A liquid metal jet X-ray source including an electromagnetic pump for pumping the liquid metal. The electromagnetic pump includes a core having a core diameter and an outer yoke with a thickness of at least 20% of the core diameter. Preferably, the thickness of the outer yoke is at least 20% of the core diameter plus 6% of a radial distance between an outside of the core and an inside of the yoke.

An X-ray source uses excitation of a liquid metal beam of ions or ionized droplets to produce an X-ray output with higher brightness than conventional sources. The beam may be accelerated from a liquid metal source using an extraction electrode. The source may have an emitter tip, and the acceleration of the liquid metal may include field emission from a Taylor cone. An electrostatic or electromagnetic focusing electrode may be used to reduce a cross-sectional diameter of the beam. The liquid metal beam has a relatively high velocity as it does not suffer from flow turbulence, thus allowing for a more energetic excitation and a correspondingly higher brightness. A beam dump may also be used to collect the liquid metal beam after excitation, and may be concave with no direct sight lines to either an electron beam cathode or to X-ray windows of an enclosure for the source.

An X-ray source is provided comprising a target generator configured to generate a liquid jet having an elongated cross with a major axis and a minor axis; an electron source configured to generate an electron beam arranged to interact with the liquid jet in an interaction region to generate X-ray radiation; and an X-ray transparent window arranged to transmit X-ray radiation generated in the interaction region, wherein the X-ray transparent window is located for extraction of X-ray radiation at an angle ? relative to the major axis; wherein the target generator is configured to generate the liquid jet such that said jet has a thickness at the interaction region, along a propagation direction of the electron beam, that is less than an electron penetration depth of the electron beam in the liquid jet. A corresponding method for generating X-ray radiation is also provided.

A modular laser-produced plasma X-ray system includes a liquid metal flow system enclosed within a low-pressure chamber, the flow system including a liquid metal, wherein in at least one location on the liquid metal forms a metal target directly illuminated by laser pulses, a circulation pump within the liquid metal flow system for circulating the liquid metal, a laser pulse emitter configured to transmit laser pulses into the chamber via a laser window, focusing optics, located between the emitter and the metal target, the focusing optics directing the laser pulses to strike the metal target at a target location to form X-ray pulses, and an X-ray window positioned within the chamber to enable the X-ray pulses to exit the chamber.

An X-ray source and a corresponding method for generating X-ray radiation are disclosed. The X-ray source includes a chamber comprising an interaction region, and a first electron source operable to emit a first electron beam, including electrons of a first energy, towards the interaction region such that the first electron beam interacts with a target to generate X-ray radiation. The X-ray source further includes a second electron source adapted to be independently operated to emit a second electron beam including electrons of a second energy for ionising particles in the chamber, and an ion collection tool that is adapted to remove the ionised particles from the chamber by means of an electromagnetic field. By ionising particles and preventing them from moving freely in the chamber, problems related to contamination of the chamber may be mitigated.

Methods and systems for realizing a high brightness, liquid based x-ray source suitable for high throughput x-ray metrology are presented herein. A high brightness x-ray source is produced by bombarding a rotating liquid metal anode material with a stream of electrons to generate x-ray radiation. A rotating anode support structure supports the liquid metal anode material in a fixed position with respect to the support structure while rotating at the constant angular velocity. In another aspect, a translational actuator is coupled to the rotating assembly to translate the liquid metal anode in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation. In another aspect, an output window is coupled to the rotating anode support structure. Emitted x-rays are transmitted through the output window toward the specimen under measurement. In another further aspect, a containment window maintains the shape of the liquid metal anode material independent of rotational angular velocity.

A fluid injector for x-ray tubes and a method to provide a liquid anode by liquid metal injection, wherein the fluid injector includes a device to inject fluid from an opening in a chamber of the device as a fluid jet generated by an arrangement to change the volume within the chamber, and includes a reservoir to store the anode material, which is fluidically connected by a pipe with the chamber of the device, where the pipe has a part formed in the fluid flow direction that is shaped to block fluid flow from the chamber to the reservoir during injection, and where the includes injecting fluid in a direction towards an electron beam and refilling the chamber with liquid metal from the reservoir.

An arrangement for providing a liquid metal jet in a vacuum environment is provided. The arrangement comprises a vacuum chamber; a nozzle arranged to provide the liquid metal jet; a jet receiver comprised within the vacuum chamber and arranged to receive liquid metal from the liquid metal jet; a first electromagnetic pump section comprising a first inlet and a first outlet, the first inlet having a first diameter; a second electromagnetic pump section comprising a second inlet and a second outlet, and a pumping conduit connecting the second inlet to said second outlet, the pumping conduit having a second diameter; wherein the first outlet is arranged to provide liquid metal to the second inlet. The first diameter is at least 1.8 times as large as the second diameter. A corresponding method is also provided.

The disclosure provides improvements of resolution and contrast in the field of x-ray imaging by using a line emitting, quasi-monochromatic x-ray source for x-ray fluorescence computed tomography. A particular type of x-ray source suitable for this is a line emitting liquid-jet-anode x-ray source. X-ray fluorescence is obtained using nanoparticles, preferably coated nanoparticles with a metallic core. The x-ray radiation from the x-ray source is shaped and filtered using energy dispersive optics before being delivered to the nanoparticles.

An x-ray apparatus (1), has an electron beam source (2), a target (4), onto which the electron beam (3) is directed to form a focal spot (5; 5a, 5b) on the target (4), x-ray optics (6) for collecting x-rays emitted from the focal spot (5; 5a, 5b) to form an x-ray beam (8) and a sample position (9) at which the x-ray beam (8) is directed. The x-ray apparatus (1) further includes an electrostatic or electromagnetic electron beam deflection device (10) suitable for moving the focal spot (5; 5a, 5b) on the target (4). The extension of the focal spot (5; 5a, 5b) in any direction (x, y, z) is at least a factor of 1.5 smaller than the extension of the target (4). An x-ray apparatus is thereby provided with simplified alignment of the x-ray optics with respect to a microfocus x-ray source.