Next Generation Diamond Drumhead X-Ray Optics

Future high-impact scientific applications at synchrotron and Free-Electron Laser (FEL) X-ray sources require the development of processing and mounting methods for ultra-thin diamond crystals to meet the most challenging needs of pioneering research at next generation light source facilities. These methods should be capable of manufacturing crystal plates as thin as 10 micrometers over an area of a few mm2, and with a surface cut in different crystal orientations, such as the diamond (100), (111), (110), etc. Great Lakes Crystal Technologies (GLCT) is partnered with Stony Brook University (SUNY) to develop the technology for creating ultra-thin diamond drumhead crystals in customer- desired crystallographic orientations including (100), (111), and (110) directions. GLCT will obtain high quality (100) diamond plates, verify their structural quality via x- ray diffraction analysis, then divide and thin them into 2 @ 50 micron thick plates using a laser cutting process, then polish their top and bottom surfaces to = 1 nm surface RMS, and then seek to thin them in the central few square millimeters area to = 10 microns thickness by applying advanced RIE processing at SUNY, and applying engineering advances along the way towards the goal of creating a high quality drumhead crystals, which will be sent to SLAC for testing and analysis for their performance as an x-ray beam splitter. The proposed technology will benefit advanced x-ray science performed at SLAC and the 70+ additional advanced beamlines around the world. There are also a number of medical and homeland security applications which could benefit from the technology.