title: Ellipsoidal and parabolic glass capillaries as condensers for x-ray microscopes.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Xradia Incorporated, 5052 Commercial Circle, Concord, California 94520 USA. xzeng@xradia.com
authors.forename: Xianghui
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Fred
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Duewer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feser
authors.forename: Carson
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lyon
authors.forename: Andrei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tkachuk
authors.forename: Wenbing
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yun
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D005898:Glass; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation*; D055095:Optics and Photonics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D017356:Synchrotrons / Q000295:instrumentation; D014965:X-Rays