Water-window microscopy using a compact, laser-plasma SXR source based on a double-stream gas-puff target

Wachulak, P.; Bartnik, A.; Skorupka, Marcin; Kostecki, J.; Jarocki, R.; Szczurek, M.; Węgrzyński, Łukasz; Fok, Tomasz; Fiedorowicz, Henryk

doi:10.1007/s00340-012-5324-y

Cited by 37 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…This results in Gaussian-type plasma intensity distribution, as already reported multiple times, i.e., [17], with the size in the extreme ultraviolet spectral region to be ~1 mm in diameter, so it can be hardly considered as a point source for applications requiring increased spatial coherence for the experiment. Thus, to improve the spatial coherence of the EUV beam by reducing the apparent source size, 0.25 mm in diameter pinhole, made by drilling a 100-μm-thick steel plate, was introduced 10 mm away from the plasma.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Spatial coherence measurements of the EUV emission from laser-plasma source based on xenon/helium gas puff target

et al. 2017

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employed for important achievements in diffraction imaging [7], high-resolution holography [8], among others.Among compact sources, there are also sources that use gas-type targets to produce laser-plasma-emitting short wavelength radiation. These sources are often referred to as sources based on gas jets [9]. Variations of those are double stream gas puff targets, which inject not one but two gasses into the interaction region. While the inner gas is called working gas, which is the material of the target, to which a specific elemental emission can be attributed, the other, outer gas surrounds the inner gas shaping its flow and increasing its density in the interaction region. Such source was already proven to be useful so far for various applications in metrology [10], full-field imaging [11], photoionization [12], polymer surface modification [13], radiobiology [14], etc. All those applications were related to the use of spatially incoherent EUV and SXR radiation; however, to this day, it was never used for coherent-type applications.In this work, we would like to present the first to our knowledge attempt to obtain partially coherent EUV emission with usable photon flux from xenon/helium plasma, to perform coherent imaging experiments. We present the spatial coherence measurements, performed using Young double slit interferometry and demonstration of the use of such spatially coherent radiation to imaging. In the following chapters, the details about this work will be presented and discussed. Experimental setupThe experimental setup for spatial coherence measurements of the emission from xenon plasma is depicted in Fig. 1a. An Nd:YAG laser beam, produced by NL 129 laser system (10 J/1-10 ns), from EKSPLA, Lithuania, having Abstract In this paper, we present the first measurements of the partial spatial coherence of the EUV emission from xenon plasma in laser-plasma source, based on a double stream gas puff target. The Young double slit approach was employed to measure complex coherence factor of the EUV Xe emission at 13.5-nm wavelength in two orthogonal directions. The radius of coherence of ~60 μm was estimated at the distance of 2.1 m from the source. The number of coherently emitted photons was sufficient to demonstrate coherent imaging. Using partially coherent radiation from such source Gabor EUV holography was successfully demonstrated.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 62%

Spatial coherence measurements of the EUV emission from laser-plasma source based on xenon/helium gas puff target

et al. 2017

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“…The image plane is located 574 mm from the zone plate. Thus, geometrical magnification of the system is ~220× allowing to achieve a half-pitch spatial resolution of ~60 nm [19].…”

Section: Fresnel Zone Plate Objective For Sxr Microscopymentioning

confidence: 99%

Development and optimization of a “water window” microscope based on a gas-puff target laser-produced plasma source

Torrisi

Wachulak

Bartnik

et al. 2018

EPJ Web of Conferences

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Abstract.A laser-plasma double stream gas-puff target source coupled with Fresnel zone plate (FZP) optics, operating at He-like nitrogen spectral line λ=2.88nm, is capable of acquire complementary information in respect to optical and electron microscopy, allowing to obtain high resolution imaging, compared to the traditional visible light microscopes, with an exposition time of a few seconds. The compact size and versatility of the microscope offers the possibility to perform imaging experiments in the university laboratories, previously restricted to large-scale photon facilities. Source and microscope optimization, and examples of applications will be presented and discussed.

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“…1a. An Nd:YAG laser pulse (NL302, Eksma), λ = 1064 nm, 500 mJ/4 ns, is focused using a lens onto a double-stream Ar/He gas-puff target [23,24], produced by an electromagnetic double-nozzle valve [25] resulting in formation of a plasma. The optimum Ar/He pressure for efficient EUV emission from such plasma was found to be 10 and 6 bar, respectively.…”

Section: Euv Microscope Constructionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A desktop extreme ultraviolet microscope based on a compact laser-plasma light source

et al. 2016

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research, such as mask inspection [6,7]-reaching 22-nm half pitch resolution or lithography [8], as well as free electron lasers [9] for coherent diffraction imaging (CDI) schemes [10]. These facilities, although state of the art and dedicated to cutting-edge science experiments, are not "user friendly," with limited user access and require high maintenance costs, because of their scale and complexity. Another approach is to use tabletop high-order harmonic (HHG) sources [11] for sub-100-nm spatial resolution imaging [12]; however, typical 10 −6 -10 −5 HHG conversion efficiency is very low and often does not allow for a proper reconstruction [13], the system is very complicated, and typical CDI requires time-consuming numerical data processing. Ptychographic schemes, although providing very high spatial resolution, are serial in nature, extensively time-consuming and computationally demanding.To partially overcome these limitations, other compact EUV sources, such as discharge [14], Z-pinch [15] or laserproduced plasma sources [16], coupled to zone plates or Schwarzschild mirrors, were used. The first one is compact and shows very good spatial resolution, but requires often (~30 k pulses) capillary replacements, the second one demonstrates quite low performance in terms of spatial resolution and field of view exploiting inadequate mode of imaging for lithographic mask inspection, while the last one requires debris mitigation schemes.The use of compact, short-wavelength sources often does not allow for high signal-to-noise ratio image acquisition. An example of that are recent developments in soft X-ray (SXR) microscopy in so-called water window, such as a compact soft X-ray microscope based on a single nitrogen gas jet, capable of resolving features ~100 nm later improved to ~50 nm in size providing high spatial resolution; however, the exposure time for Siemens star test pattern was equal to 1-2 h, limiting the usability of Abstract A compact, desktop size microscope, based on laser-plasma source and equipped with reflective condenser and diffractive Fresnel zone plate objective, operating in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) region at the wavelength of 13.8 nm, was developed. The microscope is capable of capturing magnified images of objects with 95-nm full-pitch spatial resolution (48 nm 25-75% KE) and exposure time as low as a few seconds, combining reasonable acquisition conditions with stand-alone desktop footprint. Such EUV microscope can be regarded as a complementary imaging tool to already existing, well-established ones. Details about the microscope, characterization, resolution estimation and real sample images are presented and discussed.

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Water-window microscopy using a compact, laser-plasma SXR source based on a double-stream gas-puff target

Cited by 37 publications

References 39 publications

Spatial coherence measurements of the EUV emission from laser-plasma source based on xenon/helium gas puff target

Spatial coherence measurements of the EUV emission from laser-plasma source based on xenon/helium gas puff target

Development and optimization of a “water window” microscope based on a gas-puff target laser-produced plasma source

A desktop extreme ultraviolet microscope based on a compact laser-plasma light source

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