Combined microscope for scanning X-ray transmission and surface topography

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Microscopy Techniques
• Surface Science

Background:

• Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscopy (STXM) provides elemental and chemical state information.
• Surface topography is crucial for understanding material behavior and imaging interpretation.
• Existing methods may lack the resolution or simultaneous imaging capabilities required for complex samples.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and demonstrate a novel STXM system integrated with Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM).
• To enable simultaneous X-ray imaging and surface topography mapping of diverse samples.
• To improve the interpretation of STXM data by correlating it with detailed surface morphology.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a scanning transmission X-ray microscope (STXM) coupled with an atomic force microscope (AFM).
• Employed a "specimen hopping" technique with the AFM tip to sense surface topography.
• Conducted experiments using 3 keV photons with initial zone plate resolution around 100 nm.

Main Results:

• Achieved simultaneous X-ray imaging and surface topography measurements on various specimens.
• Demonstrated topographic measurement with approximately 10 nm thickness resolution, with potential for 1 nm.
• Showcased improved specimen understanding through combined STXM and AFM topographic imaging.

Conclusions:

• The integrated STXM-AFM system offers significant advantages for materials analysis.
• This technique is valuable for studying radiation damage and dynamic processes like corrosion.
• Future work aims to enhance spatial resolution to below 20 nm for lower energy photons.