Compact Scanning Transmission X-Ray Microscope at the Photon Factory.

We report the design and performance of a compact scanning transmission X-ray microscope developed at the Photon Factory. Piezo-driven linear stages are used as coarse stages of the microscope to realize excellent compactness, mobility, and vibrational and thermal stability. An X-ray beam with an intensity of ~10⁷ photons/s was focused to a diameter of ~40 nm at the sample. At the soft X-ray undulator beamline used with the microscope, a wide range of photon energies (250-1600 eV) is available. The microscope has been used to research energy materials and in environmental sciences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]