[en] X-ray microscopy (XRM) techniques are emerging as powerful and complementary tools for sub-micron investigations. Soft XRM traditionally offers the possibility to form direct images of thick hydrated biological material in near-native environments, at a spatial resolution well beyond that achievable with visible light microscopy. Natural contrast is available in the soft X-ray region, in the so-called 'water-window', due to the presence of absorption edges of the major constituents (C,N,O). Recent advances in manufacturing techniques have enlarged the accessible energy range of micro-focusing optics and offer new applications in a broad range of disciplines. XRM in the 1-20 keV energy range is better suited to map trace elements in fluorescence yield, 3-D tomographic imaging and in micro-diffraction. After a brief introduction to the principles and methods, the main attributes of X-ray microscopy will be presented. This presentation will be biased towards sub-micron microscopy developed at the ESRF in the 2-10 keV energy. Strengths and weaknesses of X-ray microscopy and spectro-microscopy techniques will be discussed and illustrated by examples in biology, materials sciences and geology. (authors)

[en] ID21 is a beamline dedicated to X-ray imaging and spectro-microscopy in the 0.2-7 keV energy range. Initiated four years ago, the beamline construction is almost completed and the beamline is now entering into the first operational phase. The beamline is installed on a low beta straight section which is equipped with three undulators and serves two independent end-stations on two separate branch-lines. The scanning X-ray Microscope, served by the 'direct' branch-line, equipped with two fixed-exit monochromators and the full-field imaging transmission X-ray microscope, served by the side-branch and optimised for imaging techniques in the 3-7 keV range. Both microscopes use zone-plates as focussing lenses. This paper describes the beamline architecture and provides some figures on the current performance of the beamline

[en] Silicon nitride layers grown on Si (1 1 1) by atomic nitrogen exposure at elevated substrate temperatures have been investigated in situ by photoemission spectro-microsopy. From the X-ray photo emission spectra taken at various sample areas, the chemical composition of samples grown at 800 deg. C is found to be homogenous all over the surface, with a stoichiometry according to Si₃N₄. Due to attenuation of the photo electrons, the images also provide information about the morphology of the nitride films. For 800 deg. C, a smooth film is observed, whereas for growth temperatures exceeding 900 deg. C, an increased roughness is observed

[en] The present manuscript reports the characteristics of a novel Low Energy X-ray Fluorescence (LEXRF) system installed at the TwinMic X-ray Microscopy station operated at Elettra synchrotron (Trieste, Italy). The setup has been recently upgraded to an 8 large area Silicon Drift Detectors (SDD) system able to collect the XRF fluorescence emitted by the specimen in the 180-2200 eV energy range. The LEXRF system in an X-ray microscope has allowed combining chemical specificity of the specimen with the morphological information acquired in transmission at submicron length scales. Distinct advances of the new set-up are related to software system that has introduced new algorithms and methods.

No abstract available

[en] A variety of nanostructuring processes have been developed at the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) in order to provide optical instrumentation for beamline experiments. We present methods for the fabrication of custom elements such as sub-micron high aspect ratio tantalum slits and pinholes, a calcium fluoride test object for element mapping experiments at the Ca-K-edge, and transmission zone plates with germanium structures for the multi-keV region. Furthermore, we report on the generation of linear silicon Bragg-Fresnel Lenses (BFLs) with unprecedented dimensions. Lenses with 100 nm outermost zone width, lengths up to 10 mm and widths up to 1 mm were tested at the optics beam line of the ESRF. We measured a diffraction efficiency of 26% at a beam energy of 13.25 keV. The purpose of this contribution to the conference is to demonstrate the flexibility of the micro- and nanostructuring facilities at PSI and to encourage scientific groups at synchrotron beam lines to join future collaborations

[en] A full-field imaging or transmission X-ray microscope (TXM) working in the photon energy of 3-7 keV was built at the ID21 beamline of the ESRF and is operational since the beginning of this year. The TXM is designed to work in absorption as well as in Zernike phase contrast modes and also offers the possibility for micro-spectroscopic investigations (XAS, element mapping). In this contribution, we give a technical description and characterization of the TXM end-station and discuss its imaging performance

[en] The use of a fast-readout CCD x-ray detector in a scanning transmission x-ray microscope (STXM) allows a range of simultaneous imaging modes to be realised. The CCD records the full 2-D distribution of x-rays transmitted by the sample for every pixel in the raster scan that generates the STXM image, potentially generating large volumes of data. The data in each CCD frame can then be processed in a variety of ways to produce useful image signals, including both absorption and phase contrast. Since the detector effectively records a convergent-beam micro-diffraction pattern for every position in the STXM raster other processing algorithms can be used to provide additional information to the user.

[en] Full text: Diffractive optics play now a major role in optical systems for the X-ray region. For example, Zone plates in their different appearances are widely used for focussing X-rays, as monochromatizing condenser optics, and for high resolution imaging, particularly in X-ray microscopy. The idea this paper is based upon is to use a more general approach to solve optical problems by transforming a given light distribution or wave as input into the de- sired waveform on the output of a single X-ray optical component. In this paper we present the design, fabrication and use of novel phase diffractive optical elements (DOEs) that beside simple focusing, can perform new optical functions in the range of x-rays. Using our own code, we calculated and fabricated through e-beam and X-ray lithography high resolution DOEs that can generate a constant intensity on a plane (top hat DOE) or focus a monochromatic x-ray beam into multiple spots. The possibility to introduce a specified phase shift between the generated spots, which can increase the image contrast, is demonstrated by experimental results obtained from computer simulations and experiments performed between 3 and 7.2 KeV in both full-field and scanning x-ray microscopy at the ID21 beamline of the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF). In figures are reported our mostly recent results that shows the combination of differential interference contrast (DIC) topography and fluorescence measurements on a biological sample (liver cells)

[en] Zone plates with high spatial resolution and high diffraction efficiency are required as objectives for X-ray microscopes. In the energy region of 2-8 keV gold is a well suited material for highly efficient zone plates. In this work a process for Ni zone plates is extended for the fabrication of sub-100 nm gold zone structures. This tri-level process is based on pattern generation with electron beam lithography followed by dry etching to transfer the zone pattern into a highly cross-linked polymer which serves as galvanoform. After the electrodeposition of a thin intermediate layer of Ni, the galvanoform is filled with gold by electroplating. With this process zone plates with outermost zone widths of 70 nm and zone heights of about 500 nm, yielding a first-order diffraction efficiency of 10% at a photon energy of 4.1 keV, were manufactured