Novel parallel vacuum ultra-violet/X-ray fluorescence spectrometer

Novel instrumentation developments in X-ray spectroscopy for parallel spectral measurements with soft X-rays are described. The significant performance improvements are achieved utilising Fresnel diffraction from structures built onto the surface of a total external reflection mirror. An array of reflection zone plates was tested as a wavelength-dispersive fluorescence spectrometer for soft X-rays in the energy range of 100–550 eV.