Profile coating for KB mirror applications at the advanced photon source

For microfocusing x-ray mirrors, an elliptical shape is essential for aberration-free optics. However, it is difficult to polish elliptical mirrors to x-ray quality smoothness. A differential coating method to convert a cylindrical mirror to an elliptical one has been previously reported. The differential coating was obtained by varying the sputter source power over a moving substrate. Here we report a new method of profile coating to achieve the same goal more effectively. In the profile coating, the sputter source power is kept constant, while the substrate is passed over a contoured mask at a constant speed. The mask is placed very close to the substrate (within 1.0 mm) on a shield-can over the sputter gun. Four-inch-diameter Si wafers were coated through a 100-mm-long by 152-mm-wide aperture on the top of the shield-can. The thickness distribution was then obtained using a spectroscopic ellipsometer with computer-controlled X-Y translation stages. A model was developed to fit the measured thickness distribution. The relative thickness weightings are then obtained at every point 1mm apart for the entire open area of the aperture. When the substrate is moving across the shield-can during a deposition, the film thickness is directly proportional to the length of the opening on the can along the moving direction. By equating the summation of relative weighting to the required relative thickness at the same position, the length of the opening at that position can be determined. By repeating the same process for the whole length of the required profile, a contour can be obtained for a desired thickness profile. The contoured mask is then placed on the opening of the shield-can. The number of passes and the moving speed of the substrate are determined according to the required thickness and the growth-rate calibration. The mirror coating profile is determined from the difference between the ideal surface figure of a focus ellipse and the surface figure obtained from a long trace profiler measurement on the substrate. Preliminary test results using Au as a coating material are presented.