The x-ray windows herein can have low gas permeability, low outgassing, high strength, low visible and infrared light transmission, high x-ray flux, low atomic number materials, corrosion resistance, high reliability, and low-cost. The x-ray window can include a film 11 with a polymer layer 22 and a graphite layer 21. The film 11 can consist essentially of graphite and polymer. Most of the film 11 can be the graphite layer 21. The polymer layer 22 can be a small portion of the film 11.

There is provided a radiation transmissive window having high radiation transmissivity. The radiation transmissive window includes: an outer frame having an opening; a radiation transmissive film closing off the opening; and a grid member that partitions the opening into a plurality of small opening portions. The grid member has a first portion, a second portion at a smaller distance to the center of the opening than the first portion, and a third portion at a smaller distance to the center of the opening than the second portion. The first portion is greater in width than the second portion. The second portion is greater in width than the third portion.

A window portion has a membrane that separates a space inside a container and a space outside the container, and a structure (glass structure) that is bonded to the membrane to support the membrane. The membrane and the structure are bonded by anodic bonding, and a chemical bonding layer is formed between them. The structure is composed of a grid having a plurality of openings, and an outer frame around the grid. A metal layer may be provided between the membrane and the structure.

An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

A method for producing a radiation window includes patterning a photo resist structure onto a double-sided silicon wafer, plasma etching the silicon wafer to create an etched silicon wafer having a silicon supporting structure etched upon a first side of the double-sided silicon wafer, applying a silicon nitride thin film to the etched silicon wafer, patterning a photo resist structure and plasma etching a second side of the double-sided silicon wafer to create an initial window in the silicon nitride thin film, and wet etching the second side of the double-sided silicon wafer to release the silicon nitride thin film and supporting structure from the portion of the double-sided silicon wafer defined by the initial window.

A window member for separating an internal environment of an x-ray device from an environment external to the x-ray device is provided. The window member comprises a substrate and a coating layer disposed upon a surface of the substrate. The substrate is formed from a polycrystalline material and is substantially transparent to low-energy x-rays. The coating layer is non-porous, covers the crystal grains at the surface of the substrate and extends into the grain boundaries therebetween, such that the coating layer forms an impermeable barrier between the substrate and the external environment.

A window member for separating an internal environment of an x-ray device from an environment external to the x-ray device is provided. The window member comprises a substrate and a coating layer disposed upon a surface of the substrate. The substrate is formed from a polycrystalline material and is substantially transparent to low-energy x-rays. The coating layer is non-porous, covers the crystal grains at the surface of the substrate and extends into the grain boundaries therebetween, such that the coating layer forms an impermeable barrier between the substrate and the external environment.