[Vernier Anode Design and Image Simulation].

Based-MCP position-sensitive anode photon-counting imaging detector is good at detecting extremely faint light, which includes micro-channel plate (MCP), position-sensitive anode and readout, and the performances of these detectors are mainly decided by the position-sensitive anode. As a charge division anode, Vernier anode using cyclically varying electrode areas which replaces the linearly varying electrodes of wedge-strip anode can get better resolution and greater electrode dynamic range. Simulation and design of the Vernier anode based on Vernier's decode principle are given here. Firstly, we introduce the decode and design principle of Vernier anode with nine electrodes in vector way, and get the design parameters which are the pitch, amplitude and the coarse wavelength of electrode. Secondly, we analyze the effect of every design parameters to the imaging of the detector. We simulate the electron cloud, the Vernier anode and the detector imaging using Labview software and get the relationship between the pitch and the coarse wavelength of the anode. Simultaneously, we get the corresponding electron cloud for the designing parameters. Based on the result of the simulation and the practical machining demand, a nine electrodes Vernier anode was designed and fabricated which has a pitch of 891 µm, insulation width of 25 µm, amplitude of 50 µm, coarse pixel numbers of 5.

[Theoretical analysis and experimental measurement for secondary electron yield of microchannel plate in extreme ultraviolet region].

Photon counting detectors based on microchannel plate have widespread applications in astronomy. The present paper deeply studies secondary electron of microchannel plate in extreme ultraviolet. A theoretical model describing extreme ultraviolet-excited secondary electron yield is presented, and the factor affecting on the secondary electron yields of both electrode and lead glass which consist of microchannel plate is analyzed according to theoretical formula derived from the model. The result shows that the higher secondary electron yield is obtained under appropriate condition that the thickness of material is more than 20 nm and the grazing incidence angle is larger than the critical angle. Except for several wavelengths, the secondary electron yields of both electrode and lead glass decrease along with the increase in the wavelength And also the quantum efficiency of microchannel plate is measured using quantum efficiency test set-up with laser-produced plasmas source as an extreme ultraviolet radiation source, and the result of experiment agrees with theoretical analysis.

[The spectra of a laser-produced plasma source with CO2, O2 and CF4 liquid aerosol spray target].

A laser-produced plasma (LPP) source with liquid aerosol spray target and nanosecond laser was developed, based on both soft X-ray radiation metrology and extreme ultraviolet projection lithography (EUVL). The LPP source is composed of a stainless steel solenoid valve whose temperature can be continuously controlled, a Nd : YAG laser with pulse width, working wavelength and pulse energy being 7 ns, 1.064 microm and 1J respectively, and a pulse generator which can synchronously control the valve and the laser. A standard General Valve Corporation series 99 stainless steel solenoid valve with copper gasket seals and a Kel-F poppet are used in order to minimize leakage and poppet deformation during high-pressure cryogenic operation. A close fitting copper cooling jacket surrounds the valve body. The jacket clamps a copper coolant carrying tube 3 mm in diameter, which is fed by an automatically pressurized liquid nitrogen-filled dewar. The valve temperature can be controlled between 77 and 473 K. For sufficiently high backing pressure and low temperature, the valve reservoir gas can undergo a gas-to-liquid phase transition. Upon valve pulsing, the liquid is ejected into a vacuum and breaks up into droplets, which is called liquid aerosol spray target. For the above-mentioned LPP source, firstly, by the use of Cowan program on the basis of non-relativistic quantum mechanics, the authors computed the radiative transition wavelengths and probabilities in soft X-ray region for O4+, O5+, O6+, O7+, F5+, F6+ and F7+ ions which were correspondingly produced from the interaction of the 10(11)-10(12) W x cm(-2) power laser with liquid O2, CO2 and CF4 aerosol spray targets. Secondly, the authors measured the spectra of liquid O2, CO2 and CF4 aerosol spray target LPP sources in the 6-20 nm band for the 8 x 10(11) W x cm(-2) laser irradiance. The measured results were compared with the Cowan calculated results ones, and the radiative transition wavelength and probability for the measured spectral lines were obtained.

[Development of soft X-ray and vacuum ultraviolet spectrum sources].

The soft X-ray and vacuum ultraviolet sources developed in CIOMP are presented. The wall-stabilized argon arc source with spectrum stability and repeatability of +/-0.3% is applied to the calibration of spectrum intensity distribution of the vacuum ultraviolet instruments as an absolute standard source. The Penning source, duobplasma source and hollow cathode source are able to produce atomic and ionic line spectra as a wavelength standard source, which covers a few nanometers to several tens nanometers with spectrum radiation stability and repeatability of +/-1.0%. In particular, the low debris laser produced plasma source with liquid aerosol spray target recently developed can emit stronger soft X-ray for soft X-ray lithography and metrology, which has a transfer efficiency as high as 0.75%/2pi x sr/2% bandwidth.

[Soft X-ray reflectometer with laser produced plasma source].

A soft X-ray reflectometor with laser-produced plasma source developed in the authorial lab is presented for the measurements of efficiencies of gratings, transmission of filter and reflectance of multilayer coatings. The reflectometer is composed of a soft X-ray laser-produced plasma source, a grazing incidence monochromator with a constant deviation angle, a vacuum chamber, a sample table, a photo-electronic unit and a computer controlling unit. The working wavelength is from 8 to 30 nm and the maximum sample size is 130 mm long by 120 mm wide by 120 mm high. In order to test the performances of the reflectometer, the reflectivity of multilayer coatings was obtained by using this device. The measured results agree well with the theoretical calculation. The reproducibility of measured reflectance is +/-0.6%.

[Method to measure spectrum intensity from laser plasma soft X-ray source].

This paper presents a method to detect and measure spectrum intensity from a laser plasma soft X-ray source. A Channel Electron Multiplier (CEM) and a calibrated silicon photodiode were used as detectors in this method, the former is a nonstandard detector and the latter is a standard one. Charge-sensitive preamplifiers were used for measuring total charges generated by detectors, and a monochromator with high resolution was employed as the spectrometer. The formulae to calculate spectrum intensity from laser plasma soft X-ray source was given, based on the known grating efficiency of the monochromator, CEM's gain and responsivity of the silicon photodiode to photons.

[Experimental investigation of laser plasma soft X-ray source with gas target].

This paper describes a debris-free laser plasma soft X-ray source with a gas target, which has high operating frequency and can produce strong soft X-ray radiation. The valve of this light source is drived by a piezoelectrical ceramic whose operating frequency is up to 400 Hz. In comparison with laser plasma soft X-ray sources using metal target, the light source is debris-free. And it has higher operating frequency than gas target soft X-ray sources whose nozzle is controlled by a solenoid valve. A channel electron multiplier (CEM) operating in analog mode is used to detect the soft X-ray generated by the laser plasma source, and the CEM's output is fed to to a charge-sensitive preamplifier for further amplification purpose. Output charges from the CEM are proportional to the amplitude of the preamplifier's output voltage. Spectra of CO2, Xe and Kr at 8-14 nm wavelength which can be used for soft X-ray projection lithography are measured. The spectrum for CO2 consists of separate spectral lines originate mainly from the transitions in Li-like and Be-like ions. The Xe spectrum originating mainly from 4d-5f, 4d-4f, 4d-6p and 4d-5p transitions in multiply charged xenon ions. The spectrum for Kr consists of separate spectral lines and continuous broad spectra originating mainly from the transitions in Cu-, Ni-, Co- and Fe-like ions.