CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

The possibilities of performing non-destructive x-ray microanalysis with homemade polycapillary optics are described in this paper. Monocapillaries and monolithic polycapillary half-lenses using fiber glass technology were made by drawing glass capillary bundles at high temperature in a heating furnace. General guidelines of the manufacture process are enumerated and the specific process implemented in our conventional laboratory is described. The potential of the lenses is illustrated by some applications on x-ray microanalysis as the recently developed confocal geometry. The selected examples show the feasibility of elemental and structural depth profile analysis using homemade polycapillary optics. The developed lenses provide an opportunity to upgrade conventional laboratories with a low cost investment.