This disclosure relates to an apparatus and methods for applying X-ray reflectometry (XRR) in characterizing three dimensional nanostructures supported on a flat substrate with a miniscule sampling area and a thickness in nanometers. In particular, this disclosure is targeted for addressing the difficulties encountered when XRR is applied to samples with intricate nanostructures along all three directions, e.g. arrays of nanostructured poles or shafts. Convergent X-ray with long wavelength, greater than that from a copper anode of 0.154 nm and less than twice of the characteristic dimensions along the film thickness direction, is preferably used with appropriate collimations on both incident and detection arms to enable the XRR for measurements of samples with limited sample area and scattering volumes. In one embodiment, the incident angle of the long-wavelength focused X-ray is 24, and the sample area is 25 m25 m.

Multilayer targets enabling fast and accurate, absolute calibration and alignment of X-ray based measurement systems are described herein. The multilayer calibration targets have very high diffraction efficiency and are manufactured using fast, low cost production techniques. Each target includes a multilayer structure built up with pairs of X-ray transparent and X-ray absorbing materials. The layers of the multilayer target structure is oriented parallel to an incident X-ray beam. Measured diffraction patterns indicate misalignment in position and orientation between the incident X-Ray beam and the multilayer target. In another aspect, a composite multilayer target includes at least two multilayer structures arranged adjacent one another along a direction aligned with the incident X-ray beam, adjacent one another along a direction perpendicular to the incident X-ray beam, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the multilayer structures are spatially separated from one another by a gap distance.

Backscatter imaging systems and methods that involve moving an emitter and a broad spectrum detector in helical motion along a medium being imaged while the emitter emits substantially monochromatic X-rays and/or gamma rays, and the broad spectrum detector acquires intensity measurement of photons backscattered from the medium. The intensity measurements are transformed into three-dimensional image data of the medium corresponding to density variations.

Multilayer targets enabling fast and accurate, absolute calibration and alignment of X-ray based measurement systems are described herein. The multilayer calibration targets have very high diffraction efficiency and are manufactured using fast, low cost production techniques. Each target includes a multilayer structure built up with pairs of X-ray transparent and X-ray absorbing materials. The layers of the multilayer target structure is oriented parallel to an incident X-ray beam. Measured diffraction patterns indicate misalignment in position and orientation between the incident X-Ray beam and the multilayer target. In another aspect, a composite multilayer target includes at least two multilayer structures arranged adjacent one another along a direction aligned with the incident X-ray beam, adjacent one another along a direction perpendicular to the incident X-ray beam, or a combination thereof. In some embodiments, the multilayer structures are spatially separated from one another by a gap distance.

An element distribution measurement apparatus is an apparatus for measuring a distribution of a content rate of each element contained in a measurement sample, and includes a measurement unit and an operation unit. The measurement unit acquires projection data by making rays of radiation of each of a plurality of spectra incident on the measurement sample. The operation unit obtains the distribution of the content rate of each element based on a distribution of a linear attenuation coefficient of the measurement sample obtained for each of the spectra based on the projection data, and a formula of the linear attenuation coefficient represented by using a value of a mass attenuation coefficient of each element, a value of an atomic weight of each element, a variable of the content rate of each element, and a variable of a density of the measurement sample for each of the spectra.

Embodiments relate to an X-ray interferometer for imaging an object comprising: a phase grating for effecting in correspondence with the phase grating geometry a phase shift to at least a part of X-ray incident onto the phase grating; and an absorption grating for effecting in correspondence with the absorption grating geometry absorption to at least a part of X-ray incident onto the absorption grating. The grating period of the phase grating, and the grating period of the absorption grating may be dimensioned such that a detector for X-rays can be placed at a relatively large distance away from the absorption grating such the phase contrast sensitivity of the image of the object detected by the detector remains substantially unaffected.

There is described a handheld inspection device for inspecting an infrastructure having a structure wall at least partially supported into material such as soil. The handheld inspection device generally has a portable frame; a high energy photon source mounted to said portable frame and having a radioactivity level below a threshold radioactivity level; a scattered photon detector mounted to said portable frame and having a field of view diverging towards said target region of said infrastructure and encompassing at least a portion thereof, said scattered photon detector detecting scatter events incoming from said target region during a given period of time, and generating a signal indicative of scatter events detected during said period of time; and a controller receiving said signal generated by said scattered photon detector; and generating an integrity indication associated to said target region of said infrastructure based on said received signal.

A correction amount specifying apparatus comprises circuitry for storing diffraction data including a combination of the diffraction angle of the irradiation X-rays with respect to the sample rotation angle and the sample surface height, the diffraction data being acquired by irradiating X-rays to a standard sample that is an aggregate of isotropic and stress free crystal particles, determining a first correspondence relationship based on the diffraction data, and specifying a correction amount of the sample surface height with respect to a desired sample rotation angle and a desired diffraction angle based on the first correspondence relationship.