Bede Scientific Instruments Limited

Neil Loxley

John Leonard Wall

Ladislav Pina

David Keith Bowen

Mark Taylor

Graham Vincent Fraser

An X-ray generator comprises an evacuated and sealed X-ray tube, containing an electron gun and an X-ray target. An electron beam is produced by the electron gun in which the cathode is at negative high voltage, the electron gun consisting of a filament just inside the aperture of a Wehnelt grid which is biased negatively with respect to the filament. Two sets of beam deflection coils, are employed in two planes, mounted between the anode of the electron gun and the focussing lens to center the beam. Between the focussing lens and the target is an air-cored quadripole magnet which acts as a stigmator in that it turns the circular cross-section of the beam into an elongated one. This quadripole can be rotated about the tube axis so as to adjust the orientation of the line focus. The beam can be moved about on the target surface by controlling the currents in the four coils of the quadripole.

Method and apparatus for prolonging the life of an X-ray target

This invention relates to a portable apparatus for carrying out X-ray fluorescence spectrometry on specimen materials at a distance from the apparatus. The apparatus comprises an X-ray generating tube, such as a microfocus tube, and two paraboloidal X-ray reflecting mirrors. The first collecting mirror is positioned in close coupled arrangement adjacent to the exit window of the tube, such that it emits parallel X-ray radiation to the second focusing mirror, which is aligned on the axis of and spaced apart from the first mirror ( ). The second mirror ( ) collects the parallel X-ray radiation at its end closest to the first mirror and emits X-ray radiation in a focused beam onto the specimen. The distance between the first and second mirrors is adjusted to suit the distance from the X-ray tube to the specimen. Focal spots on the specimen of diameter less than 15 microns (590.55 microinches) are possible, enabling precise analysis of small areas of the specimen.

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Durham, United Kingdom

Neil Loxley