High-resolution compact X-ray microscopy

We demonstrate compact full-field soft X-ray transmission microscopy with sub 60-nm resolution operating at lambda= 2.48 nm. The microscope is based on a 100-Hz regenerative liquid-nitrogen-jet laser-plasma source in combination with a condenser zone plate and a micro-zone plate objective for high-resolution imaging onto a 2048 x 2048 pixel CCD detector. The sample holder is mounted in a helium atmosphere and allows imaging of both dry and wet specimens. The microscope design enables fast sample switching and the sample can be pre-aligned using a visible-light microscope. High-quality images can be acquired with exposure times of less than 5 min. We demonstrate the performance of the microscope using both dry and wet samples.