Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy at a bending magnet beamline at the Advanced Light Source

During the last two decades, scanning transmission x-ray microscopy (STXM) has evolved into a powerful characterization tool. For best performance, STXM's are located at undulator sources at synchrotron facilities. The scarcity and expense of undulator sources and associated beamlines limits the number of available STXMs. We have successfully re-examined the use of bending magnets as a source for a STXM and implemented a interferometer controlled STXM with excellent performance at the beamline 5.3.2. at the Advanced Light Source. Near the carbon K-edge, periodic features with 30 nm half-period could be resolved with a zone plate that has a 40 nm outermost zone width with an energy resolution corresponding to 100 meV and an intensity of about 1 MHz. The design and performance of the microscope are described.