Nanofabrication and characterization of a grating-based condenser for uniform illumination with hard X-rays

In the development of full-field transmission X-ray microscopy for basic study in science and technology, a condenser capable of providing intense illumination with high uniformity and stability on tested specimens in order to achieve high-quality images is essential. The latest design of a square-shaped condenser based on diffractive gratings has demonstrated promising uniformity in illumination. This paper describes in more detail the development of such a beam shaper for hard X-rays at 10 keV with regard to its design, manufacture and optical characterization. The effect of the grating profile on the diffracted intensity has been theoretically predicted by numerical simulation using the finite-difference time-domain method. Based on this, the limitations of the grating-based condenser are discussed.