Comparison of Mo/Si and NbC/Si lamellar multilayer gratings near Si absorption edge

Ankita Niranjan, Mohammed H. Modi, Amol Singh, Mourad Idir, and G. S. Lodha

Citation: AIP Conference Proceedings 1591, 687 (2014); doi: 10.1063/1.4872720

View online: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4872720
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 Comparison of Mo/Si and NbC/Si Lamellar Multilayer
Gratings Near Si Absorption Edge
Ankita Niranjan1, Mohammed H Modi2,*, Amol Singh2, Mourad Idir3, G.S. Lodha2

1
Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi 110 016 India
2
X-ray Optics Section, ISU Division, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 452 013 India
3
Brookhaven National Laboratory – NSLS II, 50 Rutherford Dr. Upton 11973-5000,NY, USA.
*
Corresponding Author Email: modimh@rrcat.gov.in

Abstract. Multilayer gratings are important optical elements for obtaining a high efficiency high resolution performance in
the soft x-ray region. Though the Mo/Si multilayer poses a poor thermal stability, it is a preferred combination for multilayer
coating near the 6L/HGJHUHJLRQ Ȝ Å). As a substitute to Mo/Si, a structure comprised of compound material NbC was
proposed recently which exhibits superior thermal stability with identical reflectivity performance. In the present study, an
analytical solution for grating efficiency calculation presented in Ref 2 by Kozhevnikov et al. is used to calculate theoretical
performance of lamellar multilayer grating (LMG) comprised of Mo/Si and NbC/Si structure. Simulation results suggest that
the performance of lamellar grating comprised of NbC/Si multilayer is identical with that obtained using Mo/Si multilayer
grating.
Keywords: X-ray Optics, Lamellar Multilayer Gratings, Diffraction efficiency, Resolution.
PACS: 42.79.Dj; 78.67.Pt; 41.85.Si; 41.50.+h

INTRODUCTION used to calculate the diffraction efficiencies for zeroth

and higher orders as well for Mo/Si and NbC/Si LMGs.
Multilayer mirror is a vertical periodic structure where
the phenomenon of constructive interference between the
waves reflected from successive interfaces increases the THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
reflectivity in a Bragg condition. Grating is a horizontal
periodic structure which disperses the light into its
components with high resolution. The dispersion and high
resolution quality of a grating and high reflectivity of a
multilayer mirror can be combined together by depositing
a multilayer in a grating structure or by making a grating
structure in a multilayer coated sample and finally one
obtains a multilayer grating. A schematic of a Lamellar
Multilayer Grating (LMG) is shown in Fig. 1
Mo/Si is a suitable combination for multilayer coating
to obtain high reflectivity near Silicon L-edge region
Ȝ Å). It, however, has a severe drawback of poor
thermal stability which results in degradation of the
structure by formation of silicides at higher temperatures.
NbC/Si has recently shown [1] to exhibit excellent
thermal stability and comparable reflectivity as one FIGURE 1. Schematic of the cross section of a LMG. The
obtains with Mo/Si multilayer mirrors. In the present multilayer structure is in the vertical direction while the
grating structure is in the horizontal direction. An incident
study diffraction efficiency of Mo/Si and NbC/Si LMGs
beam diffracted into multiple orders is shown.
are calculated to compare their suitability for multilayer
grating applications. We consider an LMG with alternate layers of absorber
Kozhevnikov et al [2] has given an analytic theory of (A) and spacer (S). The bilayer period is denoted by d,
diffraction by lamellar multilayer gratings in soft x-ray VSDFHU ZLGWK LV ȖG Ȗ LV taken such that the efficiency is
regime. In this theory we limit ourselves to the single maximum for both NbC/Si and Mo/Si LMG. The grating
order regime as found in [3]. Single order operating is considered infinite in the horizontal direction with the
regime is when the individual diffraction orders do not grating period D. The energy of incident beam is taken
overlap (graphically) or an incident wave can only excite near the Si L absorption edge.
a single diffracted wave (analytically). The analytical formula used to simulate for diffraction
We have developed a computer code in a MATLAB, efficiency by grating is given by Kozhevnikov et al [2].
implementing the theory proposed in Ref [2]. The code is

Solid State Physics

AIP Conf. Proc. 1591, 687-689 (2014); doi: 10.1063/1.4872720
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 tan() = [ +   /(   )] The simulations are performed for the following
parameters: lamellar ZLGWK WR JUDWLQJ SHULRG UDWLR ī  
 ELOD\HU ZLGWK G  QP*UDWLQJSHULRG '  ī
 tanh ()
=
 tanh()   
0.8
NbC/Si
0.7 Mo/Si
where,
0.6

Efficiency (Rn)
sin 0 + sin   0.5
= 
2sin 0 sin  0.4

 sin 0 + sin  0.3

+ 2sin 0 sin   ;
2 2 0.2
0.1
B± = (   )!±" #$% ; 
0.0
& 46 48 50 52 54
=   .
2sin 0 sin  Grazing Incident Angle (T)

FIGURE 3. Simulated diffraction efficiency curve for

Here, ' is the incident angle, % is the diffracted the negative first order of Mo/Si and NbC/Si LMGs.
angle. Also, * is defined as * =  + , -  1 . where
 and  are polarizability of absorber and spacer layer, 0.7 NbC/Si
Mo/Si
respectively. U is the piecewise function representing the
0.6
grating structure in horizontal direction (x), given by
0.5
Efficiency (Rn)

283
#(3; , 5) = # exp 6 7 9; 0.4
5
0.3
#0 = , #8:0 = [1 >3?( 28)]/ (28).
0.2

0.1
Similarly, u is the piecewise periodic function
representing the bilayer structure in vertical direction (z). 0.0
It is given by 48 50 52 54 56 58 60
283 Grazing Incident Angle (T)
!(@; A, ) = ! exp 6 7 9;

FIGURE 4. Simulated diffraction efficiency curve for
the positive first order of Mo/Si and NbC/Si LMGs.
!' = A; ! C' = [1 >3?( 28A)]/ (28).
QP QXPEHU RI ELOD\HUV 1   ī VSDFHU ZLGWK WR
ELOD\HUSHULRGUDWLRȖ IRU1E&6L  Ȗ IRU0R6L 
0.8 = 0.3975 at E= 99.2 eV (Si L absorption edge). The
NbC/Si
Mo/Si YDOXHVIRURSWLFDOFRQVWDQWVįDQGȕDUHWDNHQIURPCXRO
0.7 website. Using these parameters the diffraction efficiency
0.6 for Mo/Si and NbC/Si LMGs as a function of grazing
Efficiency (Rn)

0.5 incident angle are calculated.

0.4 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
0.3 Zero order diffraction efficiency curve for Mo/Si and
0.2 NbC/Si LMG are plotted in Fig. 2. The results suggest
0.1 that the peak value for zeroth order diffraction efficiency
for NbC/Si (75.47%) is marginally less than that of Mo/Si
0.0 (76.24%).
48 50 52 54 56
The diffraction efficiency for negative first order (-1)
Grazing Incident Angle (T)
is also calculated for the same set of parameters. The
FIGURE 2. Simulated diffraction efficiency curve for results plotted in Fig. 3. It is found that the efficiency for
zeroth order of Mo/Si and NbC/Si LMGs. NbC/Si structure is 73.78% whereas it is 75.96% for
Mo/Si LMG. The difference in efficiency value is 2.18%

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 Results of diffraction efficiency for positive first order
are plotted in Fig. 4. The NbC/Si LMG exhibit 65.59%
diffraction efficiency whereas the Mo/Si structure shows
slightly higher efficiency of 67.56%.
Finally, the diffraction efficiency of Mo/Si LMG and
NbC/Si LMG are found identical with marginal
difference of~2%. In the previous study [1] it was
reported that the NbC/Si multilayer exhibits superior
thermal stability hence this combination can be used for
soft x-ray multilayer grating applications where high
throughput and high stability is required.
CONCLUSIONS
In the present study we have shown that the
diffraction efficiency for NbC/Si Lamellar multilayer
grating is comparable to that of Mo/Si for the given set of
parameters. It is known that NbC/Si has high thermal
stability while Mo/Si multilayer degrades by forming
silicides at the interfaces. Thence we conclude NbC/Si is
a more suitable material combination than Mo/Si in order
to fabricate LMGs with high diffraction efficiency near
silicon L-edge region.

REFERENCES
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K.-J. Boller, and F. Bijkerk, Opt. Express 18, 16234–16242
(2010).
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