High-resolution hard X-ray phase-contrast microscopy with a large-diameter and high-numerical-aperture zone plate

An imaging transmission hard X-ray microscope has been constructed at beamline BL24XU of SPring-8. It makes use of a phase zone plate made of tantalum with a diameter of 1 mm and an outer-most zone width of 50 nm, aiming at a wide field of view and a high spatial resolution. The performance test was carried out at a photon energy of 10 keV. A field of view as wide as approximately 200 microm in diameter was achieved. The spatial resolution was measured to be 220 nm by analyzing a knife-edge image. Further, a line-and-space pattern as fine as 100 nm could be imaged. By placing a phase plate made of gold in the back focal plane of the zone plate, phase-contrast microscopy using Zernike's method was also carried out. The feasibility of phase-contrast microscopy for observing transparent samples was successfully demonstrated by imaging small polystyrene particles.