System and method for computed laminography x-ray fluorescence imaging
AssigneeSigray, Inc.
InventorsWenbing Yun, Sylvia Jia Yun Lewis, Janos Kirz, Benjamin Donald Stripe
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Abstract
A system and a method use x-ray fluorescence to analyze a specimen by illuminating a specimen with an incident x-ray beam having a near-grazing incident angle relative to a surface of the specimen and while the specimen has different rotational orientations relative to the incident x-ray beam. Fluorescence x-rays generated by the specimen in response to the incident x-ray beam are collected while the specimen has the different rotational orientations.
Claims22
A method for using x-ray fluorescence to analyze a specimen, the method comprising:
- illuminating a specimen with an incident x-ray beam while the specimen has a first rotational orientation relative to the incident x-ray beam, the incident x-ray beam having a near-grazing incident angle relative to a surface of the specimen, the near-grazing incident angle in a range of 1 degree to 15 degrees relative to the surface of the specimen;
- collecting fluorescence x-rays generated by the specimen in response to the incident x-ray beam while the specimen has the first rotational orientation;
- rotating the specimen about a direction substantially perpendicular to the surface of the specimen such that the specimen has a second rotational orientation relative to the incident x-ray beam, the second rotational orientation different from the first rotational orientation by a rotation angle;
- illuminating the specimen with the incident x-ray beam while the specimen has the second rotational orientation;
- and
- collecting fluorescence x-rays generated by the specimen in response to the incident x-ray beam while the specimen has the second rotational orientation.
A system for x-ray fluorescence analysis of a specimen, the system comprising:
- an x-ray source configured to generate x-rays;
- an x-ray optical subsystem configured to receive the x-rays from the x-ray source and to direct at least some of the received x-rays as an x-ray beam to illuminate a specimen, the x-ray beam having a near-grazing incident angle relative to a surface of the specimen, the near-grazing incident angle is in a range of 1 degree to 15 degrees relative to the surface of the specimen;
- a specimen stage configured to support the specimen and to move the specimen in a plane parallel to the surface of the specimen and to rotate the specimen around a direction perpendicular to the surface of the specimen;
- and
- at least one energy-discriminating detector configured to measure at least some fluorescence x-rays emitted from the surface of the specimen in response to the x-ray beam.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.