RESEARCH ON NOVEL SOFT X-RAY DETECTORS DERIVED ROM IONOMET'SEXPERIENCE IN LITHOGRAPHY AND PARTICLE DETECTION ARE HEREIN PROPOSED IN ANSWER TO THE EMPHATIC NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE DETECTIVITY AND SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO OF AVAILABLE SOFT

RESEARCH ON NOVEL SOFT X-RAY DETECTORS DERIVED ROM IONOMET'SEXPERIENCE IN LITHOGRAPHY AND PARTICLE DETECTION ARE HEREIN PROPOSED IN ANSWER TO THE EMPHATIC NEED FOR SIGNIFICANT GAINS IN THE DETECTIVITY AND SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO OF AVAILABLE SOFT X-RAY-SENSITIVE MATERIALS. IMPROVED INSIGHT (OVER THE ELECTRON MICROSCOPE) INTO LIVING AND MANMADE MICROSTRUCTURES IS IMPLICIT DUE TO THE SELECTIVE HIGH ABSORPTION OF SOFT X-RAY PHOTONS IN MATTER. THE MERITS OF TWO PROMISING RADIATION-SENSITIVE MATERIALS CONCEPTS WILL BE EVALUATED IN ANSWER TO A VARIETY OF SOFT X-RAY APPLICATIONS: 1) INNOVATIONS WITH GRAINLESS INORGANIC PHOTORESISTS AS A LARGE IMPROVEMENT IN SPEED OVER THE CURRENT VERY SLOW PMMA DETECTOR. 2) ADAPTATIONS OF GEL-FREE SILVER HALIDE EVAPORATED THIN FILMS OF VERY HIGH SOFT X-RAY SENSITIVITY AND, POTENTIALLY, VERY FINE GRANULARITY.