and can improve performance of the wire grid polarizer. The cap 22 can be located on the distal end 21d and the pair of sidewalls 21S of the reflective rib 21. Cap 22 chemistry can include CO, C?O, COO, aluminum fluoride, and aluminum oxide. Each cap 22 can have a maximum thickness ThCS on the sidewall 21S of the reflective rib 21 in an upper 50% (above plane 31) of the wire 12 farthest from the substrate 11. Each cap 22 can have a maximum thickness ThCS on the sidewall 21S that is greater than a maximum thickness ThCD of the cap 22 on the distal end 21d.

Abstract: An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: In an x-ray source, an isolation circuit can isolate bias voltage at a cathode from a bias voltage at an alternating current source (AC source). The isolation circuit can transfer alternating current from the AC source to the cathode. The isolation circuit can be made repeatedly with minimal variation or failed parts, can be light, and can be small. The isolation circuit can include planar transformer(s). Each planar transformer can include a primary trace on a primary circuit board and a secondary trace on a secondary circuit board. The primary trace and the secondary trace can each include a spiral shape. The primary trace can be located in close proximity to the secondary trace such that alternating electrical current through the primary trace will induce alternating electrical current through the secondary trace.

Abstract: A method of making a polarizer can include applying a liquid with solid inorganic nanoparticles dispersed throughout a continuous phase, then forming this into a different phase including a solid, interconnecting network of the inorganic nanoparticles. This method can improve manufacturability and reducing manufacturing cost. This method can be used to provide an antireflective coating, to provide a protective coating on polarization structures, to provide thin films for optical properties, or to form the polarization structures themselves.

Abstract: A high voltage power supply can be compact with shielded electronic components. The power supply can include multiple stages separated by circuit boards. Electronic components for each stage can be directly soldered to adjacent circuit boards. Traces can pass through and electrically couple electronic components on each side of the circuit board between them.

Abstract: A monolithic housing for an x-ray source can wrap at least partially around a power supply and an x-ray tube. The monolithic housing can include Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Si, Sr, Zn, or combinations thereof. Mg can be a major component of the monolithic housing. The monolithic housing can be formed by injection molding. The monolithic housing can provide one or more of the following advantages: (a) light weight (for easier transport), (b) high electrical conductivity (to protect the user from electrical shock), (c) high thermal conductivity (to remove heat generated during use), (d) corrosion resistance, (e) high strength, and (f) high electromagnetic interference shielding (to shield power supply components from external noise, to shield other electronic components from power supply noise, or both).

Abstract: A collimator for an x-ray tube can be a monolithic, integral structure. The collimator can include a proximal-end closest to a cathode and a distal-end farthest from the cathode. The proximal-end can adjoin a vacuum inside of the x-ray tube. The distal-end can adjoin the air. The collimator can include an aperture extending therethrough. An x-ray window can be mounted across the aperture. The aperture can include a collimation-region between the x-ray window and the distal-end, and a drift-region between the x-ray window and the proximal-end. X-rays can be generated inside of the collimator.

Abstract: An x-ray tube 10 can have (a) an enclosure electrically-insulating a cathode 11 from an anode 12; (b) a coating-ring 18 on an inner-face of the enclosure, the coating-ring 18 encircling a longitudinal-axis 16 of the enclosure; and (c) an interruption-ring 19 located at the inner-face of the enclosure at a different location than the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different location along the longitudinal-axis 16 with respect to the coating-ring 18. The interruption-ring 19 can encircle the longitudinal-axis 16 at a different radius from the longitudinal-axis 16 than the coating-ring 18. The coating-ring 18 and the interruption-ring 19 can reduce uneven electrical charge build-up on the inner-face of the enclosure, and can protect the triple-point.

Abstract: The x-ray windows herein can have low gas permeability, low outgassing, high strength, low visible and infrared light transmission, high x-ray flux, low atomic number materials, corrosion resistance, high reliability, and low-cost. The x-ray window can include a film 11 with a polymer layer 22 and a graphite layer 21. The film 11 can consist essentially of graphite and polymer. Most of the film 11 can be the graphite layer 21. The polymer layer 22 can be a small portion of the film 11.

Abstract: A planar filament 11f can include multiple materials to increase electron emission in desired directions and to suppress electron emission in undesired directions. The filament 11f can include a core-material CM between a top-material TM and a bottom-material BM. The top-material TM can have a lowest work function WFt; the bottom-material BM can have a highest work function WFb; and the core-material CM can have an intermediate work function WFc (WFt<WFc<WFb). A width Wt of the filament 11f at a top-side 31t can be greater than its width Wb at a bottom-side 31b (Wt>Wb). This shape makes it easier to coat the edges 31e with the bottom-material BM, because the edges 31e tilt toward and partially face the sputter target. This shape also helps direct more electrons to a center of the target 14, and reduce electron emission in undesired directions.

Abstract: A reflective wire grid polarizer (WGP) can include an array of wires 12 on a face of a substrate 11, with channels 15 between adjacent wires 12. The wires 12 can have certain characteristics for WGP performance, such as index of refraction, alternating high/low index continuous thin films, thickness of layer(s), duty cycle, reflective rib shape, a curved side of transparent ribs 21 or 32, aspect ratio, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

Abstract: An x-ray window can include a boron-film 12 and an aluminum-film 52 spanning an aperture 15 of a support-frame 11. The boron-film 12 and the aluminum-film 52 can be the only films, or the primary films, spanning the aperture. The boron-film 12 can include boron and hydrogen. An annular-film 32 can adjoin the support-frame 11, on an opposite side of the support-frame 11 from the boron-film 12. The annular-film 32 can include boron and hydrogen. The annular-film 32 can have the same material composition as, and can be similar in thickness with, the boron-film 12.

Abstract: A monolithic housing for an x-ray source can wrap at least partially around a power supply and an x-ray tube. The monolithic housing can include Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni, Si, Sr, Zn, or combinations thereof. Mg can be a major component of the monolithic housing. The monolithic housing can be formed by injection molding. The monolithic housing can provide one or more of the following advantages: (a) light weight (for easier transport), (b) high electrical conductivity (to protect the user from electrical shock), (c) high thermal conductivity (to remove heat generated during use), (d) corrosion resistance, (e) high strength, and (f) high electromagnetic interference shielding (to shield power supply components from external noise, to shield other electronic components from power supply noise, or both).

Abstract: A wire grid polarizer (WGP) can include a flexible substrate. The flexible substrate might be desirable for WGP flexibility or to aid in further processing of the WGP. Wires of the WGP can include flexible ribs to minimize or avoid defects such as cracks in the WGP. An etch stop layer in the wires can allow formation of the flexible ribs without delamination of a reflective portion of the wires. The WGP embodiments herein can have improved flexibility, stretchability, compressibility, or combinations thereof with reduced cracking, collapse, and delamination of wires or ribs.

Abstract: A method of vapor depositing a silane chemical onto a wire grid polarizer can include introducing a silane chemical and water into a chamber where the wire grid polarizer is located. The silane chemical and the water can be in a gaseous phase in the chamber. The silane chemical and the water can be maintained simultaneously in the gaseous phase in the chamber for period of time. The silane chemical and the water can react to form a (R1)2Si(OH)2 molecule, where each R1 is independently any chemical element or group. A silane coating can be formed on the wire grid polarizer from a chemical reaction of the (R1)2Si(OH)2 molecule with the wire grid polarizer and with other (R1)2Si(OH)2 molecules. The silane coating can be relatively thick and multi-layer. A thicker or multi-layer silane coating can have improved high temperature resistance relative to a thinner or mono-layer silane coating.

Abstract: The x-ray windows herein can have low gas permeability, low outgassing, high strength, low visible and infrared light transmission, high x-ray flux, low atomic number materials, corrosion resistance, high reliability, and low-cost. The x-ray window can include a film 11 with a polymer layer 22 and a graphite layer 21. The film 11 can consist essentially of graphite and polymer. Most of the film 11 can be the graphite layer 21. The polymer layer 22 can be a small portion of the film 11.