V. N. Polkovnikov

Ion-beam polishing of fused silica substrates for imaging soft x-ray and extreme ultraviolet optics.

We have studied the surface treatment of polished fused silica by neutralized Ar ions with energy of 500-1500 eV and incidence angles of 0-90°. We found the following regularities: for samples that passed the standard procedure of deep polishing (initial effective roughness σ(eff)∼0.5u2009u2009nm), the effective roughness decreases to the ultrasmooth level (i.e., σ(eff)∼0.25u2009u2009nm in the range of spatial frequencies q∈[4.9×10(-2)-63]u2009u2009μm(-1)). The effect begins to be noticeable at the material removal of 150 nm and reaches saturation at depths of removal greater than 1 μm. For supersmooth samples (σ(eff)<0.3u2009u2009nm), the effective roughness keeps the initial level at material removal down to tens of micrometers. The optimal ion energy range is 800-1300 eV (maximum smoothing effect); at higher energy some surface roughness degradation is observed. All the smoothing effects are observed at the incidence angle range θ(in)=0-35°. Increasing the ion energy above 1300 eV increases the etching rate by up to 4 μm per hour (J(ion)=0.8u2009u2009mA/cm2), which allows for deep aspherization of sized substrates. The technique allows for manufacturing the optical elements for extreme ultraviolet and soft x-ray wavelength ranges with a numerical aperture of up to 0.6.

Problems in the application of a null lens for precise measurements of aspheric mirrors

Problems in the application of a null lens for surface shape measurements of aspherical mirrors are discussed using the example of manufacturing an aspherical concave mirror for the beyond extreme ultraviolet nanolithographer. A method for allowing measurement of the surface shape of a sample under study and the aberration of a null lens simultaneously, and for evaluating measurement accuracy, is described. Using this method, we made a mirror with an aspheric surface of the 6th order (i.e., the maximum deviation from the best-fit sphere is 6.6 μm) with the parameters of the deviations from the designed surface PV=5.3u2009u2009nm and RMS=0.8u2009u2009nm. An approximation of the surface shape was carried out using Zernike polynomials {Z(n)(m)(r,φ),m+n≤36}. The physical limitations of this technique are analyzed. It is shown that for aspheric measurements to an Angstrom accuracy, one needs to have a null lens with errors of less than 1 nm. For accurate measurements, it is necessary to establish compliance with the coordinates on the sample and on the interferogram.

Current status and development prospects for multilayer X-ray optics at the Institute for Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences

A real opportunity for applying traditional optical methods to soft X-ray and extreme UV (ultraviolet) radiation bands has appeared thanks to recent successes in the area of multilayer-mirror deposition and procedures for fabricating supersmooth and highly precise substrates of mirrors. The implementation of this opportunity opens up fundamentally new prospectss in the nanodiagnostics of substances, micro- and nanoelectronics, microbiology, solar astronomy and other applications. The main directions in multilayer X-ray optics developed at the Institute for the Physics of Microstructures, Russian Academy of Sciences, are presented and the aspects of the use thereof in science and technology are considered. The main problems arising during the fabrication of multilayer interference structures for the soft X-ray and extreme UV bands are discussed. The main results obtained recently in the scope of each direction of investigation are presented. Plans for the future development of these directions are discussed.

Laboratory reflectometer for the investigation of optical elements in a wavelength range of 5 – 50 nm: description and testing results

We describe a laboratory reflectometer developed at the IPM RAS for precision measurements of spectral and angular dependences of the reflection and transmission coefficients of optical elements in a wavelength range of 5–50 nm. The radiation is monochromatised using a high-resolution Czerny–Turner spectrometer with a plane diffraction grating and two spherical collimating mirrors. A toroidal mirror focuses the probe monochromatic beam on a sample. The X-ray source is a highly ionised plasma produced in the interaction of a high-power laser beam with a solid target at an intensity of 1011–1012 W cm–2. To stabilise the emission characteristics, the target executes translatory and rotary motions in such a way that every pulse irradiates a new spot. The short-focus lens is protected from contamination by erosion products with the use of a specially designed electromagnetic system. The samples under study are mounted on a goniometer is accommodated in a dedicated chamber, which provides five degrees of freedom for samples up to 500 mm in diameter and two degrees of freedom for a detector. The sample mass may range up to 10 kg. The X-ray radiation is recorded with a detector composed of a CsI photocathode and two microchannel plates. A similar detector monitors the probe beam intensity. The spectral reflectometer resolution is equal to 0.030 nm with the use of ruled gratings with a density of 900 lines mm–1 (spectral range: 5–20 nm) and to 0.067 nm for holographic gratings with a density of 400 lines mm–1 (spectral range: 10–50 nm). We analyse the contribution of higher diffraction orders to the probe signal intensity and the ways of taking it into account in the measurements. Examples are given which serve to illustrate the reflectometer application to the study of multilayer mirrors and filters.

X-ray optical system for imaging laser plumes with a spatial resolution of up to 70 nm

We consider an X-ray optical system which permits obtaining laser plume images at a wavelength of 13.5 nm with a resolution of up to 70 nm. The X-ray optical system comprises an X-ray Schwarzschild objective made up of two aspherical multilayer mirrors, a scintillator (YAG : Ce ceramics), which converts X-rays to the visible radiation, and a visible-optical system, which images the scintillator surface onto a CCD camera. The spatial resolution of the system is limited by the resolution of the optical system (0.7 μm) and the magnification (10×) of the X-ray objective and is as high as 70 nm. The effect of Schwarzschild objective mirror shapes on the spatial resolution is analysed. The profile of concave mirror aspherisation is considered, which provides the attainment of the diffraction-limited quality of the objective. Data are given for the quantum efficiency of the system at a wavelength of 13.5 nm. We describe the experimental test bench intended for studying the developed X-ray optical system and outline the first experimental data which illustrate its efficiency. Owing to the natural division into the X-ray and visible parts, the optical system under discussion permits an easy change of the magnification and the field of view without realigning the X-ray optical elements. The wavelength may be varied in a range between 3 and 40 nm by changing the multilayer mirrors.

Conversion efficiency of a laser-plasma source based on a Xe jet in the vicinity of a wavelength of 11 nm

We optimized the parameters of a laser-produced plasma source based on a solid-state Nd: YAG laser (λ = 1.06 nm, pulse duration 4 ns, energy per pulse up to 500 mJ, repetition rate 10 Hz, lens focus distance 45 mm, maximum power density of laser radiation in focus 9 × 1011 W/cm2) and a double-stream Xe/He gas jet to obtain a maximum of radiation intensity around 11 nm wavelength. It was shown that the key factor determining the ionization composition of the plasma is the jet density. With the decreased density, the ionization composition shifts toward a smaller degree of ionization, which leads to an increase in emission peak intensity around 11 nm. We attribute the dominant spectral feature centred near 11 nm originating from an unidentified 4d-4f transition array in Xe+10…+13 ions. The exact position of the peak and the bandwidth of the emission line were determined. We measured the dependence of the conversion efficiency of laser energy into an EUV in-band energy with a peak at 10.82 nm from the xenon pressure and the distance between the nozzle and the laser focus. The maximum conversion efficiency (CE) into the spectral band of 10–12 nm measured at a distance between the nozzle and the laser beam focus of 0.5 mm was CE = 4.25 ± 0.30%. The conversion efficiencies of the source in-bands of 5 and 12 mirror systems at two wavelengths of 10.8 and 11.2 nm have been evaluated; these efficiencies may be interesting for beyond extreme ultraviolet lithography.We optimized the parameters of a laser-produced plasma source based on a solid-state Nd: YAG laser (λ = 1.06 nm, pulse duration 4 ns, energy per pulse up to 500 mJ, repetition rate 10 Hz, lens focus distance 45 mm, maximum power density of laser radiation in focus 9 × 1011 W/cm2) and a double-stream Xe/He gas jet to obtain a maximum of radiation intensity around 11 nm wavelength. It was shown that the key factor determining the ionization composition of the plasma is the jet density. With the decreased density, the ionization composition shifts toward a smaller degree of ionization, which leads to an increase in emission peak intensity around 11 nm. We attribute the dominant spectral feature centred near 11 nm originating from an unidentified 4d-4f transition array in Xe+10…+13 ions. The exact position of the peak and the bandwidth of the emission line were determined. We measured the dependence of the conversion efficiency of laser energy into an EUV in-band energy with a peak at 10.82 nm from the xenon ...

Optical Elements: Effect of structural defects of aperiodic multilayer mirrors on the properties of reflected (sub)femtosecond pulses

The effect of structural defects (for example, of interlayer roughness, layer thickness fluctuations and departures of Mo film density from the tabular one) on the amplitude and phase of the complex reflection coefficient as well as on the amplitude and duration of reflected pulses is numerically studied by the example of a model aperiodic Mo/Si multilayer mirror intended for the compression of a chirped pulse with a spectrum lying in a 50 – 80 eV photon energy range. The departures of Mo film density from the tabular values and film thickness fluctuations are shown to exert the strongest effect on the amplitude and duration of the reflected pulses. The interlayer roughness has a comparable effect on the amplitude of the reflection coefficient, but its effect on the duration of reflected pulses is weaker. Even small film thickness fluctuations may give rise to additional reflected pulses of high intensity, which are delayed in time relative to the principal pulse. The Mo-film density in a Mo/Si mirror is shown to vary from 0.77 to 0.97 (in units of the tabular value for massive molybdenum) as the film thickness varies from 1.5 to 5.5 nm. We discuss the key problems that have to be solved in the development of the fabrication technology of multilayer mirrors with desired characteristics.

High-aperture monochromator-reflectometer and its usefulness for CCD calibration

We present a laboratory high-aperture monochromator-reflectometer employing laser-plasma radiation source and three replaceable Schwarzschild objectives for a certain range of applications in the soft X-ray spectral waveband. Three sets of X-ray multilayer mirrors for the Schwarzschild objectives enable operation of the reflectometer at the wavelengths of 135, 171 and 304 Å, while a goniometer with three degrees of freedom allows different measurement modes. We have used the facility for a laboratory CCD calibration at the wavelengths specified. Combined with the results of the CCD sensitivity measurements conducted in the VUV spectral waveband, the total outcome provides a more comprehensive understanding of the CCD effectivity in a wide spectral range.

Deformation-free rim for the primary mirror of telescope having sub-second resolution

The work is devoted to the method of mounting and surface shape measurement of the primary mirror of ARCA telescope, intended for the Sun observation in EUV wavelength range. Calculation of mirror’s deformation due to weight is carried out and a method of its experimental determination in interferometer is proposed. The method of deformation-free installation of mirror into the telescope is proposed. Impact shocks and vibrations, arising during missile launch, is analyzed, and an optimal size of bridges in the rim is determined. Calculations of the mirror deformation due to temperature difference in the telescope on the Earths orbit and its influence on the resolution of the telescope are conducted. The stresses arising in epoxy adhesive due to temperature changes and due to starting shocks are simulated.

Effect of ion beam etching on the surface roughness of bare and silicon covered beryllium

In the paper is studied the main aspects of using ion-beam etching for finish polishing. It is found that 400 eV is the optimal energy for neon ion etching ensuring slight surface roughness smoothing in the range of incidence angles of ± 40°. The deposition of 200 nm amorphous silicon films onto beryllium and their subsequent etching with the 800 eV argon ions improve the effective surface roughness integrated across the range of the spatial frequencies of 0.025-60 μm-1, from σeff=1.37 nm down to σeff=0.29 nm. The effectiveness of the smoothing technology for x-ray applications, confirmed by the results of the study the reflective properties of the Mo/Si mirrors deposited on the substrate. The reflectivity at a wavelength of 13.5 nm increased from 2% for the substrates with the surface roughness of σeff=2.3 nm (the roughness value corresponds to the as-prepared bulk Be substrates and is taken from the literature) up to 67.5% after the smoothing technology.