For manufacturing a radiation window for an X-ray measurement apparatus, an etch stop layer is first produced on a polished surface of a carrier. A thin film deposition technique is used to produce a boron carbide layer on an opposite side of the etch stop layer than the carrier. The combined structure including the carrier, the etch stop layer, and the boron carbide layer is attached to a region around an opening in a support structure with the boron carbide layer facing the support structure. The middle area of carrier is etched away, leaving an additional support structure.

An x-ray tube anode can include an electron hole extending from an electron entry at an exterior of the anode into a core of the anode, and an x-ray hole extending from an x-ray exit at the exterior of the anode into the core of the anode. The x-ray hole can intersect the electron hole at the core of the anode. In one embodiment, the electron hole and the x-ray hole can form a seamless bore from the electron entry to the x-ray exit. In another embodiment, the anode can be a single, integral, monolithic material with a single bore extending therethrough. In another embodiment, the core of the anode can include a target material located at a concave wall of the core of the anode.

An x-ray tube anode can include an electron hole extending from an electron entry at an exterior of the anode into a core of the anode, and an x-ray hole extending from an x-ray exit at the exterior of the anode into the core of the anode. The x-ray hole can intersect the electron hole at the core of the anode. In one embodiment, the electron hole and the x-ray hole can form a seamless bore from the electron entry to the x-ray exit. In another embodiment, the anode can be a single, integral, monolithic material with a single bore extending therethrough. In another embodiment, the core of the anode can include a target material located at a concave wall of the core of the anode.

An inspection apparatus for inspecting an inspection target object, includes an X-ray generation tube having a target including an X ray generation portion that generates X-rays by irradiation with an electron beam, and configured to emit X-rays to an inspection target surface of the inspection target object, an X-ray detector configured to detect X-rays emitted from a foreign substance existing on the inspection target surface irradiated with the X-rays from the X ray generation portion and totally reflected by the inspection target surface, and an adjustment mechanism configured to adjust a relative position between the inspection target surface and the X-ray detector.

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 a boron-film 12 and an aluminum-film 52 spanning an aperture 15 of a support-frame 11. The boron-film 12 and the aluminum-film 52 can be the only films, or the primary films, spanning the aperture. The boron-film 12 can include boron and hydrogen. An annular-film 32 can adjoin the support-frame 11, on an opposite side of the support-frame 11 from the boron-film 12. The annular-film 32 can include boron and hydrogen. The annular-film 32 can have the same material composition as, and can be similar in thickness with, the boron-film 12.

Compact x-ray devices, systems, and methods for capturing in tomosynthesis, two-dimensional radiography, fluoroscopy, and stereotactic imaging modes. In some embodiments, the compact x-ray imaging system includes an x-ray source array including spatially distributed x-ray focal spots and a digital area x-ray detector. In some embodiments, the imaging system includes an electronic switching device configured to alternate the imaging mode of the system. In some embodiments, the imaging system includes a mechanical support configured to enable a position and orientation of the x-ray source array and the digital area x-ray detector to be adjusted such that both upper and lower extremities of a patient can be imaged using various imaging modes while a position of the plurality of spatially distributed x-ray focal spots with respect to the digital area x-ray detector remains unchanged.

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.

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.