Target for a radiation source, radiation source for generating invasive electromagnetic radiation, method of operating a radiation source, and method for producing a target for a radiation source

A radiation source for generating invasive electromagnetic radiation in the form of X-ray radiation, the radiation source comprising:

• a target having a substrate arrangement and at least one target element;
• said at least one target element including a material which is configured to generate the invasive electromagnetic radiation upon irradiation with particles;
• said at least one target element being coupled to said substrate arrangement for conducting heat from said at least one target element;
• said at least one target element having a peripheral surface forming a first part of an outer surface of said at least one target element;
• said outer surface of said at least one target element being additionally formed by a side surface of said at least one target element;
• wherein an extent of the side surface defines a thickness (D) of said at least one target element;
• said side surface defining a peripheral line;
• said peripheral line forming an edge line of said peripheral surface;
• wherein the target has an end face, as part of which said side surface of said at least one target element is arranged in an exposed manner for irradiation with the particles;
• said substrate arrangement being in contact with said peripheral surface;
• said at least one target element being embodied in a layerlike manner;
• said at least one target element having a greater width (B) in comparison with said thickness (D);
• said peripheral line having a total length defined by said thickness (D) and by said width (B);
• said substrate arrangement being in contact with said peripheral surface at sides thereof which are opposite one another in a direction of said thickness (D);
• said thickness (D) of said at least one target element, embodied in a layerlike manner, increasing at said side surface with increasing extent in a direction of the width (B);
• a particle beam source configured to radiate a particle beam onto said target;
• and
• a positioning device configured to orient said target and said particle beam relative to one another in a variable manner, such that a surface region of the target onto which the particle beam is directed is variable.

A method of operating a radiation source, wherein the radiation source is a radiation source for generating invasive electromagnetic radiation in the form of X-ray radiation and includes a target having at least one target element which is configured to generate invasive electromagnetic radiation upon irradiation with particles and which is coupled to a substrate arrangement for dissipating heat from the target element, wherein the target element has a peripheral surface forming a first part of an outer surface of the target element, wherein the outer surface of the target element is additionally formed by a side surface of the target element, wherein an extent of the side surface defines a thickness (D;

• D1, D2, D3) of the target element, wherein a peripheral line of the side surface forms a marginal line of the peripheral surface, wherein the target has an end face, as part of which the side surface of the target element is arranged in an exposed manner for irradiation with the particles, and wherein the substrate arrangement is in contact with the peripheral surface, wherein the at least one target element is embodied in a layerlike manner, the at least one target element has a greater width (B) in comparison with the thickness (D), the peripheral line has a total length defined by the thickness (D) and by the width (B), the substrate arrangement is in contact with the peripheral surface at sides thereof which are opposite one another in a direction of the thickness (D);
• and, the thickness (D) of the at least one target element, embodied in a layerlike manner, increases at said side surface with increasing extent in a direction of the width (B), the radiation source including a particle beam source configured to radiate a particle beam onto the target and a positioning device configured to orient the target and the particle beam relative to one another in a variable manner such that a surface region of the target onto which the particle beam is directed is variable, the method comprising the steps of:
• directing a particle beam onto a first surface region of an end face of the target;
• and,
• varying a relative orientation of the target and the particle beam in such a way that the particle beam is directed onto a second surface region of the end face of the target;
• wherein the first surface region of the end face and the second surface region of the end face have regions, having different thicknesses, of exposed side surfaces of one or more target elements of the target.

A method for producing a target for a radiation source of invasive electromagnetic radiation in the form of X-ray radiation, comprising:

• providing at least one target element which includes a material which is configured to generate the invasive electromagnetic radiation upon irradiation with particles, wherein the target element has a peripheral surface forming a first part of an outer surface of the target element;
• bringing the peripheral surface into contact with a substrate arrangement for dissipating heat from the target element, wherein the outer surface of the target element is additionally formed by a side surface of the target element, wherein an extent of the side surface defines a thickness (D) of the target element, and wherein a peripheral line of the side surface forms a marginal line (R) of the peripheral surface,
• arranging the side surface of the target element in an exposed manner for irradiation with the particles and wherein the side surface forms a part of an end face of the target;
• wherein the target element is embodied in a layerlike manner, such that it has a larger width (B) in comparison with the thickness (D);
• wherein a total length of the peripheral line is defined by the thickness (D) and by the width (B), wherein the substrate arrangement is in contact with the peripheral surface at sides thereof which are opposite one another in the direction of the thickness (D);
• and,
• wherein the thickness (D) of the layerlike target element increases at the side surface with increasing extent in the direction of the width (B).