Nanofabricated structures for sub-beam resolution and spectral enhancement in tomographic imaging

US11340179B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BAE Systems Information and Electronic Systems Integration Inc. · US

Inventors

• Eugene M. Lavely · Concord, US
• Amrita V. Masurkar · Burlington, US
• Thomas Stark · Munich, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 21, 2020
• Grant date: May 24, 2022
• Expiry date: Dec 12, 2040

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2223/611
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Techniques are provided for tomographic imaging with sub-beam resolution and spectral enhancement. A system implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes a target structure comprising one or more selected materials nanopatterned on a first surface of the target structure in a selected arrangement. The system also includes a primary particle beam source to provide a particle beam incident on an area of the first surface of the target structure, the area encompassing one or more of the nanopatterned materials, such that the materials generate characteristic X-rays in response to the primary beam. The system further includes a spectral energy detector (SED) to perform individual photon counting and spectral analysis of the characteristic X-rays and estimate attenuation properties of the imaged sample. The sample is positioned both adjacent to a second surface of the target structure, opposite the first surface, and between the target structure and the SED.