Moxtek, Inc.

Brigham Young University

Jonathan Abbott

Jared Sommer

Robert C Davis

Richard Vanfleet

Steven D Liddiard

Lei Pei

Mallorie Harker

Kevin Black

An x-ray window can include an adhesive layer sandwiched between and providing a hermetic seal between a thin film and a housing. The adhesive layer can include liquid crystal polymer. The liquid crystal polymer can be opaque, gas-tight, made of low atomic number elements, able to withstand high temperature, low outgassing, low leakage, able to relieve stress in the x-ray window thin film, capable of bonding to many different materials, or combinations thereof.

Liquid crystal polymer for mounting an x-ray window

An x-ray window can include a boron-filmand an aluminum-filmspanning an apertureof a support-frame. The boron-filmand the aluminum-filmcan be the only films, or the primary films, spanning the aperture. The boron-filmcan include boron and hydrogen. An annular-filmcan adjoin the support-frame, on an opposite side of the support-framefrom the boron-film. The annular-filmcan include boron and hydrogen. The annular-filmcan have the same material composition as, and can be similar in thickness with, the boron-film

Boron x-ray window

Liquid crystal polymer for mounting x-ray window

An x-ray window can include a thin film that comprises boron. The thin film can be relatively thin, such as for example &#x2264;200 nm. This x-ray window can be strong; can have high x-ray transmissivity; can be impervious to gas, visible light, and infrared light; can be easy of manufacture; can be made of materials with low atomic numbers, or combinations thereof. The thin film can include an aluminum layer. A support structure can provide additional support to the thin film. The support structure can include a support frame encircling an aperture and support ribs extending across the aperture with gaps between the support ribs. The support structure can also include boron ribs aligned with the support ribs.

Boron X-ray window

A mounted x-ray window can be strong and transmissive to x-rays, can have a hermetic seal, and can withstand high temperatures. The mounted x-ray window can include a film located on an inner-side of a flange of a housing and can be attached to the flange by a ring of elastic adhesive. The film can comprise silicon nitride. A method of mounting an x-ray window can include placing a ring of elastic adhesive on an inner-side of a flange of a housing, placing a film on the ring of elastic adhesive, and baking the housing, the ring of elastic adhesive, and the film.

Mounted x-ray window

The invention is an x-ray window with a stack of thin film layers including aluminum layer(s), corrosion-barrier layer(s), and/or polymer layer(s). Aluminum layer(s) can provide improved gas impermeability. Polymer layer(s) can increase structural strength. The x-ray window can be substantially transmissive to x-rays but also substantially block visible light and infrared light. The x-ray window can have minimal deflection.

Growing community of inventors

Saratoga Springs, UT, United States of America

Jonathan Abbott