Production issues for high aspect ratio Lobster-eye optics using LIGA

 A square packed array of square-channels with long channel axis aligned radially is a useful structure for condensing grazing incidence flux to a focus. These devices, known as Lobster-eye optics for their similarity to the eyes of the macruran crustaceans, show great promise as the focusing optic in the next generation of X-ray all-sky monitors. At X-ray wavelengths the optimal Lobster-eye structure requires an aspect ratio of channel length to width of greater than 30:1. Following recent success in fabricating a low aspect ratio Lobster-eye structure, we discuss some of the parameters for, and production issues involved in making, a useful Lobster-eye prototype using LIGA. We report on our initial attempts to produce high aspect ratio Lobster-eye optics using the LIGA process with a graphite substrate. Received: 10 August 2001/Accepted: 24 September 2001 AGP gratefully acknowledges receipt of an ARC post-doctoral fellowship. This work was supported by the Australian Synchrotron Research Program, which is funded by the Commonwealth of Australia under the Major National Research Facilities Program. Use of the Advanced Photon Source was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Energy Research, under Contract No. W-31-109-Eng-38. This paper was presented at the Fourth International Workshop on High Aspect Ratio Microstructure Technology HARMST 2001 in June 2001.