Tabletop Soft X-Ray Microscope

Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of a soft-x-ray microscope and recording medium that willmagnitude improvements in size, weight, cost, simplicity, and ease of use over conventional x-ray miaims of our Phase I research are (1) to build and test a working breadboard of a high-resolution tabmicroscope; and (2) to produce a conceptual design of a Phase II prototype that will show the meritcommercial production. The improvements are expected based on innovations in soft-x-ray sources andphotosensitive media. The soft-x-ray source, a compact electron diode with properly chosen anode matcopious line emission in the water window. The x-ray recording medium combines high photosensitivityresolution of grainless photoresists. The result should be a novel compact, low-cost tool for biomedshould make practical for the first time the widespread commercial availability of the unique capabimicroscopes: high-contrast, high-resolution imaging of wet biological specimens with minimal preparamap precisely minute distributions of chemical elements within specimens.