Images with a spatial resolution of 120–150? nm were obtained with 46.9? nm light from a
compact capillary-discharge laser by use of the combination of a Sc–Si multilayer-coated
Schwarzschild condenser and a free-standing imaging zone plate. The results are relevant
to the development of compact extreme-ultraviolet laser-based imaging tools for
nanoscience and nanotechnology.

Recent advances in nanotechnology and nanoscience have created the need for new
compact and practical imaging tools capable of resolving nanometer scale features.
Although optical microscopy is unsurpassed in its versatility, the resolution of conventional
optical microscopes is limited by the wavelength of the illuminating source to sizes that are
typically larger than 200 nm.