Micro X-ray fluorescence imaging without scans: toward an element-selective movie.

Micro X-ray fluorescence imaging is a promising method for obtaining positional distribution on specific elements in a nondestructive manner. So far, the technique has usually been performed by a 2D positional scan of a sample against a collimated beam. However, the total measuring time can become quite long, since a number of scanning points are needed in order to obtain a high-quality image. The present report discusses a completely different way of performing imaging of elements much more quickly. A combination of grazing-incidence geometry using a rather wide beam and parallel optics for detecting X-rays can produce an X-ray fluorescence image with approximately 1 M pixels and with approximately 20-microm resolution in 1-2 min or less. The technique has the potential to open up new frontiers in X-ray imaging, particularly in element-selective movie applications.