Three-dimensional iterative multislice reconstruction for ptychographic X-ray computed tomography

Ptychographic X-ray computed tomography (PXCT) is a potential tool for visualizing three-dimensional (3D) structures of large-volume samples at high spatial resolution. Currently, both the requirement of a large number of views and the narrow depth of field limit the range of applications of PXCT. Here, we propose an improved 3D reconstruction algorithm for PXCT that is based on 3D iterative reconstruction and multislice phase retrieval calculation. Computer simulations showed that the proposed algorithm can reduce the number of required views without degrading the spatial resolution. In a synchrotron experiment, ptychographic diffraction data sets of a flat and thick processor specimen were collected under a limited-angle condition, and then high-resolution multislice images of the Cu multilevel interconnects were clearly reconstructed using the proposed algorithm. The proposed algorithm is expected to open up a new frontier of large-volume 3D nanoimaging in various fields.