Material measurement techniques using multiple X-ray micro-beams

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10247683-B2
Application number	US-201715829947-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2017
Priority date	Dec 3, 2016
Publication date	Apr 2, 2019
Grant date	Apr 2, 2019

Abstract

An x-ray interrogation system having one or more x-ray beams interrogates an object (i.e., object). A structured source producing an array of x-ray micro-sources can be imaged onto the object. Each of the one or more beams may have a high resolution, such as for example a diameter of about 15 microns or less, at the surface of the object. The illuminating one or more micro-beams can be high resolution in one dimension and/or two dimensions, and can be directed at the object to illuminate the object. The incident beam that illuminates the object has an energy that is greater than the x-ray fluorescence energy.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to perform spatially resolved x-ray fluorescence analysis, comprising:
directing an x-ray excitation beam upon an object to generate fluorescent x-rays, the x-ray excitation beam comprising a planar array of x-ray micro-beams, the individual x-ray micro-beams each having a diameter smaller than 15 microns at a surface of the object; and
imaging the fluorescent x-rays with an x-ray imaging system that includes an x-ray imaging optical system and an energy resolving and spatially resolving x-ray detector, the x-ray imaging optical system collecting fluorescent x-rays generated by the object when illuminated by the x-ray excitation beam, the x-ray imaging optical system positioned such that an object plane of the x-ray imaging optical system is coplanar with the plane of the planar array of micro-beams within a depth of field of the x-ray imaging optical system, the energy resolving and spatially resolving x-ray detector positioned at an image plane of the x-ray imaging optical system.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the planar array of x-ray micro-beams is formed by an array of x-ray micro-sources imaged by an x-ray imaging optic.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the planar array of x-ray micro-beams is formed by transmitting x-rays from at least one source through a plurality of apertures.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray imaging optical system includes a zone plate.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray imaging optical system includes a Wolter optic.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray imaging optical system includes a collimating lens and a focusing lens.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray imaging optical system includes an x-ray optic having an inner surface with at least one portion of the inner surface corresponding to a portion of a quadric profile.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the quadric profile is paraboloidal.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the planar array of x-ray micro-beams has an angle of incidence less than 70 degrees with respect to the surface of the object.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray imaging optical system is achromatic.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the x-ray imaging optical system includes one or more quadric surfaces.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adjusting at least one of the object and the x-ray excitation beam such that there is relative motion between the object and the x-ray excitation beam and collection x-ray fluorescence from a volume of the object.

13. A method to perform spatially resolved x-ray diffraction analysis, comprising:
directing an incident x-ray beam upon an object to generate diffracted x-rays, the incident x-ray beam comprising an array of x-ray micro-beams, the individual x-ray micro-beams each having a diameter smaller than 15 microns at a surface of the object;
recording diffraction patterns with a spatially resolving x-ray detector positioned a first distance from the object; and
recording additional diffraction patterns by rotating the object relative to the incident x-ray beam.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein said rotation comprising rotating the object about a rotation axis that intersects the incident x-ray beam within the object.

15. The method of claim 13 , further comprising analyzing the recorded diffraction patterns to generate crystallographic information for the object.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of x-ray mirco-beams is a two-dimensional array of x-ray micro-beams.

17. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of x-ray micro-beams is a planar array of x-ray micro-beams.

18. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of x-ray micro-beams is formed by an array of x-ray micro-sources imaged by an x-ray imaging optic.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of x-ray micro-beams is formed by transmitting x-rays from at least one source through a plurality of apertures.

20. The method of claim 13 , wherein the array of x-ray micro-beams is formed by creating a Talbot interference pattern.

21. The method of claim 13 , further comprising:
moving the spatially resolving x-ray detector to a position at a second distance from the object; and
imaging the diffracted x-rays with the spatially resolving x-ray detector positioned at the second distance.

22. The method of claim 13 , further comprising positioning an x-ray filter upstream from the spatially resolving x-ray detector to reduce undiffracted x-rays.

23. The method of claim 13 , further comprising adjusting at least one of the object and the incident x-ray beam such that there is relative motion between the object and the incident x-ray beam, and gathering diffraction information from a volume of the object.

Assignees

• Sigray Inc

Inventors

• Yun Wenbing
• Lewis Sylvia Jia Yun
• Kirz Janos

Classifications

• G01N23/20025

  Sample holders or supports therefor · CPC title

• G01N23/223 Primary

  by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence · CPC title

• G01N23/2055

  Analysing diffraction patterns · CPC title

• G01N23/2204

  Specimen supports therefor; Sample conveying means therefore · CPC title