Soft X-ray dark-field imaging microscope with Wolter-type grazing-incidence mirrors

A soft X-ray dark-field imaging microscope with Wolter-type mirrors was constructed on a laboratory scale. An annular aperture stop was used to cut off the direct beam, which satisfied the dark-field condition. The image is formed only with scattered X-rays from the object. It provides not only absorption but also phase shift information with high contrast. In the dark field, fine particles and defects of the sample that had not been seen in the bright-field image, could be observed. The image formation was analyzed by computer simulation. The dark-field images of organic specimens were also observed and compared with the bright-field images.