Abstract: A system for x-ray analysis includes at least one x-ray source configured to emit x-rays. The at least one x-ray source includes at least one silicon carbide sub-source on or embedded in at least one thermally conductive substrate and configured to generate the x-rays in response to electron bombardment of the at least one silicon carbide sub-source. At least some of the x-rays emitted from the at least one x-ray source includes Si x-ray emission line x-rays. The system further includes at least one x-ray optical train configured to receive the Si x-ray emission line x-rays and to irradiate a sample with at least some of the Si x-ray emission line x-rays.

Abstract: An x-ray optical filter includes at least one x-ray optical mirror configured to receive a plurality of x-rays having a first x-ray spectrum with a first intensity as a function of energy in a predetermined solid angle range and to separate at least some of the received x-rays by multilayer reflection or total external reflection into reflected x-rays and non-reflected x-rays and to form an x-ray beam including at least some of the reflected x-rays and/or at least some of the non-reflected x-rays. The x-ray beam has a second x-ray spectrum with a second intensity as a function of energy in the solid angle range, the second intensity greater than or equal to 50% of the first intensity across a first continuous energy range at least 3 keV wide, the second intensity less than or equal to 10% of the first intensity across a second continuous energy range at least 100 eV wide.

Abstract: Systems and methods for x-ray emission spectroscopy are provided in which at least one x-ray analyzer is curved and receives and diffracts fluorescence x-rays emitted from a sample, and at least one spatially-resolving x-ray detector receives the diffracted x-rays. The at least one x-ray analyzer and the at least one spatially-resolving x-ray detector are positioned on the Rowland circle. In some configurations, the fluorescence x-rays are emitted from the same surface of the sample that is irradiated by the x-rays from an x-ray source and the system has an off-Rowland circle geometry. In some other configurations, an x-ray optical train receives the fluorescence x-rays emitted from a sample impinged by electrons within an electron microscope and focuses at least some of the received fluorescence x-rays to a focal spot.

Abstract: An x-ray source and an x-ray interferometry system utilizing the x-ray source are provided. The x-ray source includes a target that includes a substrate and a plurality of structures. The substrate includes a thermally conductive first material and a first surface. The plurality of structures is on or embedded in at least a portion of the first surface. The structures are separate from one another and are in thermal communication with the substrate. The structures include at least one second material different from the first material, the at least one second material configured to generate x-rays upon irradiation by electrons having energies in an energy range of 0.5 keV to 160 keV. The x-ray source further includes an electron source configured to generate the electrons and to direct the electrons to impinge the target and to irradiate at least some of the structures along a direction that is at a non-zero angle relative to a surface normal of the portion of the first surface.

Abstract: An x-ray target, x-ray source, and x-ray system are provided. The x-ray target includes a thermally conductive substrate comprising a surface and at least one structure on or embedded in at least a portion of the surface. The at least one structure includes a thermally conductive first material in thermal communication with the substrate. The first material has a length along a first direction parallel to the portion of the surface in a range greater than 1 millimeter and a width along a second direction parallel to the portion of the surface and perpendicular to the first direction. The width is in a range of 0.2 millimeter to 3 millimeters. The at least one structure further includes at least one layer over the first material. The at least one layer includes at least one second material different from the first material. The at least one layer has a thickness in a range of 2 microns to 50 microns.

Abstract: An energy-resolving x-ray detection system is provided, the system including at least one x-ray optic configured to receive x-rays having an energy bandwidth with a maximum x-ray energy. The at least one x-ray optic has at least one concave surface extending at least partially around and along a longitudinal axis. The at least one concave surface is curved in at least one cross-sectional plane parallel to the longitudinal axis and is configured to direct at least some of the received x-rays into at least one convergent x-ray beam having a minimum beam width in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The minimum beam width is at a location and the at least one concave surface has an x-ray reflectivity less than 30% for x-rays having energies greater than one-third of the maximum x-ray energy. The system further includes at least one energy-dispersive x-ray detector configured to receive at least a portion of the at least one convergent x-ray beam.

Abstract: An x-ray spectrometer includes at least one x-ray optic configured to receive x-rays having an incident intensity distribution as a function of x-ray energy and at least one x-ray detector configured to receive x-rays from the at least one x-ray optic and to record a spatial distribution of the x-rays from the at least one x-ray optic. The at least one x-ray optic includes at least one substrate having at least one surface extending at least partially around and along a longitudinal axis. A distance between the at least one surface and the longitudinal axis in at least one cross-sectional plane parallel to the longitudinal axis varies as a function of position along the longitudinal axis. The at least one x-ray optic further includes at least one mosaic crystal structure and/or a plurality of layers on or over at least a portion of the at least one surface.

Abstract: An x-ray interrogation system having one or more x-ray beams interrogates an object (i.e., object). A structured source producing an array of x-ray micro-sources can be imaged onto the object. Each of the one or more beams may have a high resolution, such as for example a diameter of about 15 microns or less, at the surface of the object. The illuminating one or more micro-beams can be high resolution in one dimension and/or two dimensions, and can be directed at the object to illuminate the object. The incident beam that illuminates the object has an energy that is greater than the x-ray fluorescence energy.

Abstract: Systems and methods for x-ray emission spectroscopy are provided in which at least one x-ray analyzer is curved and receives and diffracts fluorescence x-rays emitted from a sample, and at least one spatially-resolving x-ray detector receives the diffracted x-rays. The at least one x-ray analyzer and the at least one spatially-resolving x-ray detector are positioned on the Rowland circle. In some configurations, the fluorescence x-rays are emitted from the same surface of the sample that is irradiated by the x-rays from an x-ray source and the system has an off-Rowland circle geometry. In some other configurations, an x-ray optical train receives the fluorescence x-rays emitted from a sample impinged by electrons within an electron microscope and focuses at least some of the received fluorescence x-rays to a focal spot.

Abstract: A method for performing x-ray absorption spectroscopy and an x-ray absorption spectrometer system to be used with a compact laboratory x-ray source to measure x-ray absorption of the element of interest in an object with both high spatial and high spectral resolution. The spectrometer system comprises a compact high brightness laboratory x-ray source, an optical train to focus the x-rays through an object to be examined, and a spectrometer comprising a single crystal analyzer (and, in some embodiments, also a mosaic crystal) to disperse the transmitted beam onto a spatially resolving x-ray detector. The high brightness/high flux x-ray source may have a take-off angle between 0 and 105 mrad. and be coupled to an optical train that collects and focuses the high flux x-rays to spots less than 500 micrometers, leading to high flux density.

Abstract: This invention discloses a method and apparatus for x-ray techniques using structured x-ray illumination for examining material properties of an object. In particular, an object with one or more regions of interest (ROIs) having a particular shape, size, and pattern may be illuminated with an x-ray beam whose cross sectional beam profile corresponds to the shape, size and pattern of the ROIs, so that the x-rays of the beam primarily interact only with the ROIs. This allows a greater x-ray flux to be used, enhancing the signal from the ROI itself, while reducing unwanted signals from regions not in the ROI, improving signal-to-noise ratios and/or measurement throughput. This may be used with a number of x-ray measurement techniques, including x-ray fluorescence (XRF), x-ray diffraction (XRD), small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS), x-ray absorption fine-structure spectroscopy (XAFS), x-ray near edge absorption spectroscopy, and x-ray emission spectroscopy.

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 structures may be microstructures with lateral dimensions measured on the order of microns, and in some embodiments, the structures are arranged in a regular array. The system additionally comprises a beam-splitting grating G1 that establishes a Talbot interference pattern, which may be a ? or ?/2 phase-shifting grating, an x-ray detector to convert two-dimensional x-ray intensities into electronic signals, and in some embodiments, also comprises an additional analyzer grating G2 that may be placed in front of the detector to form additional interference fringes. Systems may also include a means to translate and/or rotate the relative positions of the x-ray source and the object under investigation relative to the beam splitting grating and/or the analyzer grating for tomography applications.

Abstract: An x-ray interrogation system having one or more x-ray beams interrogates an object (i.e., object). A structured source producing an array of x-ray micro-sources can be imaged onto the object. Each of the one or more beams may have a high resolution, such as for example a diameter of about 15 microns or less, at the surface of the object. The illuminating one or more micro-beams can be high resolution in one dimension and/or two dimensions, and can be directed at the object to illuminate the object. The incident beam that illuminates the object has an energy that is greater than the x-ray fluorescence energy.

Abstract: This disclosure presents systems for x-ray microscopy using an array of micro-beams having a micro- or nano-scale beam intensity profile to provide selective illumination of micro- or nano-scale regions of an object. An array detector is positioned such that each pixel of the detector only detects x-rays corresponding to a single micro- or nano-beam. This allows the signal arising from each x-ray detector pixel to be identified with the specific, limited micro- or nano-scale region illuminated, allowing sampled transmission image of the object at a micro- or nano-scale to be generated while using a detector with pixels having a larger size and scale. Detectors with higher quantum efficiency may therefore be used, since the lateral resolution is provided solely by the dimensions of the micro- or nano-beams. The micro- or nano-scale beams may be generated using an arrayed x-ray source or a set of Talbot interference fringes.

Abstract: An x-ray interferometric imaging system includes an x-ray source with a target having a plurality of discrete structures arranged in a periodic pattern. The system further includes a beam-splitting x-ray grating, a stage configured to hold an object to be imaged, and an x-ray detector having a two-dimensional array of x-ray detecting elements. The object is positioned between the beam-splitting x-ray grating and the x-ray detector, the x-ray detector is positioned to detect the x-rays diffracted by the beam-splitting x-ray grating and perturbed by the object to be imaged.

Abstract: Systems for x-ray microscopy using an array of micro-beams having a micro- or nano-scale beam intensity profile to provide selective illumination of micro- or nano-scale regions of an object. An array detector is positioned such that each pixel of the detector only detects x-rays corresponding to a single micro-or nano-beam. This allows the signal arising from each x-ray detector pixel to be identified with the specific, limited micro- or nano-scale region illuminated, allowing sampled transmission image of the object at a micro- or nano-scale to be generated while using a detector with pixels having a larger size and scale. Detectors with higher quantum efficiency may therefore be used, since the lateral resolution is provided solely by the dimensions of the micro- or nano-beams. The micro- or nano-scale beams may be generated using a arrayed x-ray source and a set of Talbot interference fringes.

Abstract: An x-ray illumination beam system includes an electron emitter and a target having one or more target microstructures. The one or more microstructures may be the same or different material, and may be embedded or placed atop a substrate formed of a heat-conducting material. The x-ray source may emit x-rays towards an optic system, which can include one or more optics that are matched to one or more target microstructures. The matching can be achieved by selecting optics with the geometric shape, size, and surface coating that collects as many x-rays as possible from the source and at an angle that satisfies the critical reflection angle of the x-ray energies of interest from the target. The x-ray illumination beam system allows for an x-ray source that generates x-rays having different spectra and can be used in a variety of applications.

Abstract: An x-ray spectrometer system comprising an x-ray imaging system with at least one achromatic imaging x-ray optic and an x-ray detection system. The optical train of the imaging system is arranged so that its object focal plane partially overlaps an x-ray emitting volume of an object. An image of a portion of the object is formed with a predetermined image magnification at the x-ray detection system. The x-ray detection system has both high spatial and spectral resolution, and converts the detected x-rays to electronic signals. In some embodiments, the detector system may have a small aperture placed in the image plane, and use a silicon drift detector to collect x-rays passing through the aperture. In other embodiments, the detector system has an energy resolving pixel array x-ray detector. In other embodiments, wavelength dispersive elements may be used in either the optical train or the detector system.

Abstract: An x-ray transmission spectrometer system to be used with a compact x-ray source to measure x-ray absorption with both high spatial and high spectral resolution. The spectrometer system comprises a compact high brightness x-ray source, an optical system with a low pass spectral filter property to focus the x-rays through an object to be examined, and a spectrometer comprising a crystal analyzer (and, in some embodiments, a mosaic crystal) to disperse the transmitted beam, and in some instances an array detector. The high brightness/high flux x-ray source may have a take-off angle between 0 and 15 degrees, and be coupled to an optical system that collects and focuses the high flux x-rays to micron-scale spots, leading to high flux density. The x-ray optical system may also act as a “low-pass” filter, allowing a predetermined bandwidth of x-rays to be observed at one time while excluding the higher harmonics.

Abstract: An x-ray spectrometer system includes an x-ray source, an x-ray optical system, a mount, and an x-ray spectrometer. The x-ray optical system is configured to receive, focus, and spectrally filter x-rays from the x-ray source to form an x-ray beam having a spectrum that is attenuated in an energy range above a predetermined energy and having a focus at a predetermined focal plane.