Leland Stanford Junior University

Etec Systems, Inc.

Juan R Maldonado

Lambertus Hesselink

R Fabian W Pease

Yao-Te Cheng

Piero Pianetta

Jason Ryan

A photo-emitter x-ray source is provided that includes a photocathode electron source, a laser light source, where the laser light source illuminates the photocathode electron source to emit electrons, and an X-ray target, where the emitted electrons are focused on the X-ray target, where the X-ray target emits X-rays. The photocathode electron source can include alkali halides (such as CsBr and CsI), semiconductors (such as GaAs, InP), and theses materials modified with rare Earth element (such as Eu) doping, electron beam bombardment, and X-ray irradiation, and has a form factor that includes planar, patterned, or optically patterned. The X-ray target includes a material such as tungsten, copper, rhodium or molybdenum. The laser light source is pulsed or configured by light modulators including acousto-optics, mode-locking, micro-mirror array, and liquid crystals, the photocathode electron source includes a nano-aperture or nano-particle arrays, where the nano-aperture is a C-aperture or a circular aperture.

Photo emitter X-ray source array (PeXSA)

A method of achieving heightened quantum efficiencies and extended photocathode lifetimes is provided that includes using an electron beam bombardment to activate color centers in a CsBr film of a photocathode, and using a laser source for pumping electrons in the color centers of the photocathode.

Enhanced photoelectron sources using electron bombardment

An optical mask for high resolution optical lithography using short wavelength light, e.g., 157 nm, uses membranes of a material that is transparent to the desired wavelength. The thin membranes are held under tensile stress by a supporting structure, such as a silicon wafer. Because the membranes are thin, the heating of the membrane material during generation of the overlying lithographic patterns is reduced. This is particularly advantageous when a material such as calcium fluoride is used as the transparent medium of the mask because calcium fluoride has a high thermal expansion coefficient. Thus, the membrane will suffer little distortion during the production of the mask. The lithographic pattern is produced using a thin layer of a absorptive material, such as palladium. Because both the absorptive material and the membrane are thin, there is little back scattering during the generation of the lithographic pattern by e-beam writing, and consequently, no proximity correction is necessary.

Growing community of inventors

Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Juan R Maldonado