Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of stacked flat Bragg diffractors having at least a first flat Bragg diffractor and a second flat Bragg diffractor. The first and second flat Bragg diffractors are positioned sequentially along an x-ray propagation axis of an x-ray beam. The x-ray beam includes x-rays and has an angular beam divergence less than 30 mrad in at least one direction.

Abstract: A three-dimensional x-ray imaging system includes at least one detector and an x-ray source including an x-ray transmissive vacuum window. The x-ray source is configured to produce diverging x-rays emerging from the vacuum window and propagating along an x-ray propagation axis extending through a region of interest of an object to the at least one detector. The diverging x-rays have propagation paths within an angular divergence angle greater than 1 degree centered on the x-ray propagation axis. The system further includes at least one sample motion stage configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis. The system further includes a sample mount configured to hold the object and comprises a first portion in the propagation paths of at least some of the diverging x-rays and having an x-ray transmission greater than 30% for x-rays having energies greater than 50% of a maximum x-ray energy of an x-ray spectrum of the diverging x-rays.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a transmission x-ray source having a window including a target layer of at least one x-ray generating material and an internal aperture configured to allow a first portion of an electron beam to bombard the target layer and to block a second portion of the electron beam from bombarding the target. The first portion of the electron beam has a full-width-at-half-maximum width at the target less than or equal to 1 micron. The window is spaced from the internal aperture by a first distance D1. The apparatus further includes an x-ray detector system having a scintillator, an optical assembly, at least one image sensor configured to receive and respond to visible light by generating electrical signals, and a motorized stage configured to controllably adjust a position of the scintillator such that the scintillator is spaced from the window by a second distance D2, wherein D22/(D1+D2)2 is less than 0.2.

Abstract: An x-ray imaging system includes at least one detector and an x-ray source including an x-ray transmissive vacuum window. The x-ray source is configured to produce diverging x-rays emerging from the vacuum window and propagating along an x-ray propagation axis extending through a region of interest of an object to the at least one detector. The diverging x-rays have propagation paths within an angular divergence angle greater than 1 degree centered on the x-ray propagation axis. The system further includes at least one first motion stage configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis. The system further includes at least one second motion stage configured to move the x-ray source and the at least one detector relative to the object to switch between a laminography configuration and a tomography configuration.

Abstract: A three-dimensional x-ray imaging system includes at least one detector and an x-ray source including an x-ray transmissive vacuum window. The x-ray source is configured to produce diverging x-rays emerging from the vacuum window and propagating along an x-ray propagation axis extending through a region of interest of an object to the at least one detector. The diverging x-rays have propagation paths within an angular divergence angle greater than 1 degree centered on the x-ray propagation axis. The system further includes at least one sample motion stage configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis. The system further includes a sample mount configured to hold the object and comprises a first portion in the propagation paths of at least some of the diverging x-rays and having an x-ray transmission greater than 30% for x-rays having energies greater than 50% of a maximum x-ray energy of an x-ray spectrum of the diverging x-rays.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a plurality of stacked flat Bragg diffractors having at least a first flat Bragg diffractor and a second flat Bragg diffractor. The first and second flat Bragg diffractors are positioned sequentially along an x-ray propagation axis of an x-ray beam. The x-ray beam includes x-rays and has an angular beam divergence less than 30 mrad in at least one direction.

Abstract: An x-ray computed laminography imaging system includes a transmission x-ray source configured to generate x-rays, at least some of the x-rays propagate along an x-ray propagation axis through a region of interest of an object. The system further includes a stage assembly configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis extending through the region of interest. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to intercept at least some of the x-rays propagating along the x-ray propagation axis. The at least one x-ray detector includes a scintillator, at least one optical lens, and two-dimensional pixelated imaging circuitry. The scintillator has a thickness that is substantially parallel to the x-ray propagation axis and the at least one optical lens is configured to receive visible light from the scintillator and to focus the visible light into a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to receive x-rays propagating from an x-ray source. The apparatus includes first and second x-ray diffractors, the second x-ray diffractor downstream from the first x-ray diffractor and first and second x-ray detectors. The first x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the x-rays, to diffract a first spectral band of the x-rays to the first x-ray detector, and to transmit at least 2% of the received x-rays to the second x-ray diffractor. The second x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the transmitted x-rays from the first x-ray diffractor and to diffract a second spectral band of the x-rays to the second x-ray detector. The first x-ray detector is configured to measure a first spectrum of the first spectral band of the x-rays and the second x-ray detector is configured to measure a second spectrum of the second spectral band of the x-rays.

Abstract: A three-dimensional x-ray imaging system includes at least one detector and an x-ray source including an x-ray transmissive vacuum window. The x-ray source is configured to produce diverging x-rays emerging from the vacuum window and propagating along an x-ray propagation axis extending through a region of interest of an object to the at least one detector. The diverging x-rays have propagation paths within an angular divergence angle greater than 1 degree centered on the x-ray propagation axis. The system further includes at least one sample motion stage configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis. The system further includes a sample mount configured to hold the object and comprises a first portion in the propagation paths of at least some of the diverging x-rays and having an x-ray transmission greater than 30% for x-rays having energies greater than 50% of a maximum x-ray energy of an x-ray spectrum of the diverging x-rays.

Abstract: An apparatus is configured to receive x-rays propagating from an x-ray source. The apparatus includes first and second x-ray diffractors, the second x-ray diffractor downstream from the first x-ray diffractor and first and second x-ray detectors. The first x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the x-rays, to diffract a first spectral band of the x-rays to the first x-ray detector, and to transmit at least 2% of the received x-rays to the second x-ray diffractor. The second x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the transmitted x-rays from the first x-ray diffractor and to diffract a second spectral band of the x-rays to the second x-ray detector. The first x-ray detector is configured to measure a first spectrum of the first spectral band of the x-rays and the second x-ray detector is configured to measure a second spectrum of the second spectral band of the x-rays.

Abstract: An x-ray computed laminography imaging system includes a transmission x-ray source configured to generate x-rays, at least some of the x-rays propagate along an x-ray propagation axis through a region of interest of an object. The system further includes a stage assembly configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis extending through the region of interest. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to intercept at least some of the x-rays propagating along the x-ray propagation axis. The at least one x-ray detector includes a scintillator, at least one optical lens, and two-dimensional pixelated imaging circuitry. The scintillator has a thickness that is substantially parallel to the x-ray propagation axis and the at least one optical lens is configured to receive visible light from the scintillator and to focus the visible light into a two-dimensional image.

Abstract: A system includes a stage for supporting a sample having at least first and second atomic elements. The first atomic element has a first characteristic x-ray line with a first energy and the second atomic element has a second characteristic x-ray line with a second energy, the first and second energies lower than 8 keV and separated from one another by less than 1 keV. The system further includes an x-ray source of x-rays having a third energy between the first and second energies and at least one x-ray optic configured to receive and focus at least some of the x-rays as an x-ray beam to illuminate the sample. The system further includes at least one x-ray detector configured to detect fluorescence x-rays produced by the sample in response to being irradiated by the x-ray beam.

Abstract: An x-ray source includes at least one housing configured to contain a first region at a pressure less than one atmosphere and configured to separate the first region from an ambient environment outside the at least one housing. The at least one housing includes an x-ray transmissive window having an x-ray transmittance greater than or equal to 20% for at least some x-rays having an x-ray energy less than 1 keV. The x-ray source further includes an electron source within the at least one housing. The electron source is configured to generate at least one electron beam. The x-ray source further includes an anode assembly within the at least one housing and configured to generate x-rays in response to electron bombardment by at least some of the electrons of the at least one electron beam from the electron source. The x-ray source further includes at least one x-ray optic within the at least one housing.

Abstract: A three-dimensional x-ray imaging system includes at least one detector and an x-ray source including an x-ray transmissive vacuum window. The x-ray source is configured to produce diverging x-rays emerging from the vacuum window and propagating along an x-ray propagation axis extending through a region of interest of an object to the at least one detector. The diverging x-rays have propagation paths within an angular divergence angle greater than 1 degree centered on the x-ray propagation axis. The system further includes at least one sample motion stage configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis. The system further includes a sample mount configured to hold the object and comprises a first portion in the propagation paths of at least some of the diverging x-rays and having an x-ray transmission greater than 30% for x-rays having energies greater than 50% of a maximum x-ray energy of an x-ray spectrum of the diverging x-rays.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing a three-dimensional structure of a sample includes generating a first x-ray beam having a first energy bandwidth less than 20 eV at full-width-at-half maximum and a first mean x-ray energy that is in a range of 1 eV to 1 keV higher than an absorption edge energy of a first atomic element of interest, and that is collimated to have a collimation angular range less than 7 mrad in at least one direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the first x-ray beam; irradiating the sample with the first x-ray beam at a plurality of incidence angles relative to a substantially flat surface of the sample, the incidence angles of the plurality of incidence angles in a range of 3 mrad to 400 mrad; and simultaneously detecting a reflected portion of the first x-ray beam from the sample and detecting x-ray fluorescence x-rays and/or photoelectrons from the sample.

Abstract: A fluorescence mode x-ray absorption spectroscopy apparatus includes an electron bombardment source of x-rays, a crystal analyzer, the source and the crystal analyzer defining a Rowland circle having a Rowland circle radius (R), a detector, and at least one stage configured to position a sample such that at least a portion of the sample is between the crystal analyzer and the detector.

Abstract: A three-dimensional x-ray imaging system includes at least one detector and an x-ray source including an x-ray transmissive vacuum window. The x-ray source is configured to produce diverging x-rays emerging from the vacuum window and propagating along an x-ray propagation axis extending through a region of interest of an object to the at least one detector. The diverging x-rays have propagation paths within an angular divergence angle greater than 1 degree centered on the x-ray propagation axis. The system further includes at least one sample motion stage configured to rotate the object about a rotation axis. The system further includes a sample mount configured to hold the object and comprises a first portion in the propagation paths of at least some of the diverging x-rays and having an x-ray transmission greater than 30% for x-rays having energies greater than 50% of a maximum x-ray energy of an x-ray spectrum of the diverging x-rays.

Abstract: A fluorescence mode x-ray absorption spectroscopy apparatus includes an electron bombardment source of x-rays, a crystal analyzer, the source and the crystal analyzer defining a Rowland circle having a Rowland circle radius (R), a detector, and at least one stage configured to position a sample at a focal point of the Rowland circle with the detector facing the sample.

Abstract: A system and method for analyzing a three-dimensional structure of a sample includes generating a first x-ray beam having a first energy bandwidth less than 20 eV at full-width-at-half maximum and a first mean x-ray energy that is in a range of 1 eV to 1 keV higher than an absorption edge energy of a first atomic element of interest, and that is collimated to have a collimation angular range less than 7 mrad in at least one direction perpendicular to a propagation direction of the first x-ray beam; irradiating the sample with the first x-ray beam at a plurality of incidence angles relative to a substantially flat surface of the sample, the incidence angles of the plurality of incidence angles in a range of 3 mrad to 400 mrad; and simultaneously detecting a reflected portion of the first x-ray beam from the sample and detecting x-ray fluorescence x-rays and/or photoelectrons from the sample.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a crystal analyzer positioned relative to an x-ray source on a Rowland circle. The crystal analyzer includes crystal planes curved along at least one direction and configured to receive x-rays from the x-ray source and to disperse the received x-rays according to Bragg's law. The apparatus further includes a spatially resolving detector that includes a plurality of x-ray detection elements having a tunable first x-ray energy and/or a tunable second x-ray energy. The plurality of x-ray detection elements are configured to measure received dispersed x-rays having x-ray energies below the first x-ray energy while suppressing measurements above the first x-ray energy and/or to measure the received dispersed x-rays having x-ray energies above the second x-ray energy while suppressing measurements below the second x-ray energy.