Computed tomography

1. A method of carrying out computed tomography measurements, comprising:

generating a beam of X-rays in an X-ray source;

creating a line focus of X-rays extending linearly in a first direction;

passing the beam of X-rays from the line focus though a mechanical slit in a mask, the mechanical slit extending in a slit direction substantially perpendicular to the line focus;

passing the beam of X-rays after passing through the mechanical slit through an object to be measured; and

imaging the beam of X-rays on a two dimensional detector.

2. A method according to claim 1 , comprising:

rotating the object sequentially to a plurality of positions;

capturing a respective image on the two-dimensional detector for each of the plurality of positions; and

calculating a three-dimensional representation of the object from the respective two-dimensional images.

3. A method according to claim 2 , wherein calculating a three-dimensional representation of the object comprises carrying out a cone beam computed tomography algorithm on the captured two dimensional images with each captured image scaled in the direction parallel to the first direction relative to the direction perpendicular to the first direction by a scaling factor S.

4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein

the scaling factor, S, is given by:

S =( d mo /d so )( d sd /d md );

d mo is the distance between the mask and the object;

d so is the distance between the line source and the object;

d sd is the distance between the line source and the detector; and

d md is the distance between the mask and the detector.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein the X-ray source uses a target of a metal element having an atomic number in the range 24 to 47 and has a power from 600 to 3000 W.

6. Computed tomography measurement apparatus, comprising:

an X-ray source for generating a line focus extending linearly in a first direction;

a sample stage for holding a sample to be measured; and

a two-dimensional detector for detecting X-rays from the X-ray source having passed through a sample on the sample stage and generating a two-dimensional image;

and

a mask defining a mechanical slit extending in a slit direction substantially perpendicular to the line focus, the mask being mounted between the line focus and the sample stage directing X-rays from the line focus through the slit and then onwards through a sample on the sample stage to the two-dimensional detector to create the two-dimensional image.

7. Computed tomography measurement apparatus according to claim 6 ,

wherein the sample stage is rotatable about a rotation axis,

the apparatus further comprising: a computer system connected to the sample stage for controlling the rotation of the object and connected to the two-dimensional detector for processing the two-dimensional image;

wherein the computer system is adapted:

to rotate the sample stage to rotate the object sequentially to a plurality of positions;

to capture a respective image on the two-dimensional detector for each of the plurality of positions; and

to calculate a three-dimensional representation of the object from the respective two-dimensional images.

8. Computed tomography measurement apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the computer system is adapted:

to calculate a three-dimensional representation of the object by carrying out a cone beam computed tomography algorithm on the captured two dimensional images with each captured image scaled in the direction parallel to the first direction relative to the direction perpendicular to the first direction by a scaling factor, S.

9. Computed tomography measurement apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein

the scaling factor, S, is given by:

S =( d mo /d so )( d sd /d md );

d mo is the distance between the mask and the object;

d so is the distance between the line source and the object;

d sd is the distance between the line source and the detector; and

d md is the distance between the mask and the detector.

10. Computed tomography measurement apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the X-ray source comprises a target of a metal element in the range Chromium to Silver.

11. A computer program product, recorded on a data carrier, for controlling computed tomography measurement apparatus comprising an X-ray source for generating a line focus extending linearly in a first direction; a sample stage rotatable about a rotation axis for holding a sample to be measured; a two-dimensional detector for detecting X-rays from the X-ray source having passed through a sample on the sample stage and generating a two-dimensional image; and a mask defining a mechanical slit extending in a slit direction substantially perpendicular to the line focus, the mask being mounted between the line focus and the sample stage directing X-rays from the line focus through the slit and then onwards through a sample on the sample stage to the two-dimensional detector to create the two-dimensional image;

wherein the computer program product is adapted to control the computed tomography measurement apparatus:

to rotate the sample stage to rotate the sample sequentially to a plurality of positions;

to capture a respective image on the two-dimensional detector for each of the plurality of positions; and

to calculate a three-dimensional representation of the sample from the respective two-dimensional images.