Affiliations: Center for X-Ray Optics, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA. | Applied Science & Technology Graduate Group,
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA. | Center for X-Ray Optics, E.O. Lawrence Berkeley
National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, USA.
Note: [] Corresponding author: John M. Heck, Center for X-Ray Optics,
E.O. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1385 Shattuck Ave. #III, Berkeley,
CA 94709, USA. Tel.: +1 510 649 1284; E-mail:
[email protected].
Abstract: Determining the resolution of a zone plate X-ray microscope is a
complicated issue, depending on many factors in addition to the quality of the
optic. These include the degree of coherence of the illumination, the
illumination spectrum, and the nature of the resolution test object. In this
paper, we examine closely how the degree of coherence of the illumination
affects the resolution as measured with three typical test patterns. In
addition, we determine the extent to which the illumination spectrum affects
the resolution. We compare X-ray microscope test images to numerical
simulations as a function of coherence and illumination spectrum. We are able
to conclude that in these experiments, the resolution of the X-ray microscope
is 41 nm, or 40% discrepancy is due to aberrations in the objective zone plate
lens.
