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A vacuum‐compatible wet‐specimen chamber for compact X‐ray microscopy
Author(s) -
STOLLBERG H.,
POKORNY M.,
HERTZ H. M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of microscopy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.569
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1365-2818
pISSN - 0022-2720
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2818.2007.01754.x
Subject(s) - vacuum chamber , materials science , microscopy , x ray , microscope , optical microscope , ultra high vacuum , composite material , optics , nanotechnology , scanning electron microscope , physics
Summary Soft X‐ray microscopy is a powerful tool for investigations of, for example, polymers or soils in their natural liquid environment. This requires a wet‐specimen chamber. Compact X‐ray microscopy allows the horizontal mounting of such samples, thereby reducing the influence of gravitational forces. We have developed a wet‐specimen chamber for such compact X‐ray microscope. The chamber is vacuum compatible, which reduces the exposure time. The vacuum sealing is achieved by a combination of mechanical sealing and sealing by bio‐compatible glue. With the wet‐specimen chamber the specimens can be kept in an aqueous environment in a vacuum of 10 −4 mbar for several hours. Imaging of lipid droplets in water demonstrates the function of the wet‐specimen chamber.