Compact x-ray microscope for the water window based on a high brightness laser plasma source

Legall, Herbert; Blobel, G.; Stiel, H.; Sandner, W.; Seim, Christian; Takman, Per; Martz, Dale; Selin, Mårten; Vogt, Ulrich; Hertz, Hans M.; Esser, Dominik; Sipma, H.; Luttmann, J.; Höfer, M.; Hoffmann, Hans-Dieter; Yulin, Sergiy; Feigl, Torsten; Rehbein, Stefan; Guttmann, Peter; Schneider, Gerd; Wiesemann, U.; Wirtz, M.; Diete, W.

doi:10.1364/oe.20.018362

Cited by 115 publications

(54 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…Using xenon gas discharge source a sub-100 nm zone-plate based zooming EUV microscope was demonstrated combining Schwarzschild objective coupled to a zone plate for second stage magnification 19 . Very nice results were also recently demonstrated by Legall et al, 20 , where using liquid nitrogen target based system and 1.3kHz repetition rate Nd:YAG laser they were able to record images of biological samples and nanostructures with half-pitch spatial resolution of 40-50nm, however, this system (laser driver especially) was quite complicated and large comparing to other compact sources. Another interesting and already well established technique for obtaining high resolution images of samples is projection imaging called contact microscopy.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Soft x-ray imaging with incoherent sources

et al. 2017

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In this work we present experimental, compact desk-top SXR microscope, the EUV microscope which is at this stage a technology demonstrator, and finally, the SXR contact microscope. The systems are based on laser-plasma EUV and SXR sources, employing a double stream gas puff target. The EUV and SXR full field microscopes, operating at 13.8 nm and 2.88 nm wavelengths, respectively, are capable of imaging nanostructures with a sub-50 nm spatial resolution with relatively short (seconds) exposure times. The SXR contact microscope operates in the "water-window" spectral range, to produce an imprint of the internal structure of the sample in a thin layer of SXR light sensitive photoresist. Applications of such desk-top EUV and SXR microscopes for studies of variety of different samples -test objects for resolution assessment and other objects such as carbon membranes, DNA plasmid samples, organic and inorganic thin layers, diatoms, algae and carcinoma cells, are also presented. Details about the sources, the microscopes as well as the imaging results for various objects will be presented and discussed. The development of such compact imaging systems may be important to the new research related to biological, material science and nanotechnology applications.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 60%

Soft x-ray imaging with incoherent sources

et al. 2017

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“…This system combines Schwarzschild objective and a zone plate for second stage magnification [25]. Very nice results were also recently demonstrated by Legall et al [26], using a liquid nitrogen target based system and a 1.3 kHz repetition rate Nd:YAG laser to record images of biological samples and nanostructures with half-pitch spatial resolution of 40-50 nm. The only drawbacks are that it is a quite complicated system and it is larger than other sources.…”

Section: Introduction and Previous Achievementsmentioning

confidence: 72%

Bioimaging Using Full Field and Contact EUV and SXR Microscopes with Nanometer Spatial Resolution

et al. 2017

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We present our recent results, related to nanoscale imaging in the extreme ultraviolet (EUV) and soft X-ray (SXR) spectral ranges and demonstrate three novel imaging systems recently developed for the purpose of obtaining high spatial resolution images of nanoscale objects with the EUV and SXR radiations. All the systems are based on laser-plasma EUV and SXR sources, employing a double stream gas puff target. The EUV and SXR full field microscopes-operating at 13.8 nm and 2.88 nm wavelengths, respectively-are currently capable of imaging nanostructures with a sub-50 nm spatial resolution with relatively short (seconds) exposure times. The third system is a SXR contact microscope, operating in the "water-window" spectral range (2.3-4.4 nm wavelength), to produce an imprint of the internal structure of the investigated object in a thin surface layer of SXR light sensitive poly(methyl methacrylate) photoresist. The development of such compact imaging systems is essential to the new research related to biological science, material science, and nanotechnology applications in the near future. Applications of all the microscopes for studies of biological samples including carcinoma cells, diatoms, and neurons are presented. Details about the sources, the microscopes, as well as the imaging results for various objects will be shown and discussed.

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“…Some examples of this demonstrate the use of synchrotronbased sources [4] reaching spatial resolution of ~10 nm [5] or using 13.5 nm wavelength for lithography-related such system to a few images per day [17,18]. Much more rapid exposures of 60 s were required to image objects with 40-nm spatial resolution, employing a high average power laser system for plasma generation, occupying, however, several optical tables [19], which in turn limit future possibility of commercialization. Generally speaking, a tradeoff in the short-wavelength EUV and SXR imaging can be seen between the performance, complexity and compactness of the system, which is still a major obstacle in widespread short-wavelength photon-based microscopes.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

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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Compact x-ray microscope for the water window based on a high brightness laser plasma source

Cited by 115 publications

References 21 publications

Soft x-ray imaging with incoherent sources

Soft x-ray imaging with incoherent sources

Bioimaging Using Full Field and Contact EUV and SXR Microscopes with Nanometer Spatial Resolution

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

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