Prospects of x-ray microscopy and x-ray microtomography for interface studies

Microfocal x-ray projection microscopy allows the non-destructive investigation of thick specimens with a lateral resolution in the micrometre range. The minimum detectable thickness lies below 100 nm for strongly absorbing materials. For further investigation, x-ray microtomography leads to three-dimensional reconstruction of the specimen. Some applications of x-ray microscopy are connected with the localization and imaging of solid/solid interfaces deeply buried in a matrix. In the future, solid/liquid interfaces and their motion will be of interest. The performance of x-ray microscopy is discussed and x-ray projection images obtained with a simple modified scanning electron microscope are shown. (author)