title: Full-field X-ray reflection microscopy of epitaxial thin-films.
abstract: Novel X-ray imaging of structural domains in a ferroelectric epitaxial thin film using diffraction contrast is presented. The full-field hard X-ray microscope uses the surface scattering signal, in a reflectivity or diffraction experiment, to spatially resolve the local structure with 70 nm lateral spatial resolution and sub-nanometer height sensitivity. Sub-second X-ray exposures can be used to acquire a 14 µm × 14 µm image with an effective pixel size of 20 nm on the sample. The optical configuration and various engineering considerations that are necessary to achieve optimal imaging resolution and contrast in this type of microscopy are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Nouamane
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Laanait
authors.affiliation: X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Zhan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Christian M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Schlepütz
authors.affiliation: X-ray Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vila-Comamala
authors.affiliation: Materials Science Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Matthew J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Highland
authors.affiliation: Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL 60439, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fenter
keywords: X-ray microscopy; X-ray surface diffraction; interfaces and thin films; materials science