Making difficult inspection possible

The improved FXE-190 Nano CT rapidly detects the smallest defects across a wide range of lab applications. As samples continue to shrink in size, X-ray inspection becomes increasingly crucial for detecting microscopic defects – from materials science and failure analysis of electronics to medical and biological samples. Speed is equally essential: acquiring high-quality data quickly allows users to spend more time analyzing and producing actionable insights, optimizing the overall workflow. This calls for a stable beam and high-power X-ray output at high resolution.

Increased resolution

We have increased the FXE-190 Nano CT module’s ultimate resolving power, making it capable of achieving 0.45 µm resolution when using the high-resolution target (HRP target). Figure 1 shows a standard mask sample with clearly resolved 0.45 µm structures. Not only are the vertical and horizontal features simultaneously resolved, but fine defects on the mask are also visible – particularly in the lower right corner.

Achieving such high resolution also requires an optimized imaging chain, including the right choices in optical magnification and detector properties. The integrator is responsible for this.

Increased power

The improved FXE-190 Nano CT can now operate at higher power, fully utilizing our high-power target (HPT) design. In addition, the maximum power density for each focusing mode has increased.

Higher X-ray flux enables faster inspection through higher incident power on the target. Target power has doubled, now reaching up to 30 W.

Figure 2 summarizes the performance, focusing on resolutions below 5 µm. The graph’s spread reflects how resolution depends on accelerating voltage. The best resolutions are found between 160–190 kV, marked by thick colored lines for each mode.

• In high-power mode, a resolution of 2 µm can be reached at up to 15 W.
• In microfocus mode, a sub-micron resolution of 0.9 µm is achievable at up to 10 W.
• In nanofocus mode, 0.6 µm is possible with up to 1.6 W using the HPT.
• With the HRP target, the ultimate resolution of 0.45 µm is achieved at up to 1.4 W.
• The maximum target power available for each mode can be increased with a correspondingly defocused beam.

Increased stability

The FXE-190’s internal cooling ensures exceptional focal spot stability. A stable focal spot is critical for long-duration, high-resolution imaging, and detailed 3D tomography.

Figure 3 shows data collected after powering the module from cold. The total focal spot shift over 90 minutes remains under 5 µm, with just 1 µm drift between 60 and 90 minutes. Compared to an externally cooled module (FXE-160.50-CT), this shows more than 50% improvement in long-term stability.

This internal stability means the module is ready for precision imaging almost immediately after start-up.