A soft X-ray microscope was constructed using grazing incidence mirrors and a laser-produced plasma source. A Q-switched Nd-YAG laser (1.064μm, 530mJ, 6ns pulse) and a Wolter type-I mirror objective were used. The spatial resolution estimated by the edge profile (25% – 75%) was about 60nm using 5 – 7nm soft X-rays from an Al target. Hydrated biological specimens, such as human blood cells, could be observed using an environmental chamber with Si 3 N 4 windows (thickness: 0.1μm), a back-illuminated CCD camera, and 3–5nm soft X-rays from a Ta target.
