An X-ray system for providing a converging X-rays comprises: (a) an X-ray source having an optical axis thereof; and an X-ray lens comprising at least one ring having a Bragg reflecting surface formed by a plurality of single-crystal tiles. Each tile individually comprises an adjusting arrangement enabling a tridimensional individual displacement thereof in angular and translational manner.

A collector mirror for an EUV microlithography system. The collector mirror includes an optical grating having an optically effective mirror surface, which reflects electromagnetic used rays in an EUV spectral range emanating from a first focal point and focuses them onto a second focal point. The first and second focal points lie on a side of the optical grating facing the mirror surface and define an optical axis. The optical grating is configured, in interaction with a stop arranged at the second focal point, to allow the used rays to pass through the stop and to block electromagnetic remaining rays in a remaining spectral range different than the EUV spectral range. The optical grating includes a blazed grating composed of a plurality of mirror facets, each having a facet surface. The facet surfaces form the mirror surface of the blazed grating.

An exemplary mounting structure can be provided for interferometric imaging and an interferometric imaging apparatus comprising same. The mounting structure comprises at least one curved surface for receiving an interferometric grating to rest thereon. The surface can be provided having a plurality of apertures, whereas that the grating when so received, covers at least one of the apertures.

An X-ray fluorescence analyzer including an X-ray tube for emitting incident X-rays in the direction of a first optical axis. A slurry handling unit is configured to maintain a constant distance between a sample of slurry and the X-ray tube. A first crystal diffractor is located in a first direction from the slurry handling unit. The first crystal diffractor includes a first crystal and a first radiation detector configured to detect fluorescent X-rays diffracted by the first crystal at a first energy resolution. A second crystal diffractor is located in a second direction from the slurry handling unit. The second crystal diffractor includes a second crystal and a second radiation detector configured to detect fluorescent X-rays diffracted by the second crystal at a second energy resolution. The first crystal is a pyrolytic graphite crystal, the second crystal is of a material other than pyrolytic graphite, and the first and second crystal diffractors are configured to direct to their respective radiation detectors characteristic fluorescent radiation of a same element.

A reflector comprising a hollow body having an interior surface defining a passage through the hollow body, the interior surface having at least one optical surface part configured to reflect radiation and a supporter surface part, wherein the optical surface part has a predetermined optical power and the supporter surface part does not have the predetermined optical power. The reflector is made by providing an axially symmetric mandrel; shaping a part of the circumferential surface of the mandrel to form at least one inverse optical surface part that is not rotationally symmetric about the axis of the mandrel; forming a reflector body around the mandrel; and releasing the reflector body from the mandrel whereby the reflector body has an optical surface defined by the inverse optical surface part and a supporter surface part defined by the rest of the outer surface of the mandrel.

A grating structure is provided with arc-shaped stabilizing bridging structures on the lamellae that allow for bending the grating to account for stresses and deformations induced by the bending process to obtain a more stable curved grating structure more efficiently.

An X-ray fluorescence analyzer includes an X-ray tube for emitting incident X-rays in the direction of a first optical axis. A slurry handling unit is configured to maintain a constant distance between a sample of slurry and the X-ray tube. A first crystal diffractor is located in a first direction from the slurry handling unit and configured to separate a predefined first wavelength range from fluorescent X-rays that propagate into the first direction. The first crystal diffractor is configured to direct the fluorescent X-rays in the separated predefined first wavelength range to a first radiation detector. The first crystal diffractor includes a pyrolytic graphite crystal that has a diffractive surface, which is a simply connected surface. The first radiation detector is a solid-state semiconductor detector.

A process for manufacturing an optical element comprising a first step of spinning a circular sheet of a first metallic material for it to adhere to a rotating matrix and form a shell; a second step of assembling the shell on a temporary support; and at least a third step of diamond turning the shell by means of a diamond tool to obtain an optical surface.

An X-ray microscope includes at least one of an X-ray source, a sample holding part, a concave Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror, a convex Kirkpatrick-Baez mirror, and a light receiving part located at a position in an imaging relation to a position of the sample holding part in this order along an optical axis.

An apparatus includes a crystal analyzer positioned relative to an x-ray source on a Rowland circle in a tangential plane and having a Rowland circle radius (R). The crystal analyzer includes crystal planes curved along at least one direction within at least the tangential plane with a radius of curvature substantially equal to twice the Rowland circle radius (2R). The crystal planes are 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 configured to receive at least a portion of the dispersed x-rays. The spatially resolving detector 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 of the received dispersed x-rays 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 of the received dispersed x-rays below the second x-ray energy. The first and second x-ray energies are tunable in a range of 1.5 keV to 30 keV.