The Possibility of Phase-Contrast X-Ray Microtomography

The spatial resolution attainable by phase-contrast X-ray computed tomography (CT) using an X-ray interferometer is discussed. Currently the spatial resolution is around 30 µm for the observation of biological soft tissues. The limiting factor of the spatial resolution is the thickness of a crystal wafer used in the X-ray interferometer as an X-ray half mirror. Based on this fact, a new design for an X-ray interferometer is proposed to improve the spatial resolution below 10 µm.