Jmar Research, Inc.

I C Edmond Turcu

Harry Rieger

Richard M Foster

Zachary H Levine

James H Morris

A method and apparatus for generating membrane targets for a laser induced plasma is disclosed herein. Membranes are advantageous targets for laser induced plasma because they are very thin and can be readily illuminated by high-power coherent light, such as a laser, and converted into plasma. Membranes are also advantageous because illumination of the membrane with coherent light produces less debris and splashing than illumination of a thicker, solid target. Spherical membranes possess additional advantages in that they can be readily illuminated from variety of directions and because they can be easily placed (i.e. blown) into a target region for illumination by coherent light. Membranes are also advantageous because they can be formed from a liquid or molten phase of the target material. According to another embodiment, membranes can be formed from a solution in which the target materials are solvated. Membranes can be formed an a variety of ways, such as by rotating a circular apparatus through a reservoir of liquid target material such that membranes form across apertures that are disposed in the circular apparatus. Spherical membranes can also be formed by applying a gas (i.e. blowing) against a membrane formed in an aperture of a circular apparatus.

Method and apparatus for generating a membrane target for laser produced plasma

The present invention provides a high gain collimator producing generally uniform intensity profiles for use in lithography and other applications. A focusing optic is also provided. The collimator includes a reflector and guide channel. The guide channel preferably includes polycapillary tubes and/or microchannel plates. The polycapillary tubes are used to collimate or focus the central portion of the x-ray beam in a circular, elliptic, square, or rectangular shape. A conical, parabolic resonance reflector or grazing incidence reflector with a shape similar to the polycapillary collimator is used to increase the solid angle collected and produce a circular, square, etc. annular x-ray beam whose inside dimensions are approximately equal to the exit dimensions of the polycapillary collimator. The annular beam shape, intensity profile and collimation angle is adjusted, if necessary, by an absorber, or polycapillary tubes to provide the desired intensity profile at the exit aperture of the hybrid x-ray collimator optic. A focusing optic is obtained by placing two collimating optics end to end.

High collection angle short wavelength radiation collimator and focusing optic

A parallel nanotomography imaging system is provided having an x-ray source, which is preferably a laser-based x-ray source that generates x-rays that are collected using a collector optic and are received in a composite objective assembly. The composite objective assembly includes plural micro-objectives, each imaging the target. The x-ray image is received by an x-ray image formation and acquisition apparatus, and processed and/or displayed.

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Del Mar, CA, United States of America

I C Edmond Turcu