We have not been active on the website but we wanted to briefly update on our projects. Please feel free to contact us for any updates or inquiries.
- We have continued to refine CAT grating fabrication techniques and we fabricated several x-ray testable freestanding gratings. We demonstrated techniques to fabricate gratings 32 mm on a side and can fabricate larger ones if necessary.
- The CAT grating was resolution tested in an x-ray beamline to 10,000. This was a test to separate wavelengths as a working spectrometer including focusing optics. This is quite significant since this was a complete system test as part of an actual instrument. The gratings were not shown to degrade the point spread function of the optics suggesting they could be integrated into another system to achieve much higher resolution as well. This work was published by Dr. Ralf Heilmann et al.
- We have refined our techniques to fabricate blazed reflection gratings to eliminate rough edges and pattern large areas. Our gratings are currently being efficiency tested at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and we will publish results as they become available.
- We continued development of “liquid metal actuation” to adjust solder joints for x-ray optics to a precision of 50 nm. We also developed an alternative technique, “ThermoYield“, to adjust attachment posts via pulses of electricity to 10 nm precision.
- We are researching techniques to reduce the deformation of x-ray mirrors from the stress in the bonds to the support structure.
- We continue to offer services in general micro/nanofabrication. A few highlights include microfluidics and CMOS transistors. A few other fabrication projects are underway and we will post more when our customers clear their announcement.