title: Sub-micrometer resolution proximity X-ray microscope with digital image registration.
abstract: A compact laboratory proximity soft X-ray microscope providing submicrometer spatial resolution and digital image registration is described. The microscope consists of a laser-plasma soft X-ray radiation source, a Schwarzschild objective to illuminate the test sample, and a two-coordinate detector for image registration. Radiation, which passes through the sample under study, generates an absorption image on the front surface of the detector. Optical ceramic YAG:Ce was used to convert the X-rays into visible light. An image was transferred from the scintillator to a charge-coupled device camera with a Mitutoyo Plan Apo series lens. The detector's design allows the use of lenses with numerical apertures of NA = 0.14, 0.28, and 0.55 without changing the dimensions and arrangement of the elements of the device. This design allows one to change the magnification, spatial resolution, and field of view of the X-ray microscope. A spatial resolution better than 0.7 μm and an energy conversion efficiency of the X-ray radiation with a wavelength of 13.5 nm into visible light collected by the detector of 7.2% were achieved with the largest aperture lens.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603087 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: N I
authors.initials: NI
authors.lastname: Chkhalo
authors.affiliation: Nizhny Novgorod N. I. Lobachevskii State University, Gagarina Ave. 23, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: A E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Pestov
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603087 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Salashchenko
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603087 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: A V
authors.initials: AV
authors.lastname: Sherbakov
authors.affiliation: Nizhny Novgorod N. I. Lobachevskii State University, Gagarina Ave. 23, 603950 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Skorokhodov
authors.affiliation: Institute for Physics of Microstructures of the Russian Academy of Sciences, GSP-105, 603087 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Svechnikov
mesh_terms: D004867:Equipment Design; D007834:Lasers; D007909:Lenses; D008027:Light; D008852:Microradiography / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D008853:Microscopy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D014965:X-Rays