NSF Award
9661120
*** ABSTRACT 9661120 Halverson This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate the development of a highly efficient extreme-ultraviolet (EUV) source for absolute intensity and wavelength calibration of UV spectrometers and detectors, space environment simulation, accelerated environmental testing, and EUV surface treatments. An existing UV light source, with electron cyclotron resonance (ECR) plasma heating, has already demonstrated emission at wavelengths down to 30 nm. The goal of this Phase I effort is to generate powerful EUV radiation at even shorter wavelengths. The ECR-heated plasma, when driven by a "Lisitano coil" that maximizes microwave coupling, should produce multiply-charged ions with strong spectral features down to 5-10 nm. During Phase I, Spire will test a prototype Lisitano coil for microwave coupling efficiency; operate the existing UV light source in a modified magnetic field configuration to attain lower pressure, higher temperature ECR-heated plasmas with enhanced EUV emission; measure EUV output; and design a new light source with Lisitano coil excitation that will be built, tested, and calibrated in Phase II. The EUV light source will have much higher intensity, reliability, and reproducibility than duoplasmatrons and arcs and much lower cost than synchrotron radiation sources. In addition to UV instrument calibration, it will be valuable for accelerated environmental testing and surface treatment of medical and other products. ***
