Microfocal x-ray source

The high brightness of the microfocal x-ray source enables the microtomography system to operate in two basic modes. These two modes are distinguished by whether the beam is collimated or not and lead to different data acquisition procedures. Also, with the installation of a monochromator, it is possible to perform phase contrast imaging that has a greater sensitivity to density variation than conventional contrast imaging. 

X-ray CT with commercial CT equipment or synchrotron radiation (70) is increasingly used in research and development, and industrial use is incipient. X-ray micro-CT yields spatial resolution of around 10-20 /um for microfocal (76) and down to 1-2 /um for synchrotron X-ray sources (88). These resolutions require small test objects, around a few cubic decimeters in the microfocal and a few cubic centimeters in the synchrotron X-ray source. 

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