Patent ID: 9570265
Date: 2017-02-14
CPC Classifications: G01N,G21K,H01J

Claim:
1. An x-ray fluorescence system comprising: an x-ray illumination system comprising an x-ray source; a mount to hold an object to be examined; a means for moving the mount; and an x-ray detector; in which the x-ray source additionally comprises: a vacuum chamber; a window transparent to x-rays attached to the wall of the vacuum chamber; and, within the vacuum chamber: at least one electron beam emitter, and an anode target comprising: the plurality of discrete structures comprising: in which at least two of the plurality of discrete structures are arranged on an axis; in which the axis is parallel to the first planar surface of the substrate; in which the axis passes through the first window; a means of directing electrons emitted by the at least one electron beam emitter onto the at least two arranged discrete structures such that x-rays are generated from each of the at least two arranged discrete structures; in which at least a portion of the generated x-rays propagating on the axis from each of the two arranged discrete structures is transmitted through the window; and said system further comprising: an optical train having an optical axis positioned to correspond to the axis on which the at least two discrete structures are arranged; in which the optical train is further positioned to collect x-rays generated by the anode target and produce an x-ray beam with predetermined beam properties; and in which the x-ray optical train comprises reflective elements positioned to reflect x-rays generated by the x-ray source and focus a portion of the reflected x-rays to a predetermined location; and in which the means of moving the mount comprises translation and rotation controls so that the position of the object to be examined can be adjusted to coincide with the predetermined location where the portion of the x-rays are focused; and in which the detector is positioned to collect fluorescence emitted by the object when illuminated by the focused x-rays and generate corresponding electronic signals.