First Indirect X-Ray Imaging Tests With An 88-mm Diameter Single Crystal

Using the 1-BM-C beamline at the Advanced Photon Source (APS), we have performed the initial indirect x-ray imaging point-spread-function (PSF) test of a unique 88-mm diameter YAG:Ce single crystal of only 100-micron thickness. The crystal was bonded to a fiber optic plate (FOP) for mechanical support and to allow the option for FO coupling to a large format camera. This configuration resolution was compared to that of self-supported 25-mm diameter crystals, with and without an Al reflective coating. An upstream monochromator was used to select 17-keV x-rays from the broadband APS bending magnet source of synchrotron radiation. The upstream, adjustable Mo collimators were then used to provide a series of x-ray source transverse sizes from 200 microns down to about 15-20 microns (FWHM) at the crystal surface. The emitted scintillator radiation was in this case lens coupled to the ANDOR Neo sCMOS camera, and the indirect x-ray images were processed offline by a MATLAB-based image processing program. Based on single Gaussian peak fits to the x-ray image projected profiles, we observed a 10.5 micron PSF. This sample thus exhibited superior spatial resolution to standard P43 polycrystalline phosphors of the same thickness which would have about a 100-micron PSF. This single crystal resolution combined with the 88-mm diameter makes it a candidate to support future x-ray diffraction or wafer topography experiments.