Patent · US Expired

Optical alignment of X-ray microanalyzers

US7023954B2 · kind B2 · utility

14Cited by
24References
12Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateSep 29, 2003
Grant dateApr 4, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateSep 29, 2023

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N23/22
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A method for X-ray analysis of a sample includes aligning an optical radiation source with an X-ray excitation source, so that a spot on the sample that is irradiated by an X-ray beam generated by the X-ray excitation source is illuminated with optical radiation generated by the optical radiation source. Optical radiation that is reflected from the sample is used to generate a first signal, which is indicative of an alignment of the spot on the sample. The X-ray beam is aligned, responsively to the first signal, so that the spot coincides with a target area of the sample. X-ray photons received from the spot on the sample, after aligning the X-ray beam, are used in generating a second signal that is indicative of a characteristic of the target area.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.