Ellipsoidal and parabolic glass capillaries as condensers for x-ray microscopes.
Single-bounce ellipsoidal and paraboloidal glass capillary focusing optics have been fabricated for use as condenser lenses for both synchrotron and tabletop x-ray microscopes in the x-ray energy range of 2.5-18 keV. The condenser numerical apertures (NAs) of these devices are designed to match the NA of x-ray zone plate objectives, which gives them a great advantage over zone plate condensers in laboratory microscopes. The fabricated condensers have slope errors as low as 20 murad rms. These capillaries provide a uniform hollow-cone illumination with almost full focusing efficiency, which is much higher than what is available with zone plate condensers. Sub-50 nm resolution at 8 keV x-ray energy was achieved by utilizing this high-efficiency condenser in a laboratory microscope based on a rotating anode generator.
Zeng
Xianghui
X
Xradia Incorporated, 5052 Commercial Circle, Concord, California 94520 USA. xzeng@xradia.com
Duewer
Fred
F
Feser
Michael
M
Huang
Carson
C
Lyon
Alan
A
Tkachuk
Andrei
A
Yun
Wenbing
W
D004867:Equipment Design; D005898:Glass; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017356:Synchrotrons / Q000295:instrumentation; D014965:X-Rays