Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An apparatus for detecting properties of a sample, the apparatus comprising:an electron beam generator adapted to produce an electron beam and direct the electron beam at a desired point on the sample, the sample thereby emitting characteristic x-rays at takeoff angles,a diffractor adapted to receive and deflect the x-rays,means for preserving, at least in part, information indicative of the takeoff angles of the x-rays,a position sensitive detector adapted to receive the deflected x-rays and detect the information indicative of the takeoff angles of the x-rays and generate signals that are characteristic of the received x-rays, andan analyzer adapted to receive the signals from the detector and determine the properties of the sample based at least in part on the information indicative of the takeoff angles of the x-rays. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for preserving the information indicative of the takeoff angles of the x-rays comprises the diffractor having a cylindrically curved surface with an axis of curvature in a substantially horizontal plane, the diffractor adapted to receive the x-rays in a substantially vertical plane, and thereby deflect the x-rays along a substantially vertical plane, at angles that are dependent at least in part on the takeoff angles of the x-rays. 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for preserving the information indicative of the takeoff angles of the x-rays comprises:a collimator adapted to receive and parallelize the x-rays and convert the takeoff angles of the x-rays to positional differences between the parallelized x-rays,the diffractor having a flat surface to preserve at least in part the positional differences between the parallelized x-rays as they are deflected, andthe detector adapted to sense in at least one dimension and report the positional differences between the parallelized x-rays. 4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the collimator includes a plurality of spaced and nested parabolic surfaces, where each of the parabolic surfaces has a common focal point, and the focal point coincides with the desired point on the sample where the electron beam is directed, and each of the parabolic surfaces receives x-rays within a given range of takeoff angles. 5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a filter disposed between the sample and the detector, the filter adapted to substantially permit transmission of the x-rays while substantially prohibiting transmission of at least one of other energy, particles, and backscattered electrons from the sample to the detector. 6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the diffractor is one of a crystalline flat surface diffractor, a multilayer flat surface diffractor, a crystalline curved surface diffractor, a multilayer curved surface diffractor, a flat grating, and a curved grating. 7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector consists of at least one of a two dimensional array of detector elements, a charge coupled device containing a two dimensional array of pixels, a linear array of semiconductor detectors, a position sensitive proportional counter, and a multi-wire proportional counter. 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the detector also detects positions of the x-rays, and the analyzer determines the properties of the sample based at least in part on the positional differences between the x-rays, the positions of the x-rays, and a number of x-rays impinging the detector at a given x-ray position per unit time. 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the properties detected by the apparatus include elemental composition of the sample and thickness of the sample. 10. An apparatus for detecting properties of a sample, the apparatus comprising:an electron beam generator adapted to produce an electron beam and direct the electron beam at a desired point on the sample, the sample thereby emitting characteristic x-rays,a collimator adapted to receive and parallelize the x-rays and convert the takeoff angles of the x-rays to positional differences between the parallelized x-rays,a diffractor having a flat surface and adapted to receive and deflect the x-rays, while preserving, at least in part, the positional differences between the x-rays,a detector adapted to receive the x-rays from the diffractor and generate signals that are characteristic of the received x-rays, where the diffractor and the detector are mounted in a fixed relationship on a common rotatable stage that is rotatable relative to at least one of the electron beam generator, the sample, and the collimator, andan analyzer adapted to receive the signals from the detector and determine the properties of the sample based at least in part on the positional differences between the x-rays. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a filter disposed between the sample and the detector, the filter adapted to substantially permit transmission of the x-rays while substantially prohibiting transmission of at least one of other energy, particles, and backscattered electrons from the sample to the detector. 12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the collimator includes a plurality of spaced and nested parabolic surfaces, where each of the parabolic surfaces has a common focal point, and the focal point coincides with the desired point on the sample where the electron beam is directed, and each of the parabolic surfaces receives x-rays within a given range of takeoff angles. 13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the detector is a position sensitive detector consisting of at least one of a two dimensional array detector elements, a charge coupled device containing a two dimensional array of pixels, a position sensitive proportional counter, and a multi-wire proportional counter, and the detector also detects positions of the x-rays, and the analyzer determines the properties of the sample based at least in part on the positional differences between the x-rays, the positions of the x-rays, and a number of x-rays impinging the detector at a given x-ray position per unit time. 14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the properties detected by the apparatus include elemental composition of the sample and thickness of the sample. 15. An apparatus for detecting properties of a sample, the apparatus comprising:an electron beam generator adapted to produce an electron beam and direct the electron beam at a desired point on the sample, the sample thereby emitting characteristic x-rays at takeoff angles,a first curved surface diffractor adapted to receive and deflect the x-rays that are received at low takeoff angles,a second curved surface diffractor adapted to receive and deflect the x-rays that are received at high takeoff angles,a first detector adapted to receive the x-rays from the first diffractor, and generate signals that are characteristic of the received x-rays,a second detector adapted to receive the x-rays from the second diffractor, and generate signals that are characteristic of the received x-rays, andan analyzer adapted to receive the signals from the first detector and the second detector and determine the properties of the sample, based at least in part on differences between the signals received from the first detector and the second detector. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising a filter disposed between the sample and the first and second detectors, the filter adapted to substantially permit transmission of the x-rays while substantially prohibiting transmission of at least one of other energy, particles, and backscattered electrons from the sample to the first and second detectors. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first and second detectors are position sensitive detectors each consisting of at least one of a two dimensional array of detector elements, a charge coupled device containing a two dimensional array of pixels, a linear array of semiconductor detectors, a position sensitive proportional counter, and a multi-wire proportional counter, and the detectors also detects positions of the x-rays, and the analyzer determines the properties of the sample based at least in part on the positional differences between the x-rays, the positions of the x-rays, and a number of x-rays impinging the detectors at a given x-ray position per unit time. 18. An apparatus for detecting properties of a sample, the apparatus comprising:an electron beam generator adapted to produce an electron beam and direct the electron beam at a desired point on the sample, the sample thereby emitting characteristic x-rays at takeoff angles,a curved surface diffractor adapted to receive the x-rays within a desired solid angle of from about ten millisteradians to about fifty millisteradians, and deflect the x-rays,a detector adapted to receive the deflected x-rays and generate signals that are characteristic of the received x-rays, andan analyzer adapted to receive the signals from the detector and determine the properties of the sample. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the diffractor is adapted to receive the x-rays within the desired solid angle by at least one of enlarging a receiving surface area of the diffractor so as to receive the desired solid angle, and bringing the diffractor closer in proximity to the sample so as to receive the desired solid angle. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising a filter disposed between the sample and the detector, the filter adapted to substantially permit transmission of the x-rays while substantially prohibiting transmission of at least one of other energy, particles, and backscattered electrons from the sample to the detector.