X-ray phase contrast tomography with a bending magnet source

X-ray radiography and x-ray tomography are important tools for noninvasive characterization of materials. Historically, the contrast mechanism used with these techniques has been absorption. However, for any given sample there are x-ray energies for which absorption contrast is poor. Alternatively, when good contrast can be obtained, radiation damage from an excessive dose may become an issue. Consequently, phase-contrast methods have in recent years been implemented at both synchrotron and laboratory facilities. A range of radiographic and tomographic demonstrations have now been made, typically utilizing the coherent flux from an insertion device at a synchrotron or a microfocus laboratory source. In this paper we demonstrate that useful results may be obtained using a bending magnet source at a synchrotron. In particular we show that the same beamline can be used to make and characterize a sample made by x-ray lithographic methods. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.