A method of detecting an anomaly in a crystallographic structure, the method comprising: illuminating the structure with x-ray radiation in a known direction relative to the crystallographic orientation; positioning the structure such that its crystallographic orientation is known; detecting a pattern of the diffracted x-ray radiation transmitted through the structure; generating the simulated pattern based on the known direction relative to the crystallographic orientation; comparing the detected pattern to a simulated pattern for x-ray radiation illuminating in the known direction; and, detecting the anomaly in the crystallographic structure based on the comparison.

A method of manufacturing a test component and a method of testing a test component for non-destructive testing (NDT) together with a method of validating an NDT process for a component manufactured by an additive manufacturing (AM) process are disclosed. The validation method includes the steps of forming a first test specimen by the AM process, the test specimen containing one or more defects of a specified type and size, confirming both by destructive testing and by a first NDT step the type and size of the defects, forming the component by the said AM process with an aperture to receive the test specimen, forming a second test specimen by the same AM process which contains defects of the same type and size, inserting into the aperture the second test specimen, arranging the performance of a second NDT step on the component for defects, and comparing the results of the first and second NDT steps to validate the method.

An X-ray inspection system is presented. The X-ray inspection system comprises an X-ray source, an X-ray scintillator, a light detector, a first objective lens, and a second objective lens. The first objective lens is positioned between the X-ray scintillator and the light detector. The second objective lens is positioned between the first objective lens and the light detector.

The present invention relates to a nondestructive inspection apparatus and method for micro defect inspection, and more particularly, to a nondestructive inspection apparatus and method, which is capable of magnifying and observing a nondestructive inspection result while maintaining a resolution of the same when micro defect inspection is performed through a nondestructive inspection using beams. The nondestructive inspection apparatus for micro defect inspection includes a light source unit configured to project a beam to an object, a light detection unit having at least one surface contacting the object to generate light by detecting the beam that is transmitted through the object and arrived, an optical unit configured to form an image by using the light generated from the light detection unit, and a defect detector configured to determine whether a defect is generated by using the image.

Using an X-ray diffractometer, a processing device, and memory, a database models estimates of a number of cycles to failure for each of a plurality of materials. The model estimates are performed on the material at a plurality of applied fatigues up to a failure point and are based on parameters including residual stress, the micro-strain, and the ratio between X-Ray peak intensity and background intensity of the component material. To inspect a component, the material of the component is selected in the database, and measurements are obtained at two or more different depths of at least a portion of the component. Information about current residual stress, micro-strain, and ratio between X-Ray peak intensity and background intensity are determined from the obtained measurements. Then, a fatigue life of the portion of the component is estimated by matching the information to at least one of the modelled estimates of the number of cycles to failure in the database for the selected material.

A method and apparatus for analysis of a specimen in a microscope are provided. A first survey is performed that collects analytical data from a region of interest on the specimen surface using a first set of conditions. A second survey is performed that collects additional analytical data from selected parts of the region of interest on the specimen surface using a second set of conditions, different from the first set of conditions. The analytical data from the first survey is used to select the parts used for data collection in the second survey and to decide the order in which they are used.

A method of characterizing a region in a sample under study, and related systems, is disclosed. In once aspect, the sample under study comprises a first region having first crystalline properties and a second region having second crystalline properties. The method comprises irradiating the sample under study with an electron beam, the average relative angle between the electron beam and the sample under study being selected so that a contribution in the backscattered or forward scattered signal of the first region is distinguishable from that of the second region. The method further comprises detecting the backscattered or forward scattered electrons, and deriving a characteristic of the first and/or the second region from the detected backscattered or forward scattered electrons. The instantaneous relative angle between the electron beam and the sample under study is modulated with a predetermined modulation frequency during the irradiating the sample under study with an electron beam. Detecting the backscattered or forward scattered electrons is performed at the predetermined modulation frequency.

The system for in-situ real-time measurements of microstructure properties of 3D-printing objects during 3-D printing processes. An intensive parallel X-ray beam (with an adjustable beam size) impinges on a printing object and is diffracted on a crystal lattice of the printing material. The diffracted radiation impinges on a reflector formed with an array of reflector crystals mounted on an arcuated substrate. The diffracted beams reflected from the reflector crystals correspond to the diffraction intensity peaks produced by interaction of the crystal lattice of the printing material with the impinging X-ray beam. The intensities of the diffraction peaks are observed by detectors which produce corresponding output signals, which are processed to provide critical information on the crystal phase composition, which is closely related to the defects and performance of the printing objects. The subject in-situ technology provides an effective and efficient way to monitor, in real-time, the quality of 3D-printing parts during the 3-D printing process, with a significant potential for effective process control based on the reliable microstructure feedback.

An X-ray imaging system is configured to acquire first and second images from a teacher X-ray image including an inspection target. Discrimination information to discriminate at least one of an area of the inspection target in the first and second images, and an area of a defect part is acquired. Machine learning for producing a learned model is performed by using input teacher data sets based on the first and second images, and output teacher data sets based on the discrimination information.

Methods and systems for estimating values of parameters of interest from X-ray scatterometry measurements with reduced computational effort are described herein. Values of parameters of interest are estimated by regression using a trained, machine learning (ML) based electromagnetic (EM) response model. A training data set includes sets of Design Of Experiments (DOE) values of parameters of interest and corresponding DOE values of a plurality of electromagnetic response metrics. In some examples, values of parameters of interest are determined from measured images based on regression using a sequence of trained ML based electromagnetic response models. In some examples, input values employed to train the ML based EM response model are scaled based on model output variation.