Refractive optics based x-ray reflecto-interferometry

A new X-ray Reflecto-Interferometry (XRI) technique is proposed and realized for thin-film characterization. The XRI employs refractive optics that produce a converging fan of radiation, incident onto a sample surface, and a high-resolution CCD detector, which simultaneously collects the reflecto-interferogram over a wide angular range. The functional capabilities of the new method were experimentally tested at the ESRF ID06, and ID10 beamlines in the X-ray energy range from 14 keV to 22 keV. The free-standing Si3N4 membranes with different thickness were studied. The main advantages and possible future applications of the proposed reflecto-interferometry are discussed.