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.

Provided are an X-ray generator capable of easily measuring a beam size of an electron beam on an electron target, and an adjustment method therefor. The X-ray generator includes an electron target including a first metal, a second metal different from the first metal, and a third metal different from the second metal, which are sequentially arranged side by side along a first direction in a continuous manner.

Systems for x-ray illumination that have an x-ray brightness several orders of magnitude greater than existing x-ray technologies. These may therefore useful for applications such as trace element detection or for micro-focus fluorescence analysis. The higher brightness is achieved in part by using designs for x-ray targets that comprise a number of microstructures of one or more selected x-ray generating materials fabricated in close thermal contact with a substrate having high thermal conductivity. This allows for bombardment of the targets with higher electron density or higher energy electrons, which leads to greater x-ray flux. The high brightness/high flux x-ray source may have a take-off angle from 0 to 105 mrad. and be coupled to an x-ray optical system that collects and focuses the high flux x-rays to spots that can be as small as one micron, leading to high flux density.

An X-ray target assembly includes a cylindrical base and a cylindrical multilayered X-ray target that includes at least a heat transfer layer, an X-ray source layer and an adhesion layer provided between the heat transfer layer and the X-ray source layer, wherein the X-ray target is oriented such that the heat transfer layer is closest to the base, wherein the X-ray target is placed on top of a cylindrical carrying element, wherein the in-plane coefficient of thermal expansion of each of the heat transfer layer, the X-ray source layer, the adhesion layer and of the material of the carrying element is different, wherein the in-plane coefficient of thermal expansion of the heat transfer layer is the lowest and that of the material of the carrying element the highest.

An energy converter unit and X-ray source system are presented. The energy converter unit comprises a multilayered crystal structure having a selected layers' arrangement comprising at least first and second of layers of at least first and second material compositions. The layers-arrangement is formed of a pattern of n1 layers of said first layer type and n2 layers of said second layer type generating a selected lattice periodicity of said layers. The lattice periodicity is selected such that said multilayered crystal structure responds to the charged particle beam of predetermined parameters by coherent emission of X-ray radiation having selected spectral content and emission direction.

A multi-metal patterned anode for an X-ray detector is provided. The anode comprises a substrate and at least one group of disjointed circular features formed on the substrate, wherein the circular features are made from different metals. The circular features in different groups have different radii, and the circular features in the same group have the same radii. The groups of circular features are radially arrayed on the substrate. The substrate is made of diamond or beryllium.

A transmission-type target includes a target layer and a transmissive substrate. The target layer is configured to generate X-rays in response to irradiation of electrons. The transmissive substrate supports the target layer and is configured to allow the X-rays generated in the target layer to pass therethrough. The transmissive substrate includes polycrystalline diamond in which grain boundaries extend in a substrate thickness direction and a substrate plane direction. The grain boundaries define an electrical potential of the target layer.

An X-ray generator including a cathode, an anode provided with two X-ray generation zones, a casing in which the cathode and anode are accommodated, two air cylinders for causing the anode to move, two linear guides for guiding the movement of the anode, and a bellows serving as a seal member. The air cylinders and the linear guides are provided at different positions on a surface orthogonal to a center axis of the bellows. The air cylinders and the linear guides are provided uniformly in relation to the center axis.

An analytical X-ray tube with an anode target material that emits characteristic X-rays in response to excitation by an electron beam may include any of several advantageous features. The target material is deposited on a diamond substrate layer, and a metal carbide intermediate layer may be provided between the target material and substrate that provides enhanced bonding therebetween. An interface layer may also be used that provides an acoustic impedance matching between the target material and the substrate. For a low thermal conductivity target material, a heat dissipation layer of a higher thermal conductivity material may also be included between the target material and substrate to enhance thermal transfer. The target material may have a thickness that corresponds to a maximum penetration depth of the electrons of the electron beam, and the structure may be such that a predetermined temperature range is maintained at the substrate interface.

A method and system are disclosed for producing an x-ray image of a sample using a lamella-shaped target to improve the usual tradeoff between imaging resolution and image acquisition time. A beam of electrons impacts the lamella-shaped target normal to the narrower dimension of the lamella which then determines the virtual source size along that axis. For low-energy x-ray generation, the small electron penetration depth parallel to the wider dimension of the lamella determines the virtual source size along that axis. Conductive cooling of the target is improved over post targets with the same imaging resolution. The lamella-shaped target is long enough to ensure that the electron beam does not impact the support structure which would degrade the imaging resolution. Target materials may be selected from the same metals used for bulk or post targets, including tungsten, molybdenum, titanium, scandium, vanadium, silver, or a refractory metal.