The disclosure provides a method that includes filling a cavity in a substrate with a second material, wherein the substrate includes a first material. The method also includes using galvanic and/or chemical deposition of a third material to apply an overcoating to a first surface of the substrate in a region of the cavity. The method further includes removing the second material from the cavity. In addition, the method includes, before or after removing the second material from the cavity, applying a reflective layer to the overcoating. The disclosure also provides related optical articles and systems.

A radiation phase change detection method includes: arranging a two-dimensional optical image pickup element, which includes a scintillator, so that, when a period of a self-image generated through a phase grating is defined as D.sub.1, and a pixel pitch of the two-dimensional optical image pickup element is defined as D.sub.2=kD.sub.1, k falls in a range of 1/2<k≦3/2, and so that interference fringes formed by D.sub.1 and D.sub.2 depending on a relationship in arrangement of the two-dimensional optical image pickup element with respect to the self-image have a period of 2 times D.sub.2 or more and 100 times D.sub.2 or less; acquiring images of the interference fringes before and after insertion of an object; and outputting an image on a phase change of the radiation caused by at least the object.

The invention relates to gratings for X-ray differential phase-contrast imaging, a focus detector arrangement and X-ray system for generating phase-contrast images of an object and a method of phase-contrast imaging for examining an object of interest. In order to provide gratings with a high aspect ratio but low costs, a grating for X-ray differential phase-contrast imaging is proposed, comprising a first sub-grating (112), and at least a second sub-grating (114; 116; 118), wherein the sub-gratings each comprise a body structure (120) with bars (122) and gaps (124) being arranged periodically with a pitch (a), wherein the sub-gratings (112; 114; 116; 118) are arranged consecutively in the direction of the X-ray beam, and wherein the sub-gratings (112; 114; 116; 118) are positioned displaced to each other perpendicularly to the X-ray beam.

The invention relates to gratings for X-ray differential phase-contrast imaging, a focus detector arrangement and X-ray system for generating phase-contrast images of an object and a method of phase-contrast imaging for examining an object of interest. In order to provide gratings with a high aspect ratio but low costs, a grating for X-ray differential phase-contrast imaging is proposed, comprising a first sub-grating (112), and at least a second sub-grating (114; 116; 118), wherein the sub-gratings each comprise a body structure (120) with bars (122) and gaps (124) being arranged periodically with a pitch (a), wherein the sub-gratings (112; 114; 116; 118) are arranged consecutively in the direction of the X-ray beam, and wherein the sub-gratings (112; 114; 116; 118) are positioned displaced to each other perpendicularly to the X-ray beam.

A beam dump apparatus may include: an attenuator module; a beam dump module; and a control unit. The attenuator module includes: a first beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis of a laser beam at a first angle; a second beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis at a second angle; a first beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the first beam splitter enters thereinto; a second beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the second beam splitter enters thereinto; and a first stage that causes the beam splitters to advance into and retreat from the optical path. The beam dump module includes: a mirror; a third beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the mirror enters thereinto; and a second stage that causes the mirror to advance into and retreat from the optical path.

A beam dump apparatus may include: an attenuator module; a beam dump module; and a control unit. The attenuator module includes: a first beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis of a laser beam at a first angle; a second beam splitter provided inclined with respect to the optical axis at a second angle; a first beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the first beam splitter enters thereinto; a second beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the second beam splitter enters thereinto; and a first stage that causes the beam splitters to advance into and retreat from the optical path. The beam dump module includes: a mirror; a third beam dumper provided such that the laser beam from the mirror enters thereinto; and a second stage that causes the mirror to advance into and retreat from the optical path.

A neutron activator for neutron activation of a material, the neutron activator being configured to produce neutrons from an interaction with a proton beam (7), the neutron activator comprising: a neutron source comprising a metallic target (1), and a Beryllium first reflector-moderator (4) peripheral to the neutron source and comprising a neutron activation area (10) configured to accommodate the neutron source and the material to be activated, the neutron activation area (10) of the first reflector-moderator (4) comprising a bore configured to accommodate the neutron source.

The invention relates to a method for determining the thickness of a contaminating layer and/or the type of a contaminating material on a surface (7) in an optical system, in particular on a surface (7) in an EUV lithography system, comprising: irradiating the surface (7) on which plasmonic nanoparticles (8a,b) are formed with measurement radiation (10), detecting the measurement radiation (10a) scattered at the plasmonic nanoparticles (8a,b), and determining the thickness of the contaminating layer and/or the type of the contaminating material on the basis of the detected measurement radiation (10a). The invention also relates to an optical element (1) for reflecting EUV radiation (4), and to an EUV lithography system.

A mirror, in particular for a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus has an optically effective surface (11), a mirror substrate (12), a reflection layer stack (21) for reflecting electromagnetic radiation that is incident on the optical effective surface, and at least two piezoelectric layers (16a, 16b, 16c), which are arranged successively between the mirror substrate and the reflection layer stack in the stack direction of the reflection layer stack and to which an electric field can be applied to produce a locally variable deformation, wherein at least one intermediate layer (22a, 22b) made of crystalline material is arranged between the piezoelectric layers (16a, 16b, 16c), wherein the intermediate layer is designed to leave an electric field, which is present in the region of the piezoelectric layers (16a, 16b, 16c) that adjoin the intermediate layer (22a, 22b) in the stack direction of the reflection layer stack (21), substantially uninfluenced.

A grazing incidence X-ray fluorescence spectrometer (1) of the present invention includes: a bent spectroscopic device (4) to monochromate X-rays (3) from an X-ray source (2) and generate an X-ray beam (5) focused on a fixed position (15) on a surface of a sample (S); a slit member (6) disposed between the bent spectroscopic device (4) and the sample (S) and having a linear opening (61); a slit member moving unit (7) to move the slit member (6) in a direction that intersects the X-ray beam (5) passing through the linear opening (61); a glancing angle setting unit (8) to move the slit member (6) by using the slit member moving unit (7), and set a glancing angle (α) of the X-ray beam (5) to a desired angle; and a detector (10) to measure an intensity of fluorescent X-rays (9) from the sample (S) irradiated with the X-ray beam (5).