X-Ray Multibeam Ptychography at up to 20 keV: Nano-Lithography Enhances X-Ray Nano-Imaging

Hard X-rays are needed for non-destructive nano-imaging of solid matter. Synchrotron radiation facilities (SRF) provide the highest-quality images with single-digit nm resolution using advanced techniques such as X-ray ptychography. However, the resolution or field of view is ultimately constrained by the available coherent flux. To address this, the beam's incoherent fraction can be exploited using multiple parallel beams in an X-ray multibeam ptychography (MBP) approach. This expands the domain of X-ray ptychography to larger samples or more rapid measurements. Both qualities favor the study of complex composite or functional samples, such as catalysts, energy materials, or electronic devices. The challenge of performing ptychography at high energy and with many parallel beams must be overcome to extract the full advantages for extended samples while minimizing beam attenuation. Here, that challenge is overcome by creating a lens array using cutting-edge laser printing technology and applying it to perform scanning with MBP with up to 12 beams and at photon energies of 13 and 20 keV. This exceeds the measurement limits of conventional hard X-ray ptychography without compromising image quality for various samples: Siemens star test pattern, Ni/Al₂O₃ catalyst, microchip, and gold nano-crystal clusters.