The development of hard x-ray optics at MSFC

Ramsey, Brian D.; Elsner, R. F.; Engelhaupt, Darell; Gubarev, Mikhail V.; Kolodziejczak, Jeffery J.; O’Dell, Stephen L.; Speegle, Chet O.; Weisskopf, Martin C.

doi:10.1117/12.509619

Cited by 25 publications

(12 citation statements)

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“…The energy limits of grazing incidence optics are being pushed to 100 keV [2][3][4], but small grazing angles limit the effective areas feasible and polishing tolerances inhibit extremely good angular resolution. Other X-ray missions under study [5] could considerably improve sensitivity and spectral resolution, however they will not emphasize improvements in angular resolution, which will remain >10 3 times worse than the diffraction-limit, inhibiting their use for measurements requiring high-angular resolution.…”

Section: Astronomical Imaging Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Deep Silicon Phase Fresnel Lens Using Gray-Scale Lithography and Deep Reactive Ion Etching

Morgan

Waits

Krizmanic

et al. 2004

J. Microelectromech. Syst.

126

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A phase Fresnel lens (PFL) could achieve higher sensitivity and angular resolution in astronomical observations than the current generation of gamma and hard x-ray instruments. For ground tests of a PFL system, silicon lenses must be fabricated on the micro-scale with controlled profiles to enable high lens efficiency. Thus, two MEMS-based technologies, gray-scale lithography and deep reactive ion etching (DRIE), are extended to create multiple controlled step heights in silicon on the necessary scale.A Gaussian approximation is introduced as a method of predicting a photoresist gray level height given the amount of transmitted light through a grayscale optical mask. Etch selectivity during DRIE is then accurately controlled by introducing an oxygen-only step to a standard Bosch cycle to produce the desired scaling factor between the photoresist and silicon profiles. Finally, a profile evaluation method is developed to calculate the expected efficiency of measured silicon profiles. Calculated efficiencies above 87% have been achieved.

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Section: Astronomical Imaging Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Development of a Deep Silicon Phase Fresnel Lens Using Gray-Scale Lithography and Deep Reactive Ion Etching

Morgan

Waits

Krizmanic

et al. 2004

J. Microelectromech. Syst.

126

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“…Although mirrors with angular quality of ∆α = 15 are regularly produced for astrophysical applications, 40 an optic intended for microscopy has a much smaller radius and different shape. Since this represented the first attempt to fabricate this type of lens, the specification on quality was reduced to ∆α 30 .…”

Section: Prototype Opticmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…During the last decade, NASA Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) has refined the process and developed significant infrastructure and experience. [37][38][39][40] Recently, we have leveraged the MSFC capabilities to manufacture prototype optics specifically intended for small-animal radionuclide imaging.…”

Section: Electroformed Nickel Replicated Mirrorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Progress of focusing x-ray and gamma-ray optics for small animal imaging

et al. 2005

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Significant effort is currently being devoted to the development of noninvasive imaging systems that allow in vivo assessment of biological and biomolecular interactions in mice and other small animals. Ideally, one would like to discern these functional and metabolic relationships with in vivo radionuclide imaging at spatial resolutions approaching those that can be obtained using the anatomical imaging techniques (i.e., <100 µm), which would help to answer outstanding questions in many areas of biomedicine.In this paper, we report progress on our effort to develop high-resolution focusing X-ray and gamma-ray optics for small-animal radionuclide imaging. The use of reflective optics, in contrast to methods that rely on absorptive collimation like single-or multiple-pinhole cameras, decouples spatial resolution from sensitivity (efficiency). Our feasibility studies have refined and applied ray-tracing routines to design focusing optics for small animal studies. We also have adopted a replication technique to manufacture the X-ray mirrors, and which in experimental studies have demonstrated a spatial resolution of ∼190 µm. We conclude that focusing optics can be designed and fabricated for gamma-ray energies, and with spatial resolutions, and field of view suitable for in vivo biological studies. While the efficiency of a single optic is limited, fabrication methods now are being developed that may make it possible to develop imaging systems with multiple optics that could collect image data over study times that would be practical for performing radionuclide studies of small animals.

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“…MSFC is utilizing electroformed-nickel replication (ENR) to fabricate four ART X-ray mirror modules 3,4 . In this process a thin nickel or nickel-alloy mirror shell is electroformed onto a figured and super-polished electroless-nickelplated aluminum mandrel, from which it is subsequently separated in chilled water by differential thermal contraction.…”

Section: Msfc Infrastructurementioning

confidence: 99%

The Marshall Space Flight Center development of mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission

et al. 2012

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The Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is developing x-ray mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument on board the Spectrum-Roentgen Gamma Mission under a Reimbursable Agreement between NASA and the Russian Space Research Institute (IKI.) ART-XC will consist of seven co-aligned x-ray mirror modules with seven corresponding CdTe focal plane detectors. Currently, four of the modules are being fabricated by the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC.) Each MSFC module consist of 28 nested Ni/Co thin shells giving an effective area of 65 cm 2 at 8 keV, response out to 30 keV, and an angular resolution of 45 arcsec or better HPD. Delivery of these modules to the IKI is scheduled for summer 2013. We present a status of the ART x-ray modules development at the MSFC.

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The development of hard x-ray optics at MSFC

Cited by 25 publications

References 0 publications

Development of a Deep Silicon Phase Fresnel Lens Using Gray-Scale Lithography and Deep Reactive Ion Etching

Development of a Deep Silicon Phase Fresnel Lens Using Gray-Scale Lithography and Deep Reactive Ion Etching

Progress of focusing x-ray and gamma-ray optics for small animal imaging

The Marshall Space Flight Center development of mirror modules for the ART-XC instrument aboard the Spectrum-Roentgen-Gamma mission

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