Abstract: | A soft X‐ray source with a periodic aluminum multilayer structure with vacuum layers in between for tabletop synchrotrons with low‐energy electrons was designed, and the dependence of radiation performance on structural parameters was clarified using a theoretical calculation of the resonance transition radiation. A photon density of 1 keV pr incident electron was calculated by optimizing the thickness of the aluminum and vacuum layers. Furthermore, the designed structure was fabricated by a microfabrication technique. The effects of dimensional error on the photon density are discussed on the basis of the calculated results and the prototype structure of a 6‐MeV synchrotron. It is clarified that dimensional errors of 1.5% in Al layers and of plus or minus a few dozen nanometers in the vacuum layers are negligible in obtaining a photon density of more than 90% of the maximum value. © 2008 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. |