INSTRUMENTATION DEVELOPMENTS IN SCANNING SOFT-X-RAY MICROSCOPY AT THE NSLS

The Scanning Transmission Soft X-ray Microscope at the NSLS has been instrumented for the following new forms of imaging: (1) XANES microscopy for the mapping of chemical constituents and for absorption spectroscopy of small specimen areas; (2) luminescence microscopy for locating visible light emitting labels at the resolution determined by the size of the x-ray microprobe; and (3) dichroism microscopy for mapping the alignment of molecules whose absorption spectra are polarization dependent. Since the instrument is used mostly for the imaging of biological and other radiation sensitive materials, a cryostage is being planned to accommodate frozen hydrated specimens. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.