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 generator capable of reliably reducing an X-ray focal spot size without depending on the focal spot size of an electron beam on a target. Providing, within the irradiation range of an electron beam B of a target laminated structure 3 comprising a target 2 and an X-ray irradiation window 1, a low X-ray absorptivity region 3a of localized low X-ray absorptivity in the irradiation direction of the electron beam B results in the suppression of emission to the outside of X-rays from among the X-rays generated as a result of the irradiation of the electron beam B onto the target 2 that are from regions other than the low X-ray absorptivity region 3a, and an X-ray focal spot of a size corresponding to the size of the low X-ray absorptivity region 3a is obtained regardless of the size of the irradiation region of the electron beam B.

A transmission-target x-ray tube can include an x-ray window mounted on a window-housing. The window-housing can be made of a high density material (e.g. 12 g/cm.sup.3) with a high atomic number (e.g. 45), and can include an aperture with an increasing-inner-diameter region, with a smaller diameter closer to the electron-emitter and a larger diameter closer to the window-mount, for blocking x-rays and electrons. An example angle in the increasing-inner-diameter region is between 15 degrees and 35 degrees. The x-ray tube can further comprise a window-cap. The x-ray window can be sandwiched between the window-housing and the window-cap. The window-cap can be made of a high density material (e.g. 12 g/cm.sup.3) with a high atomic number (e.g. 45) for blocking x-rays in undesirable directions, and can include an aperture for allowing x-rays to transmit in desirable directions.

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.

An x-ray window can include a thin film that comprises boron. The thin film can be relatively thin, such as for example 200 nm. This x-ray window can be strong; can have high x-ray transmissivity; can be impervious to gas, visible light, and infrared light; can be easy of manufacture; can be made of materials with low atomic numbers, or combinations thereof. The thin film can include an aluminum layer. A support structure can provide additional support to the thin film. The support structure can include a support frame encircling an aperture and support ribs extending across the aperture with gaps between the support ribs. The support structure can also include boron ribs aligned with the support ribs.

System and method for imaging an integrated circuit (IC). The imaging system comprises an x-ray source including a plurality of spatially and temporally addressable electron sources, an x-ray detector arranged such that incident x-rays are oriented normal to an incident surface of the x-ray detector and a three-axis stage arranged between the x-ray source and the x-ray detector, the three-axis stage configured to have mounted thereon an integrated circuit through which x-rays generated by the x-ray source pass during operation of the imaging system. The imaging system further comprises at least one controller configured to move the three-axis stage during operation of the imaging system and selectively activate a subset of the electron sources during movement of the three-axis stage to acquire a set of intensity data by the x-ray detector as the three-axis stage moves along a three-dimensional trajectory.

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.

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 60 or 70 can include a thin film 61 sealed to a support structure 10. The support structure 10 can include an outer ring 11 encircling an outer ring aperture 15, an inner ring 12 encircling an inner aperture, and multiple spokes 13. The inner ring 12 can be located in the outer ring aperture 15. The inner ring 12 can be attached to the outer ring 11 by the multiple spokes 13. The support structure 10 shapes can optimize strength and percent open area.

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.