A laboratory-based 3D scanning X-ray scanning Laue micro-diffraction system and method for characterisation of crystalline materials, comprising: a focusing optic, a sample located at a distance from the focusing optic, a laboratory X-ray source, a stage to translate and rotate the sample, a detector arranged to detect the Laue diffraction patterns of the diffracted X-rays. The method comprising scanning each layer of the sample by translating the sample relatively to the focused beam at different rotations to illuminate each voxel in the layer in more than one rotation and indexing each voxel within the layer using the recorded Laue diffraction patterns at different rotations. By repeating the translation and rotation for different layers of the sample, a 3D image of the grain structure of the sample is reconstructed.

User-friendly single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus and method for quickly performing a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis using a crystalline sponge and enabling the analysis including management of related information, and a sample holder and an applicator therefor are provided. There are provided a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus that performs a structure analysis of a material is provided, the apparatus comprising a sample holder that comprises a porous complex crystal capable of soaking the sample in a plurality of fine pores formed therein and that holds the sample; a goniometer that rotationally moves with the sample holder 250 being attached; and an information acquisition section 600 that acquires information about the porous complex crystal.

An X-ray collimator (30) that comprises: a collimator body (31) comprising: a collimation conduit (32) provided with an inlet (320), configured to be connected to an X-ray source (20) for the inlet of a beam (B) of X-rays, and an outlet (321), configured to emit a collimated portion (B1) of the X-ray beam (B); and a derivation conduit (33) inclined with respect to the collimation conduit (32), wherein the derivation conduit (33) is provided with an inlet (330), configured to be connected to the X-ray source (20) for the inlet of a peripheral portion (B2) of the same X-ray beam (B) emitted by the source (20), and an outlet (331); a reference detector (40) fixed to the collimator body (31) and provided with an inlet window (41) facing the outlet (331) of the derivation conduit (33).

Methods and systems for realizing a high radiance x-ray source based on a high density electron emitter array are presented herein. The high radiance x-ray source is suitable for high throughput x-ray metrology and inspection in a semiconductor fabrication environment. The high radiance X-ray source includes an array of electron emitters that generate a large electron current focused over a small anode area to generate high radiance X-ray illumination light. In some embodiments, electron current density across the surface of the electron emitter array is at least 0.01 Amperes/mm.sup.2, the electron current is focused onto an anode area with a dimension of maximum extent less than 100 micrometers, and the spacing between emitters is less than 5 micrometers. In another aspect, emitted electrons are accelerated from the array to the anode with a landing energy less than four times the energy of a desired X-ray emission line.

A detection scheme for x-ray small angle scattering is described. An x-ray small angle scattering apparatus may include a first grating and a complementary second grating. The first grating includes a plurality of first grating cells. The complementary second grating includes a plurality of second grating cells. The second grating is positioned relative to the first grating. A configuration of the first grating, a configuration of the second grating and the relative positioning of the grating are configured to pass one or more small angle scattered photons and to block one or more Compton scattered photons and one or more main x-ray photons.

In this X-ray phase imaging apparatus, at least one of a plurality of gratings is composed of a plurality of grating portions arranged along a third direction perpendicular to a first direction along which a subject or an imaging system is moved by a moving mechanism and a second direction along which an X-ray source, a detection unit, and a plurality of grating portions are arranged. The plurality of grating portions are arranged such that adjacent grating portions overlap each other when viewed in the first direction.

A single-piece hybrid droplet generator and nozzle component for serial crystallography. The single-piece hybrid droplet generator component including an internally-formed droplet-generation channel, an internally-formed sample channel, a nozzle, and a pair of electrode chambers. The droplet-generation channel extends from a first fluid inlet opening to the nozzle. The sample channel extends from a second fluid inlet opening to the droplet-generation channel and joins the droplet-generation channel at a junction. The nozzle is configured to eject a stream of segmented aqueous droplets in a carrier fluid from the droplet-generation channel through a nozzle opening of the single-piece component. The pair of electrode chambers are positioned adjacent to the droplet-generation channel near the junction between the droplet-generation channel and the sample channel. The timing of sample droplets in the stream of fluid ejected through the nozzle is controlled by applying a triggering signal to electrodes positioned in the electrode chambers of the single-piece component.

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 μm×25 μm.

An x-ray imaging/inspection system includes an x-ray source having a plurality of sub-sources in thermal communication with a substrate. The system further includes a first grating positioned to receive at least some of the x-rays from the x-ray source, a stage configured to hold a sample positioned to receive at least some of the x-rays from the x-ray source, at least one x-ray detector, and a second grating having periodic structures. The x-ray source, the first grating, and the second grating are configured such that a ratio of a pitch p.sub.0 of the plurality of sub-sources to a pitch p.sub.2 of the periodic structures of the second grating is substantially equal to a ratio of a distance d.sub.S-G1 between the plurality of sub-sources and the first grating and a distance d.sub.G1-G2 between the first grating and the second grating: (p.sub.0/p.sub.2)=(d.sub.S-G1/d.sub.G1-G2).

An X-ray analyzer includes an X-ray source, a straight tube type multi-capillary, a flat plate spectroscopic crystal, a parallel/point focus type multi-capillary X-ray lens, and a Fresnel zone plate. A qualitative analysis is performed over an area on the sample, the flat plate spectroscopic crystal and the Fresnel zone plate are removed from the X-ray optical path, and X-rays are collected by the multi-capillary lens and the sample is irradiated. When analyzing the chemical morphology of an element, the multi-capillary lens retracts from the optical path, the source rotates, and the flat plate spectroscopic crystal and the Fresnel zone plate are inserted on the optical path. A narrow sample area is irradiated by the Fresnel zone plate with X-rays having energy extracted from the flat plate spectroscopic crystal. This makes it possible to carry out accurate qualitative analysis on the sample and perform detailed analysis of more minute parts.