Nanoscale zoom tomography with hard x rays using Kirkpatrick-Baez optics

R. Mokso (1) , P. Cloetens (2) , Eric Maire (3) , Wolfgang Ludwig (3) , Jean-Yves Buffiere (3)

1 PSI - Paul Scherrer Institute
2 ESRF - European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
3 MATEIS - Matériaux, ingénierie et science [Villeurbanne]

To overcome the limitations in terms of spatial resolution and field of view of existing tomography techniques, a hard x-ray projection microscope is realized based on the sub- 100-nm focus produced by Kirkpatrick-Baez optics. The sample is set at a small distance downstream of the focus and Fresnel diffraction patterns with variable magnification are recorded on a medium-resolution detector. While the approach requires a specific phase retrieval procedure and correction for mirror imperfections, it allows zooming nondestructively into bulky samples. Quantitative three-dimensional nanoscale microscopy is demonstrated on an aluminum alloy in local tomography mode.

Domaines: Matériaux

R. Mokso, P. Cloetens, Eric Maire, Wolfgang Ludwig, Jean-Yves Buffiere. Nanoscale zoom tomography with hard x rays using Kirkpatrick-Baez optics. Applied Physics Letters, 2007, 90 (14), pp.1-3. ⟨10.1063/1.2719653⟩. ⟨hal-00434198⟩