Abstract: A soft X-ray lithography system including an X-ray tube having an evacuated and sealed-off envelope provided with an X-ray transparent window made of beryllium material and enclosing a rotatable anode target made of graphite material, the target having an annular sloped surface carrying a focal track layer made of titanium carbide material and having a focal spot area aligned with an electron emitting cathode to generate characteristic titanium K alpha X-rays which pass in a beam through the window, a mask aligned with the window and having transparent portions which transmit the beamed X-rays, and a workpiece, such as a semiconductor wafer, for example, having a surface coated with a photoresist film disposed in alignment with the mask to have selected portions of the film irradiated by the X-rays transmitted through the transparent portions of the mask.