Design, fabrication, and analysis of chirped multilayer mirrors for reflection of extreme-ultraviolet attosecond pulses

Chirped Mo/Si multilayer coatings have been designed, fabricated, and characterized for use in extreme-ultraviolet attosecond experiments. By numerically simulating the reflection of the attosecond pulse from a multilayer mirror during the optimization procedure based on a genetic algorithm, we obtain optimized layer designs. We show that normal incidence chirped multilayer mirrors capable of reflecting pulses of approximately 100 attoseconds (as) duration can be designed by enhancing the reflectivity bandwidth and optimizing the phase-shift behavior. The chirped multilayer coatings have been fabricated by electron-beam evaporation in an ultrahigh vacuum in combination with ion-beam polishing of the interfaces and in situ reflectivity measurement for layer thickness control. To analyze the aperiodic layer structure by hard-x-ray reflectometry, we have developed an automatic fitting procedure that allows us to determine the individual layer thicknesses with an error of less than 0.05 nm. The fabricated chirped mirror may be used for production of 150-160 as pulses.     

Molybdenum/beryllium multilayer mirrors for normal incidence in the extreme ultraviolet

We report on a series of normal-incidence reflectance measurements at wavelengths just longer than the beryllium K-edge (11.1 nm) from molybdenum/beryllium multilayer mirrors. The highest peak reflectance was 68.7 ± 0.2% at λ = 11.3 nm obtained from a mirror with 70 bilayers ending in beryllium. To our knowledge, this is the highest normal-incidence reflectance that has been demonstrated in the 1-80-nm spectral range.     

Sub-quarter-wave multilayer coatings with high reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet

Multilayer coatings with a small number of layers were designed and prepared to provide an increase in normal-incidence reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet compared with the reflectance of available single-layer coatings, namely, SiC, B4C, and Ir. Multilayers were designed to produce coatings with the highest possible reflectance at 91.2 and at 58.4 nm. At these wavelengths all the materials absorb radiation strongly, but still a reflectance enhancement can be obtained by means of sub-quarter-wave multilayer coatings with two or more different materials. Sub-quarter-wave multilayer coatings based on Al, MgF2, diamondlike carbon, B4C, SiC, and Ir showed higher reflectance than single-layer coatings of SiC and B4C not only at the target wavelength but in a wide band ranging from 50 nm to the 121.6-nm H Lyman-alpha line. Multilayer coatings suffered some reflectance degradation over time. However, after approximately 80-100 days of aging in a desiccator, the reflectance for the multilayer coatings was greater than for the single-layer coatings.     

Sub-diffraction-limited multilayer coatings for the 0.3 numerical aperture micro-exposure tool for extreme ultraviolet lithography

Multilayer coating results are discussed for the primary and secondary mirrors of the micro-exposure tool (MET): a 0.30 NA lithographic imaging system with a 200 microm x 600 microm field of view at the wafer plane, operating in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) region at an illumination wavelength around 13.4 nm. Mo/Si multilayers were deposited by DC-magnetron sputtering on large-area, curved MET camera substrates. A velocity modulation technique was implemented to consistently achieve multilayer thickness profiles with added figure errors below 0.1 nm rms demonstrating sub-diffraction-limited performance, as defined by the classical diffraction limit of Rayleigh (0.25 waves peak to valley) or Marechal (0.07 waves rms). This work is an experimental demonstration of sub-diffraction- limited multilayer coatings for high-NA EUV imaging systems, which resulted in the highest resolution microfield EUV images to date.     

Probing multilayer stack reflectors by low coherence interferometry in extreme ultraviolet

We use low coherence interferometry to investigate the depth structure of a complex multilayer stack reflector. The probing instrument is an interferometer based on a Fresnel's bi-mirror illuminated by relatively wide-band synchrotron undulator light near 13.5 nm. Simulations clearly confirm that our test object generates two back propagated signals that behave as if reflected on two effective planes. First results in this spectral range may open the way to a new physical approach to extreme ultraviolet sample characterization in the form of line-scan optical coherence tomography.     

SiC/Tb and Si/Tb multilayer coatings for extreme ultraviolet solar imaging

Narrowband SiC/Tb and Si/Tb multilayers are fabricated with as much as a 23% normal-incidence reflectance near a 60 nm wavelength and spectral bandpass (FWHM) values of 9.4 and 6.5 nm, respectively. The structural properties of the films are investigated using extreme ultraviolet and x-ray reflectometry and transmission electron microscopy. Thermal stability is investigated in films annealed to as high as 300 degrees C. Because of their superior thermal stability, relatively high reflectance, and narrower spectral bandpass, Si/Tb multilayers are identified as optimal candidates for solar physics imaging applications, where the peak response can be tuned to important emission lines such as O v near 63.0 nm and Mg x near 61.0 nm. We describe our experimental procedures and results, discuss the implications of our findings, and outline prospects for improved performance.     

Multilayer coatings for narrow-band imaging in the extreme ultraviolet

Multilayer coatings for the extreme ultraviolet with high reflectance at a spectral band of interest and zero reflectance at another band to be suppressed have been designed and prepared. Multilayer coatings were designed to maximize normal-incidence reflectance at the O(+) 83.4-nm spectral line and to suppress at the same time radiation at the 121.6-nm hydrogen Lyman alpha line. Fresh Al/MgF(2)/Mo multilayer coatings resulted in high reflection/suppression ratios at the above wavelengths. The coatings also exhibited a dip in reflectance at 102.6-nm Lyman beta. The coatings showed some slow but steady degradation over time that could be partially eliminated by sample cleaning. Al/MgF(2)/Mo multilayer coatings protected with a thin ion-beam-deposited C film were found to give a high reflection/suppression ratio with lower degradation over time.     

应用紫外·极紫外

介绍长春光机所八、九十年代在短波光学方面的某些研究工作     

Ion-beam-deposited boron carbide coatings for the extreme ultraviolet

The normal-incidence reflectance of ion-beam-deposited boron carbide thin films has been evaluated in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) spectral region. High-reflectance coatings have been produced with reflectances greater than 30% between 67 and 121.6 nm. This high reflectance makes ion-beam-deposited boron carbide an attractive coating for EUV applications.     

Electron-beam deposited boron coatings for the extreme ultraviolet

Boron films deposited by evaporation with an electron-beam were found to have a relatively high reflectance in the extreme ultraviolet with values similar to those of ion-beam-sputtered (IBS) SiC and IBS B(4)C. The largest reflectance was measured for an 11 nm thick boron film. Some reflectance degradation was observed for boron films stored in a desiccator. Reflectance degradation varied from sample to sample and was found to be either similar to that of IBS SiC and IBS B(4)C or larger.     

Photonic-plasmonic scattering resonances in deterministic aperiodic structures

In this paper, we combine experimental dark-field scattering spectroscopy and accurate electrodynamics calculations to investigate the scattering properties of two-dimensional plasmonic lattices based on the concept of aperiodic order. In particular, by discussing visible light scattering from periodic, Fibonacci, Thue-Morse and Rudin-Shapiro lattices fabricated by electron-beam lithography on transparent quartz substrates, we demonstrate that deterministic aperiodic Au nanoparticle arrays give rise to broad plasmonic resonances spanning the entire visible spectrum. In addition, we show that far-field diffractive coupling is responsible for the formation of characteristic photonic-plasmonic scattering modes in aperiodic arrays of metal nanoparticles. Accurate scattering simulations based on the generalized Mie theory approach support our experimental results. The possibility of engineering complex metal nanoparticle arrays with distinctive plasmonic resonances extending across the entire visible spectrum can have a significant impact on the design and fabrication of novel nanodevices based on broadband plasmonic enhancement.     

Generation of isolated attosecond pulses using unipolar and laser fields

A new scheme to generate isolated attosecond pulses is presented that involves the use of a laser field and of a unipolar field. The laser field has a pulse of intensity I = 1.5×10¹⁴ W cm^?2 and wavelength λ = 820 nm. The unipolar pulse is an asymmetric pulse consisting of a sharp peak, lasting approximately half a laser period, i.e. nearly 1.4 fs, followed by a long and shallow tail. We show that on combining these two fields, it is possible to generate isolated attosecond pulses as short as 1/10 of a laser period, i.e. approximately 270 as. Moreover, it is argued that this scheme is robust either against small variations of the laser envelope, or against small changes in the delay between the laser pump and the unipolar pulse.     

Design, deposition, and characterization of multilayer coatings for the ultraviolet and visible-light coronagraphic imager

The Ultraviolet and Visible-Light Coronagraphic Imager is the baseline coronagraph for the European Space Agency's payload Solar Orbiter, a solar mission whose launch in 2011 is expected. To prove the feasibility of its innovative design, a sounding rocket version of the same instrument has been approved by NASA. One of the main technological challenges of the instrument is the achievement of multilayer optical coatings with suitable properties. We describe the design, fabrication, and characterization of such coatings.     

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function of diffuse extreme ultraviolet scatterers and extreme ultraviolet baffle materials

Bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) measurements of a number of diffuse extreme ultraviolet (EUV) scatterers and EUV baffle materials have been performed with the Goddard EUV scatterometer. BRDF data are presented for white Spectralon SRS-99 at 121.6 nm; the data exhibit a non-Lambertian nature and a total hemispherical reflectance lower than 0.15. Data are also presented for an evaporated Cu black sample, a black Spectralon SRS-02 sample, and a Martin Optical Black sample at wavelengths of 58.4 and 121.6 nm and for angles of incidence of 15 degrees and 45 degrees. Overall Martin Optical Black exhibited the lowest BRDF characteristic, with a total hemispherical reflectance of the order of 0.01 and measured BRDF values as low as 2 x 10(-3) sr(-1).