Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an analysis of a material of a component. A radiation source is activated to transmit radiation to the component. A beam pattern is obtained based on the component interfering with the radiation. The beam pattern is compared to a reference beam pattern. An anomaly is detected to exist in the material when the comparison indicates a deviation between the beam pattern and the reference beam pattern.

Methods and systems for calibrating the location of x-ray beam incidence onto a specimen in an x-ray scatterometry metrology system are described herein. The precise location of incidence of the illumination beam on the surface of the wafer is determined based on occlusion of the illumination beam by two or more occlusion elements. The center of the illumination beam is determined based on measured values of transmitted flux and a model of the interaction of the beam with each occlusion element. The position of the axis of rotation orienting a wafer over a range of angles of incidence is adjusted to align with the surface of wafer and intersect the illumination beam at the measurement location. A precise offset value between the normal angle of incidence of the illumination beam relative to the wafer surface and the zero angle of incidence as measured by the specimen positioning system is determined.

Improved system and method of X-ray laser microscopy that combines information obtained from both X-ray diffraction and X-ray imaging methods. The sample is placed in an ultra-cold, ultra-low pressure vacuum chamber, and exposed to brief bursts of coherent X-ray illumination further concentrated using X-ray mirrors and pinhole collimation methods. Higher resolution data from a sample is obtained using hard X-ray lasers, such as free electron X-ray lasers, and X-ray diffraction methods. Lower resolution data from the same sample can be obtained using any of hard or soft X-ray laser sources, and X-ray imaging methods employing nanoscale etched zone plate technology. In some embodiments both diffraction and imaging data can be obtained simultaneously. Data from both sources are combined to create a more complete representation of the sample. Methods to further improve performance, such as concave or curved detectors, improved temperature control, and alternative X-ray optics are also disclosed.

Aspects of the disclosure are directed to an analysis of a material of a component. A radiation source is activated to transmit radiation to the component. A beam pattern is obtained based on the component interfering with the radiation. The beam pattern is compared to a reference beam pattern. An anomaly is detected to exist in the material when the comparison indicates a deviation between the beam pattern and the reference beam pattern.

A sample (106) is irradiated with electromagnetic radiation such as X-Rays and diffraction data is sampled at inner and outer caustic rims formed at a sensor surface (108) and defined by a continuum of Debye cones (130, 132) formed by diffraction of the incident radiation. Intensities of the inner and outer rims while translating and rotating the sample are converted using a tomographic technique into X-ray diffraction images and material discrimination is also possible.

This invention is directed towards finding, locating, and confirming threat items and substances. The inspection system is designed to detect objects that are made from, but not limited to, special nuclear materials (SNM) and/or high atomic number materials. The system employs advanced image processing techniques to analyze images of an object under inspection (OUI), which includes, but is not limited to baggage, parcels, vehicles and cargo, and fluorescence detection.

Improved system and method of X-ray laser microscopy that combines information obtained from both X-ray diffraction and X-ray imaging methods. The sample is placed in an ultra-cold, ultra-low pressure vacuum chamber, and exposed to brief bursts of coherent X-ray illumination further concentrated using X-ray mirrors and pinhole collimation methods. Higher resolution data from a sample is obtained using hard X-ray lasers, such as free electron X-ray lasers, and X-ray diffraction methods. Lower resolution data from the same sample can be obtained using any of hard or soft X-ray laser sources, and X-ray imaging methods employing nanoscale etched zone plate technology. In some embodiments both diffraction and imaging data can be obtained simultaneously. Data from both sources are combined to create a more complete representation of the sample. Methods to further improve performance, such as concave or curved detectors, improved temperature control, and alternative X-ray optics are also disclosed.

A sample inspection system (100) includes an X-ray emitter, a collimator (170) and a first energy resolving detector (180) arranged along a symmetry axis (105). The X-ray emitter generates at least one focused conical shell beam (150) of X-ray radiation comprised of X-ray photons that propagate through a focal point on the symmetry axis downstream of the X-ray emitter. The collimator (170) has one or more channels, each channel being adapted to receive diffracted or scattered radiation propagating either along the symmetry axis, or parallel with the symmetry axis, or both along and parallel with the symmetry axis (105). Upon incidence of the conical shell beam (150) onto a sample (106) the first energy resolving detector (180) detects radiation diffracted or scattered by the sample (106) via the collimator (170).

A sample inspection system (100) includes an X-ray emitter, a collimator (170) and a first energy resolving detector (180) arranged along a symmetry axis (105). The X-ray emitter generates at least one focused conical shell beam (150) of X-ray radiation comprised of X-ray photons that propagate through a focal point on the symmetry axis downstream of the X-ray emitter. The collimator (170) has one or more channels, each channel being adapted to receive diffracted or scattered radiation propagating either along the symmetry axis, or parallel with the symmetry axis, or both along and parallel with the symmetry axis (105). Upon incidence of the conical shell beam (150) onto a sample (106) the first energy resolving detector (180) detects radiation diffracted or scattered by the sample (106) via the collimator (170).

An image processing apparatus includes a processing unit configured to, by using a plurality of pieces of information that correspond to a plurality of mutually different radiation energies and that have been obtained by irradiating an object with radiation and performing imaging, and information regarding transmittance including scattered rays and transmittance not including the scattered rays that is set in advance for each of multiple thicknesses of a first material and a second material that is different from the first material, obtain thickness images of the first and second materials in which the scattered rays have been corrected.