Towards Sub-10 nm Spatial Resolution by Tender X-ray Ptychographic Coherent Diffraction Imaging

Abstract As the first experiment at BL10U in NanoTerasu, tender X-ray ptychographic coherent diffraction imaging (PCDI) was conducted using a photon energy of 3.5 keV. The ptychographic diffraction patterns from a 200 nm-thick Ta test chart and a micrometer-sized particle of sulfurized polymer were collected. Subsequently, phase images were reconstructed with resolutions of sub-20 nm and sub-50 nm, respectively. In the near future, tender X-ray PCDI with sub-10 nm resolution is anticipated that can potentially revolutionize the visualization of nanoscale structures and chemical states in various functional materials composed of light elements.