X-ray contact microscopy using a plasma source generated by long and short (120ns and 10ns) excimer laser pulses
- CRE ENEA Frascati (Italy); and others
Soft X-ray contact microscopy (SXCM), using a pulsed X-ray source, offers the possibility of imaging the ultrastructure of living biological systems at sub-50nm resolution. The authors have developed a pulsed plasma X-ray source for this application, generated by the large volume XeCl laser Hercules. Various unstable optical resonator configurations were employed to achieve a high laser intensity to increase the conversion efficiency to water window X-rays (280--530 eV). Optimum plasma conditions for SXCM are discussed, including the effect of pulse duration on image resolution. Soft X-ray contact images of Chlamydomonas dysosmos (unicellular alga) and the cyanobacteria Leptolyngbya are shown. In addition, the potential of producing a movie film of the development of X-ray images within the photoresist (acting as the recording medium) is discussed, following the resist development while viewing by atomic force microscopy.
- OSTI ID:
- 379743
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9507222--; ISBN 0-8194-1882-X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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