A multi-pixel x-ray source is provided. The x-ray source includes a plurality of transmission target assemblies. The transmission target assembly includes a tungsten target and a diamond substrate. The substrate includes a first transmission surface and a second transmission surface opposite first transmission surface. The substrate further includes a first side surface and a second side surface disposed between the first and second transmission surfaces. The target covers the first transmission surface of the substrate. The transmission target assembly further includes a base. The base surrounds the first and second side surfaces of substrate, exposing a collimator surface of the second transmission surface and the target. The transmission target assembly is configured to transmit x-ray generated by the target through the target and the substrate.

An x-ray source can have increased x-ray flux and can simultaneously provide characteristic peaks and from multiple, different chemical elements. The target can include multiple layers of different chemical compositions. These layers can be distinguished by a higher atomic number, a higher energy K-alpha x-ray characteristic line, and a higher density in one layer compared to another layer. The layer that is lower in these characteristics can face the x-ray window. The layers can be formed by sputter deposition.

Some embodiments include an x-ray system, comprising: a support structure including a mounting surface; a target attached to the support structure on the mounting surface; wherein the target has a grain structure having a first dimension along an axis perpendicular to the mounting surface is longer than a longest dimension along any axis parallel to the mounting surface.

Described herein is a medical linear accelerator including an accelerator target structure constructed of a material having a thickness of less than 0.2 radiation lengths, and an accelerator structure to receive an electromagnetic wave and generate an output therapy dose rate of electrons having a beam energy between 4-25 mega-electronvolts (MeV).

Some embodiments include an x-ray system, comprising: a support structure including a mounting surface; a target attached to the support structure on the mounting surface; wherein the target has a grain structure having a first dimension along an axis perpendicular to the mounting surface is longer than a longest dimension along any axis parallel to the mounting surface.

A multi-pixel x-ray source is provided. The x-ray source includes a plurality of transmission target assemblies. The transmission target assembly includes a tungsten target and a diamond substrate. The substrate includes a first transmission surface and a second transmission surface opposite first transmission surface. The substrate further includes a first side surface and a second side surface disposed between the first and second transmission surfaces. The target covers the first transmission surface of the substrate. The transmission target assembly further includes a base. The base surrounds the first and second side surfaces of substrate, exposing a collimator surface of the second transmission surface and the target. The transmission target assembly is configured to transmit x-ray generated by the target through the target and the substrate.

A solid X-ray target for generating X-ray radiation is disclosed. The X-ray target includes at least one material selected from a list including trivalent elements; and at least one material selected from a list including pentavalent elements, wherein a first one of the materials is capable of generating the X-ray radiation upon interaction with an electron beam, and a second one of the materials forms a compound with the first one of the materials. An X-ray source including such an X-ray target and an electron source is also disclosed.

An x-ray tube source is disclosed that allows differential phase shift, attenuation, and x-ray scattering features of an object to be acquired in a single exposure. Such multiplexed x-ray tube source includes multiple x-ray spot origins controlled in such a way that each slightly separated spot is temporally modulated “ON and OFF” at differing frequencies. In an x-ray interferometer system, such x-ray tube source forms multiple illumination beams of a single angular view of an object's feature but each with different interference fringe locations. A composite image can be acquired with a high frame-rate digital detector as a component element in such x-ray interferometer system. Such composite image can be subsequently de-multipexed and separately presented according to each spot-source illumination beam. Such isolated images of an object's feature, each having different fringe locations, allows for post-acquisition “fringe-mapping” analysis of the feature's full interaction with x-rays, including refraction, scattering, and absorption.

An x-ray spectrometer system includes an x-ray source, an x-ray optical system, a mount, and an x-ray spectrometer. The x-ray optical system is configured to receive, focus, and spectrally filter x-rays from the x-ray source to form an x-ray beam having a spectrum that is attenuated in an energy range above a predetermined energy and having a focus at a predetermined focal plane.

An x-ray target, x-ray source, and x-ray system are provided. The x-ray target includes a thermally conductive substrate comprising a surface and at least one structure on or embedded in at least a portion of the surface. The at least one structure includes a thermally conductive first material in thermal communication with the substrate. The first material has a length along a first direction parallel to the portion of the surface in a range greater than 1 millimeter and a width along a second direction parallel to the portion of the surface and perpendicular to the first direction. The width is in a range of 0.2 millimeter to 3 millimeters. The at least one structure further includes at least one layer over the first material. The at least one layer includes at least one second material different from the first material. The at least one layer has a thickness in a range of 2 microns to 50 microns. The at least one second material is configured to generate x-rays upon irradiation by electrons.