High‐resolution compact X‐ray microscopy

Summary We demonstrate compact full‐field soft X‐ray transmission microscopy with sub 60‐nm resolution operating at λ= 2.48 nm. The microscope is based on a 100‐Hz regenerative liquid‐nitrogen‐jet laser‐plasma source in combination with a condenser zone plate and a micro‐zone plate objective for high‐resolution imaging onto a 2048 × 2048 pixel CCD detector. The sample holder is mounted in a helium atmosphere and allows imaging of both dry and wet specimens. The microscope design enables fast sample switching and the sample can be pre‐aligned using a visible‐light microscope. High‐quality images can be acquired with exposure times of less than 5 min. We demonstrate the performance of the microscope using both dry and wet samples.