Exploiting commercial micro X-ray fluorescence systems for stereoscopic soft X-ray imaging

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Imaging Techniques

Background:

• Commercial micro X-ray fluorescence (μXRF) systems often have beam misalignment, hindering spatial correlation.
• This misalignment is usually seen as a disadvantage, limiting elemental information accuracy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate 3D configuration estimation of metals and voids in polymethyl methacrylate using commercial μXRF.
• To explore enhancing μXRF mapping techniques for non-destructive 3D chemical analysis.

Main Methods:

• Utilized unmodified commercial μXRF equipment for quantitative reconstruction.
• Leveraged X-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Compton scattering effects.
• Examined beam divergence impact on deeper object acutance.

Main Results:

• Successfully reconstructed size, position, and depth of embedded tungsten, copper, and silver objects.
• Depth estimation bias ranged from 4% to 15% for depths up to 24 mm.
• Size estimation bias was below 3.2%.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated that μXRF beam inclination-induced misalignment can be used for 3D imaging.
• Validated a robust methodology applicable to various samples with minimal μXRF system modifications.
• Established a foundation for advancing μXRF mapping and interpretation for broader scientific applications.