What is XRM?3

D X-ray microscope (XRM) is a sub-micron resolution three-dimensional tomography device for applications in materials, petroleum geology, soft materials (life sciences) and electronics laboratories. archeology, life science has a design similar to a Synchrotron with many lenses for resolution at various levels. Sigray has pioneered the application of X-ray synchrotron technology in the laboratory on many devices other than XRM such as microXRF synchotron fluorescence spectroscopy with super sensitive, super-resolution high, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, XAS ...

Application
The main application of XRM is used for high resolution 3D structural characterization of materials such as core sample analysis in petroleum, physics, fossils, archaeology, engineering physics, advanced materials, soft materials (polymers, biological tissues, biological materials), materials, electronic components.

Sample size
Due to the wide range of applications, the sample size and volume of XRM can range from less than mm to several tens of centimeters in diameter. XRM devices often have sample pedestals suitable for mechanical components, test samples, environmental chambers, kinetic sample chambers, permeation, even with sample weights up to 15 kg or more. glass up to 200 mm.

Lens in XRM
XRMs typically use an array of lenses with auto-plates that enable multi-level tomography with a variety of microfields and resolutions. The system can produce 3D images with a minimum resolution of 2Kx2Kx2k voxels, 16 bits, with each voxel pixel size < 300 nm or less.

Spatial resolution
The spatial resolution of XRMs is typically below microns (<0.8 microns) or nanometers in size. That's why the device is sometimes called micro-CT or nano-CT. . For some studies, it is possible to achieve high resolution with relatively large sample sizes and at long working distances. Under in-situ testing conditions, where working distances can be up to 100 mm, the supplier must demonstrate and guarantee a spatial resolution of better than 2.5 microns (MTF 10%) on reference materials

Contrast and phase contrast:
For low-sensitivity (Z) materials, such as polymers and multiphase mineral grains, life science samples, the resulting images require high contrast and phase contrast. The system's high-contrast imaging capable power spectral array receivers, then, must not only be able to capture high-resolution images, but also have good phase contrast, especially on samples. such as fossils or soft materials such as biological materials.

Software
The software in the XRM device is very important. The image segmentation, visualization, and analysis software must be powerful and advanced enough to reconstruct the 3D structure of the sample. In addition, the accuracy in measurement by software is also required to ensure that the obtained 3-D images most accurately reflect the characteristics of the research sample.

X-Rays in XRM:
XRM systems typically use a horizontal X-ray beam, i.e. samples are imaged rotating around a vertical axis while tomography on an anti-vibration granite specimen base. Today, modern XRM equipment is increasingly developed, so the setting of the X-ray beam angle, combined with the rotation angle of the sample, continuously creates new inventions to achieve the optimal resolution for 3D images.

Sample positioning and rotation
Samples are typically positioned and manipulated with high precision with a minimum of 4 axes of displacement (x, y, z, theta) and are externally controlled by a computer. Transmitter and receiver mounted on a separate stand automatically adapts large, fixed samples to optimize resolution and contrast. Sample-source and sample-receiver displacement distances can reach > 250 mm to achieve optimal contrast in phase contrast techniques. For tomography scanning, the sample rack rotates 360 degrees, with step-by-step angle selection.

X-ray source
XRM uses about 150 kV source with open slit for small beam size < 5 micron. Spot/beam size is not a limiting factor for spatial resolution.

Detectors
XRM captures images with a minimum image size of 2K x 2K, 16 bits. The image size and extracted spatial resolution are not limited by the beam size. The minimum pixel size for the receiver is < 1 micron. XRM has a multipoint function that allows automatic tomography of selected and non-selected areas.

Data processing station
XRM usually comes with a large and super powerful data processing station. It's a Workstation that comes with microprocessor and graphics hardware enhancement for fast tomography reconstruction. Gigabit network connectivity is provided for remote diagnostics and system control. The more networked the image, the faster the reconstruction time of the three-dimensional structure, usually for a 1Kx1Kx1K image is <3 minutes. The required original file format output data is raw or standard (jpg, tiff, bmp etc.).