title: Study of the Microfocus X-Ray Tube Based on a Point-Like Target Used for Micro-Computed Tomography.
abstract: For a micro-Computed Tomography (Micro-CT) system, the microfocus X-ray tube is an essential component because the spatial resolution of CT images, in theory, is mainly determined by the size and stability of the X-ray focal spot of the microfocus X-ray tube. However, many factors, including voltage fluctuations, mechanical vibrations, and temperature changes, can cause the size and the stability of the X-ray focal spot to degrade. A new microfocus X-ray tube based on a point-like micro-target in which the X-ray target is irradiated with an unfocused electron beam was investigated. EGS4 Monte Carlo simulation code was employed for the calculation of the X-ray intensity produced from the point-like micro-target and the substrate. The effects of several arrangements of the target material, target and beam size were studied. The simulation results demonstrated that if the intensity of X-rays generated at the point-like target is greater than half of the X-ray intensity produced on the substrate, the X-ray focal spot is determined in part by the point-like target rather than by the electron beam in the conventional X-ray tube. In theory, since it is able to reduce those unfavorable effects such as the electron beam trajectory swinging and the beam size changing for the microfocus X-ray tube, it could alleviate CT image artifacts caused by the X-ray focal spot shift and size change.
authors.affiliation: The Key Lab for Opto-electronic Technology & Systems of the Education Ministry of China, ICT Research Center, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.|Engineering Research Center of ICT Nondestructive Testing of the Education Ministry of China, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Rifeng
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Nuclear and radiation safe center, Ministry of Environmental Protection of People's Republic of China, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaojian
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: The Key Lab for Opto-electronic Technology & Systems of the Education Ministry of China, ICT Research Center, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaobin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: The Key Lab for Opto-electronic Technology & Systems of the Education Ministry of China, ICT Research Center, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.|Engineering Research Center of ICT Nondestructive Testing of the Education Ministry of China, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Yufang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.affiliation: The Key Lab for Opto-electronic Technology & Systems of the Education Ministry of China, ICT Research Center, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.|Engineering Research Center of ICT Nondestructive Testing of the Education Ministry of China, University of Chongqing, Chongqing, China.
authors.forename: Fenglin
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D009010:Monte Carlo Method; D055114:X-Ray Microtomography / Q000379:methods*