X-ray Microscopy
at Stony Brook

1. Why Soft X-ray Microscopy
2. The Scanning Transmission X-ray Microscope
3. X-ray Lenses: Fresnel Zone Plates
4. Example: Biological Applications
5. Example: Environmental Sciences and Cluster Analysis
6. Soft X-ray Diffration and Holography
7. Acknowledgements

Why Soft X-ray Microscopy

Soft X-rays have a photon energy of 100-1000 eV, or a wavelength of about 1-10 nm. The wavelength gives the potential for high-spatial resolution imaging. The photon energy is well matched to the inner-shell electron binding energy in low-Z elements. This provides very good intrinsic contrast between organic material and water in the "water window" between the K edges of carbon and oxygen, and good penetration in micrometer-thick specimens.

Penetration distance of electrons vs. X-rays: Between the Carbon and Oxygen absorption edges at 284 and 543 eV, X-rays provide very good contrast between protein and water and therefore for organic materials in their natural environment.

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