The development of high brilliance X-ray sources coupled with advances in manufacturing technologies of focusing optics has led to significant improvements in submicrometer probes for spectroscopy, diffraction and imaging applications. For instance, X-ray microscopy in the 1–10 keV energy range is better-suited for analyzing trace elements in fluorescence yield. This article will be biased towards submicron fluorescence microscopy developed on the ID21 beamline at the ESRF. The main technical developments, involving new focusing lenses or novel phase contrast method, are presented. Strengths and weaknesses of X-ray microscopy and spectromicroscopy techniques are discussed and illustrated by examples in biology, materials science and geology.
A microscope using Zernike’s phase contrast method and a hard x-ray Gabor hologram