An apparatus includes a crystal analyzer positioned relative to an x-ray source on a Rowland circle. The crystal analyzer includes crystal planes curved along at least one direction and configured to receive x-rays from the x-ray source and to disperse the received x-rays according to Bragg's law. The apparatus further includes a spatially resolving detector that includes a plurality of x-ray detection elements having a tunable first x-ray energy and/or a tunable second x-ray energy. The plurality of x-ray detection elements are configured to measure received dispersed x-rays having x-ray energies below the first x-ray energy while suppressing measurements above the first x-ray energy and/or to measure the received dispersed x-rays having x-ray energies above the second x-ray energy while suppressing measurements below the second x-ray energy.

An apparatus is configured to receive x-rays propagating from an x-ray source. The apparatus includes first and second x-ray diffractors, the second x-ray diffractor downstream from the first x-ray diffractor and first and second x-ray detectors. The first x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the x-rays, to diffract a first spectral band of the x-rays to the first x-ray detector, and to transmit at least 2% of the received x-rays to the second x-ray diffractor. The second x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the transmitted x-rays from the first x-ray diffractor and to diffract a second spectral band of the x-rays to the second x-ray detector. The first x-ray detector is configured to measure a first spectrum of the first spectral band of the x-rays and the second x-ray detector is configured to measure a second spectrum of the second spectral band of the x-rays.

An X-ray analyzer includes an X-ray source, a straight tube type multi-capillary, a flat plate spectroscopic crystal, a parallel/point focus type multi-capillary X-ray lens, and a Fresnel zone plate. A qualitative analysis is performed over an area on the sample, the flat plate spectroscopic crystal and the Fresnel zone plate are removed from the X-ray optical path, and X-rays are collected by the multi-capillary lens and the sample is irradiated. When analyzing the chemical morphology of an element, the multi-capillary lens retracts from the optical path, the source rotates, and the flat plate spectroscopic crystal and the Fresnel zone plate are inserted on the optical path. A narrow sample area is irradiated by the Fresnel zone plate with X-rays having energy extracted from the flat plate spectroscopic crystal. This makes it possible to carry out accurate qualitative analysis on the sample and perform detailed analysis of more minute parts.

There are described herein methods and system for generating an inspection image of an object from radiographic imaging. The method comprises obtaining a plurality of digital images of the object positioned between a radiation source and a photon beam detector, the digital images taken at different object-detector distances or source-detector distances to create unique grain diffraction patterns in each one of the digital images, and forming the inspection image from image features common to the digital images at a common scale and removing the unique grain diffraction patterns.

A fluorescence mode x-ray absorption spectroscopy apparatus includes an electron bombardment source of x-rays, a crystal analyzer, the source and the crystal analyzer defining a Rowland circle having a Rowland circle radius (R), a detector, and at least one stage configured to position a sample at a focal point of the Rowland circle with the detector facing the sample.

A method comprises the steps of: (a) Obtaining a measured X-ray spectrum for the coated sample, for determining characteristics for the sample and for a coating material; (b) Determining a simulated X-ray spectrum for the sample based on an initial sample composition; (c) Determining an adapted sample composition that improves a match between the characteristics of the sample and an adapted simulated X ray spectrum; (d) Determining an adapted coating thickness for the coating material based on the adapted sample composition and characteristics of the coating; and (e) Repeating the steps (b) to (d) using the adapted sample composition and the adapted coating thickness of the coating material instead of the initial values, wherein the coating thickness is used for determining an absorption of X-rays.

An apparatus is configured to receive x-rays propagating from an x-ray source. The apparatus includes first and second x-ray diffractors, the second x-ray diffractor downstream from the first x-ray diffractor and first and second x-ray detectors. The first x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the x-rays, to diffract a first spectral band of the x-rays to the first x-ray detector, and to transmit at least 2% of the received x-rays to the second x-ray diffractor. The second x-ray diffractor is configured to receive the transmitted x-rays from the first x-ray diffractor and to diffract a second spectral band of the x-rays to the second x-ray detector. The first x-ray detector is configured to measure a first spectrum of the first spectral band of the x-rays and the second x-ray detector is configured to measure a second spectrum of the second spectral band of the x-rays.

There is described a method for forming an inspection image of an object from radiographic imaging. The method has: forming the inspection image including scaling a feature of the object in one or more digital images to a common scale, the digital images including first and second digital images of the object, the first digital image having the feature at a first scale, the first digital image having a first grain diffraction pattern at the first scale, the second digital image having the feature at a second scale different from the first scale, the second digital image having a second grain diffraction pattern at the second scale, the second grain diffraction pattern different from the first grain diffraction pattern, the common scale common to both the first and second digital images after said scaling, and removing grain differences between the first and second grain diffraction patterns at the common scale.

An apparatus includes a plurality of stacked flat Bragg diffractors having at least a first flat Bragg diffractor and a second flat Bragg diffractor. The first and second flat Bragg diffractors are positioned sequentially along an x-ray propagation axis of an x-ray beam. The x-ray beam includes x-rays and has an angular beam divergence less than 30 mrad in at least one direction.

A method for evaluating a piezoelectric film containing a perovskite oxide containing a lead atom, a zirconium atom, and a titanium atom, and the method includes a process of irradiating the piezoelectric film with X-rays to acquire an extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum at the L3 absorption edge of the lead atom, a process of Fourier-transforming the extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectrum to acquire a radial distribution function, and a process of acquiring the intensity of a first peak having a distance from the lead atom of 1.40.2 , the intensity of a second peak having a distance from the lead atom of 2.00.2 , and the intensity of a third peak having a distance from the lead atom of 2.60.2 from the radial distribution function, and then evaluating the film quality of the piezoelectric film from a value obtained by dividing the intensity of the first peak by the intensity of the second peak and a value obtained by dividing the intensity of the first peak by the intensity of the third peak.