During the first phase of this Small Business Research project, ARACOR demonstrated the feasibility of the concept of using x-ray transmission anode films mounted on diamond substrates to enhance the brightness of x-ray sources. Phase II research will include: (i) the design, fabrication and evaluation of select metal film/diamond heatsink structures to determine their performance under the protracted thermal and radiological stress of an intense microfocal x-ray source electron beam; (ii) studies to understand failure mechanisms, such as film delamination, diamond fracture, and radiation damage; and (iii) reliability and performance comparison tests of the ARACOR reflection configuration targets relative to convential microfocus reflection targets. It is expected that the results of this research, if successful, will have enormous impact on the international market for industrial x-ray imaging systems.
