Silicon refractive planar parabolic lenses with minimized absorption were fabricated by a combination of photolithography and dry-etching techniques. Focusing and spectral properties of the lenses were studied with synchrotron radiation in the energy range 8–25 keV at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility. A focal spot of 1.8 μm with a gain of 18.5 and transmission of more then 80% was measured at 15.6 keV. The spectral characteristics were analyzed taking into account material dispersion and photon-energy attenuation in the hard x-ray range.

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X-ray reflectometry (XRR) is a well established technique to evaluate quantitatively electron density, thickness and roughness of thin layers. In this paper, results of the first world-wide XRR round-robin experiment, involving 20 laboratories, are presented and discussed. The round-robin experiment was performed within the framework of the VAMAS Project 'X-ray reflectivity measurements for evaluation of thin films and multilayers', the aim of which is to produce a 'good practice' manual for XRR. The reproducibility of measurements obtained using different equipment has been investigated. The influence of the fitting of the experimental data was shown to be non-negligible compared with the experimental factors. The dynamic intensity range proves to be an important parameter for obtaining a good quality measurement. A simpler test sample which does not develop a surface oxide layer over time is now the subject of a follow-up study.

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