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The general feasibility of the new technique has been demonstrated using two different SX-STM instruments. The first prototype, SX-STM V1, has been built for integration at an existing endstation at beamline 4-ID-C of the Advanced Photon Source at Argonne National Laboratory. A custom-made support with fluoroelastomer damping was utilized in order to minimize the transfer of mechanical vibrations of the beamline to the microscope head. The mounting clamp of the microscope head allowed varying the angle of the sample with respect to the beam axis.
In case of the second instrument, SX-STM V2, vibration and acoustic isolation has been considerably improved using a stage with a four-tube spring suspension design, based on a commercial vibration isolation stage. The microscopy head is attached to a custom-designed mounting assembly. The unique feature of the mounting assembly is that it is designed to allow an angular degree of freedom in the alignment of the tip and sample with respect to the incoming x-ray beam, while it offers high stiffness in order to avoid internal vibrations. This is accomplished by designing an STM stage mount with a two free-flex pivot design.Currently, SX-STM V2 undergoes updates that will significantly improve its capabilities.
In the framework of the SXSPM project, we have developed a new microscope, LT-SX-STM V3. The development has the goal to drastically increase the spatial resolution of current state-of-the-art x-ray microscopy from only tens of nanometers down to atomic resolution.
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