Capillary optics and their use in x-ray analysis

The use of polycapillary lenses in x-ray microanalysis and x-ray diffractom etry is considered, Lenses with focal spot diameters from 0.5-1 mm down to 5-10 mu m ensure an increased flux on the sample under investigation by 2-3 orders of magnitude. The combination of a standard microfocus x-ray tube o f 50-100 W power with such a lens permits fluxes to be obtained comparable to those at workstations for microanalysis attached to a synchrotron, The u se of polycapillary lenses requires specialized x-ray tubes. A new type of tube for obtaining a high photon flux with low divergence has been develope d. The possibility of realizing new high-efficiency portable x-ray spectrom eters and diffractometers based on polycapillary optics is considered. Copy right (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.