AN X-RAY GUIDE TUBE AND A DESK-TOP SCANNING-X-RAY ANALYTICAL MICROSCOPE

A fine x-ray beam, less than 10 mu m in diameter, mas produced using a small x-pay tube and an x-ray guide tube (XGT) with a parabolic inner contour, The beam was directed vertically on to the sample, which p-F as mounted on an x-y scanning stage. The transmitted x-rays mere measu red with an NaI(TI) scintillation detector and the fluorescent, back-s cattered and diffracted x-rays were simultaneously detected by an hp-S i detector, The scanning images of transmitted, fluorescent and other x-rags mere obtained by accumulating the defected signals, A scanning image of the lower layer of a four-layer, printed-circuit board was ob tained by subtracting the fluorescent x-hag image from the x-ray trans mitted image. Using diffracted x-rays, distribution images of crystal grains could be made, The method far fabricating the XGT is described and examples of applications of a desk-top scanning x-rag analytical m icroscope are shown. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.