Curved crystal x-ray optical device and method of fabrication

A curved crystal x-ray optical device consists of a doubly curved crystal lamella attached by a thick bonding layer to a backing plate that provides for prepositioning it in three dimensions relative to a source and image position in x-ray spectrometers, monochromators and point-focussing x-ray focusing instruments. The bonding layer has the property of passing from a state of low viscosity to high viscosity by polymerization or by a temperature change. In fabrication, the crystal lamella is bent so that its atomic planes are curved to a radius of 2R1 in a first plane where R1 is the radius of a focal circle and R2 in a second plane perpendicular to the first plane by forcing it to conform to the surface of a doubly curved convex mold using pressure produced in the highly viscous bonding material by force applied to the backing plate.