Method and system for manufacturing a target for the emission of photon radiation, particularly X rays, or of particles, particularly protons or electrons, by laser firing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9139898-B2
Application number	US-201414187685-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 24, 2014
Priority date	Mar 20, 2013
Publication date	Sep 22, 2015
Grant date	Sep 22, 2015

Abstract

A method of manufacturing a target for the generation of radiation of photons, protons or electrons by means of a laser, including: forming a support including first and second surfaces connected by openings, and forming in an enclosure a layer of material on the first surface by protecting the first surface with a protection element, injecting into the enclosure a gas of filling material, adjusting the pressure in the enclosure and the temperature of the support to form plugs of material in the openings of the support, and maintaining the temperature of the support and the pressure in the enclosure at values to maintain the plugs, followed by withdrawing the protection element from the first surface, and forming a layer of metallic material on the first surface of the support and on the plugs. The pressure and support temperature are then modified to remove the plugs.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a target for the generation of radiation of photons or of particles by a laser, comprising:
forming a support comprising a first surface, a second surface, and openings passing through the support from the first surface to the second surface; and
forming in an enclosure a layer of material on the first surface of the support, wherein the forming of the layer of material on the support comprises:
protecting the first surface of the support with a protection element;
injecting into the enclosure a gas of filling material;
adjusting the pressure in the enclosure and the temperature of the support to form solid plugs of the filling material in the openings of the support;
stopping the injection of the gas of the filling material into the enclosure;
maintaining the temperature of the support and the pressure in the enclosure at values to keep the plugs solid in the openings of the support and, while the temperature is maintained:
withdrawing the protection element from the first surface of the support to expose the first surface; and
forming the layer of material on the first surface of the support and on the solid plugs filling the openings; and

modifying the conditions of pressure in the enclosure and of support temperature to clear the openings of the support of the solid plugs.

2. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the support is planar, and the protection thereof comprises placing the first surface of the support against a planar solid surface.

3. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the forming of the solid plugs comprises adjusting the pressure in the enclosure to a predetermined pressure and cooling the support to a temperature lower than the temperature of the triple point of the material forming the gas.

4. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material is deposited on the first surface of the support by physical vapor deposition.

5. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the closure comprises an injection circuit that injects gas, means capable of adjusting the internal pressure thereof, means capable of adjusting the temperature of the support to temperatures lower than the triple point of the material forming the gas, and means capable of vaporizing a solid metal element placed in contact therewith, and wherein the placing into contact of the support with the gas, the forming of the plugs filling the openings of the support, and the physical vapor deposition are performed in the enclosure while maintaining a pressure lower than 10 −3 mbar.

6. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the withdrawal of the protection element from the first surface of the support comprises heating said support to separate the element from the solid plugs filling the openings of the support and drawing the protection element away from the first surface of the support.

7. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the clearing of the openings of the support comprises adjusting the temperature of the support and/or the pressure of the gas to sublimate the solid plugs.

8. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the filling material is argon, nitrogen, krypton, or xenon.

9. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material is a metal layer.

10. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the layer of material is smaller than or equal to 500 nanometers.

11. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material comprises a metal layer and a dihydrogen or deuterium layer.

12. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 11 , wherein the metal layer has a thickness between 20 nanometers and 100 nanometers, and wherein the dihydrogen or deuterium layer has a thickness between 20 nanometers and 100 nanometers.

13. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the openings of the support are truncated cones widening from the first surface of the support to the second surface of the support.

14. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 1 , wherein the openings of the support are arranged in a circle and angularly spaced apart in regular fashion.

15. The method of manufacturing a target of claim 9 , wherein the thickness of the layer of material is smaller than or equal to 50 nanometers.

Assignees

• Commissariat Energie Atomique

Inventors

• Perin Jean-Paul

Classifications

• C23C14/505

  for rotation of the substrates · CPC title

• C23C14/228 Primary

  Gas flow assisted PVD deposition · CPC title

• C23C14/14

  Metallic material, boron or silicon · CPC title

• C23C14/541

  Heating or cooling of the substrates · CPC title

• H01J2235/085

  Target treatment, e.g. ageing, heating · CPC title