Abstract: A system including an electron beam source for providing an electron beam and at least one undulator system configured to produce free-electron laser (FEL) radiation is described. The undulator system includes undulators and at least one optical section between the undulators. The undulators are configured to induce the electron beam to microbunch and radiate coherently. The optical section(s) are configured to operate on the electron beam and the FEL radiation generated by the electron beam.

Abstract: A high power extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam is produced. An electron beam is injected in a compact electron storage ring configured for emission of free-electron laser (FEL) radiation. The electron beam is passed through a magnetic undulator on each of a plurality of successive revolutions of the electron beam around the compact electron storage ring. The electron beam is induced to microbunch and radiate coherently while passing through the magnetic undulator. A portion of the free-electron laser radiation at an extreme ultraviolet wavelength produced by an interaction of the electron beam through the magnetic undulator is outputted.

Abstract: A high power extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam is produced. An electron beam is injected in a compact electron storage ring configured for emission of free-electron laser (FEL) radiation. The electron beam is passed through a magnetic undulator on each of a plurality of successive revolutions of the electron beam around the compact electron storage ring. The electron beam is induced to microbunch and radiate coherently while passing through the magnetic undulator. A portion of the free-electron laser radiation at an extreme ultraviolet wavelength produced by an interaction of the electron beam through the magnetic undulator is outputted.

Abstract: The manufactured structure is illuminated with an x-ray beam. The manufactured structure is positioned at a selected grazing angle and a selected rotation angle with respect to the x-ray beam. The selected rotation angle has been selected to enhance in-plane diffraction of reflections of the x-ray beam by the manufactured structure. A grazing in-plane diffraction beam produced by interference with the periodic feature is detected. A property of the grazing in-plane diffraction beam is determined by the critical dimension.

Abstract: A high power extreme ultraviolet (EUV) beam is produced. An electron beam is injected in a compact electron storage ring configured for emission of free-electron laser (FEL) radiation. The electron beam is passed through a magnetic undulator on each of a plurality of successive revolutions of the electron beam around the compact electron storage ring. The electron beam is induced to microbunch and radiate coherently while passing through the magnetic undulator. A portion of the free-electron laser radiation at an extreme ultraviolet wavelength produced by an interaction of the electron beam through the magnetic undulator is outputted.

Abstract: The manufactured structure is illuminated with an x-ray beam. The manufactured structure is positioned at a selected grazing angle and a selected rotation angle with respect to the x-ray beam. The selected rotation angle has been selected to enhance in-plane diffraction of reflections of the x-ray beam by the manufactured structure. A grazing in-plane diffraction beam produced by interference with the periodic feature is detected. A property of the grazing in-plane diffraction beam is determined by the critical dimension.

Abstract: A Compton backscattering x-ray source includes an electron storage ring for storing electron bunches. A timing system refreshes an orbiting electron bunch according to a schedule selected to improve at least one attribute of x-ray emission. In one implementation, the electron bunch is periodically refreshed with a period of at least about 10 Hz.

Abstract: A mirror is reflective to light and transmissive to x-rays. The mirror has a continuous mirror surface and an x-ray aperture within a body portion of the mirror proximate the continuous mirror surface that is transmissive to x-rays.

Abstract: A high finesse optical resonator is used to store optical pulses of a mode-locked laser. The mode-locked laser is frequency stabilized by monitoring an optical attribute of the high finesse optical resonator indicative of a difference between a center frequency of the mode-locked laser and a resonant frequency of the high finesse optical resonator. In one embodiment FM sideband modulation is used to stabilize the mode-locked laser pulses.

Abstract: A passive optical resonator stores optical pulses within a cavity to increase the optical power level of input pulses via resonant reflections without the use of an internal optical gain medium. In one embodiment for a Compton backscattering system, the optical resonator is a passive high finesse optical resonator that includes a mirror that is transmissive to x-rays.

Abstract: A Compton backscattering x-ray source includes an electron storage ring for storing electron bunches. A timing system refreshes an orbiting electron bunch according to a schedule selected to improve at least one attribute of x-ray emission. In one implementation, the electron bunch is periodically refreshed with a period of at least about 10 Hz.

Abstract: A mirror is reflective to light and transmissive to x-rays. The mirror has a continuous mirror surface and an x-ray aperture within a body portion of the mirror proximate the continuous mirror surface that is transmissive to x-rays.

Abstract: A high-intensity, inexpensive and collimated x-ray source for applications such as x-ray lithography is disclosed. An intense pulse from a high power laser, stored in a high-finesse resonator, repetitively collides nearly head-on with and Compton backscatters off a bunched electron beam, having relatively low energy and circulating in a compact storage ring. Both the laser and the electron beams are tightly focused and matched at the interaction region inside the optical resonator. The laser-electron interaction not only gives rise to x-rays at the desired wavelength, but also cools and stabilizes the electrons against intrabeam scattering and Coulomb repulsion with each other in the storage ring. This cooling provides a compact, intense bunch of electrons suitable for many applications. In particular, a sufficient amount of x-rays can be generated by this device to make it an excellent and flexible Compton backscattered x-ray (CBX) source for high throughput x-ray lithography and many other applications.

Abstract: A high-intensity, inexpensive and collimated x-ray source for applications such as x-ray lithography is disclosed. An intense pulse from a high power laser, stored in a high-finesse resonator, repetitively collides nearly head-on with and Compton backscatters off a bunched electron beam, having relatively low energy and circulating in a compact storage ring. Both the laser and the electron beams are tightly focused and matched at the interaction region inside the optical resonator. The laser-electron interaction not only gives rise to x-rays at the desired wavelength, but also cools and stabilizes the electrons against intrabeam scattering and Coulomb repulsion with each other in the storage ring. This cooling provides a compact, intense bunch of electrons suitable for many applications. In particular, a sufficient amount of x-rays can be generated by this device to make it an excellent and flexible Compton backscattered x-ray (CBX) source for high throughput x-ray lithography and many other applications.

Abstract: A high-power RF switching device employs a semiconductor wafer positioned in the third port of a three-port RF device. A controllable source of directed energy, such as a suitable laser or electron beam, is aimed at the semiconductor material. When the source is turned on, the energy incident on the wafer induces an electron-hole plasma layer on the wafer, changing the wafer's dielectric constant, turning the third port into a termination for incident RF signals, and. causing all incident RF signals to be reflected from the surface of the wafer. The propagation constant of RF signals through port 3, therefore, can be changed by controlling the beam. By making the RF coupling to the third port as small as necessary, one can reduce the peak electric field on the unexcited silicon surface for any level of input power from port 1, thereby reducing risk of damaging the wafer by RF with high peak power.