Device for cryogenically fabricating source material for plasma X-ray lasers

Claim 1

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: cooling means for cooling a substrate of the normally-solid material below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material, including a thermally conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall, and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally solid material; and supply means for supplying a continual source of gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target.

Claim 2

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: cooling means for cooling a substrate of the normally-solid material below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material, including a thermally conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall, and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally solid material; and supply means for supplying a continual source of gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target.

Claim 5

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: cooling means, for cooling a substrate of the normally-solid material below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material, including a thermally-conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally-solid material, and a cryostat connected to the bottom face of the block for maintaining the block at a temperature below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material; and supply means, for supplying a gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally-gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target, including a thermally-insulating jacket sealingly enclosing the side wall of the block and a removable thermally-insulating cap sealingly engaging the top of the jacket to cap the top face of the block, the cap having a hole adapted to coincide with the mounted substrate and to communicate with an external pressurized supply of the normally-gaseous material and also with an external vacuum pump.

Claim 6

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: cooling means, for cooling a substrate of the normally-solid material below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material, including a thermally-conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally-solid material, and a cryostat connected to the bottom face of the block for maintaining the block at a temperature below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material; and supply means, for supplying a gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally-gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target, including a thermally-insulating jacket sealingly enclosing the side wall of the block and a removable thermally-insulating cap sealingly engaging the top of the jacket to cap the top face of the block, the cap having a hole adapted to coincide with the mounted substrate and to communicate with an external pressurized supply of the normally-gaseous material and also with an external vacuum pump.

Claim 7

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: a thermally-conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall, and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally-solid material; a cryostat connected to the bottom face of the block for maintaining the block at a temperature below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material to cool the substrate below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material; a thermally-insulating jacket sealingly enclosing the side wall of the block; a removable thermally-insulating cap sealingly engaging the top of the jacket to cap the top face of the block, the cap having a hole adapted to coincide with the mounted substrate and to communicate with an external pressurized supply of the normally-gaseous material and also with an external vacuum pump to supply a gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally-gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target; and a cap-remover.

Claim 8

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: a thermally-conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall, and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally-solid material; a cryostat connected to the bottom face of the block for maintaining the block at a temperature below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material to cool the substrate below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material; a thermally-insulating jacket sealingly enclosing the side wall of the block; a removable thermally-insulating cap sealingly engaging the top of the jacket to cap the top face of the block, the cap having a hole adapted to coincide with the mounted substrate and to communicate with an external pressurized supply of the normally-gaseous material and also with an external vacuum pump to supply a gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally-gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target; and a cap-remover.

Claim 14

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: a thermally-conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall, and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally-solid material; a housing surrounding the block; external vacuum pumping means communicating with the housing; a thermally-conducting rod disposed inside the housing and connected to the bottom face of the block; a cold-finger passing through the housing and connected to the rod for maintaining the block at a temperature below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material to cool the substrate below the freezing point of the normally gaseous material, the cold-finger having a central channel adapted to receive a coolant and an outer channel adapted for exhausting the evaporated coolant; a radiation shield connected to the cold-finger and surrounding the rod and part of the cold-finger; a thermally-insulating jacket sealingly enclosing the side wall of the block; a removable thermally-insulating cap sealingly engaging the top of the jacket to cap the top face of the block, the cap having a hole adapted to coincide with the mounted substrate and to communicate with an external pressurized supply of the normally-gaseous material and also with an external vacuum pump to supply a gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target; and a normally-expanded bellows having one end connected to the cold-finger and another end connected to the housing for removing the cap.

Claim 15

A device for fabricating a target of a pump material and a lasing material for lasing at X-ray wavelengths, wherein one of the materials is normally solid and the other material is normally gaseous, comprising: a thermally-conducting block having a bottom face, a side wall, and a top face, the top face including a recess for mounting a substrate of the normally-solid material; a housing surrounding the block; external vacuum pumping means communicating with the housing; a thermally-conducting rod disposed inside the housing and connected to the bottom face of the block; a cold-finger passing through the housing and connected to the rod for maintaining the block at a temperature below the freezing point of the normally-gaseous material to cool the substrate below the freezing point of the normally gaseous material, the cold-finger having a central channel adapted to receive a coolant and an outer channel adapted for exhausting the evaporated coolant; a radiation shield connected to the cold-finger and surrounding the rod and part of the cold-finger; a thermally-insulating jacket sealingly enclosing the side wall of the block; a removable thermally-insulating cap sealingly engaging the top of the jacket to cap the top face of the block, the cap having a hole adapted to coincide with the mounted substrate and to communicate with an external pressurized supply of the normally-gaseous material and also with an external vacuum pump to supply a gaseous atmosphere of the normally-gaseous material to the cooled substrate so that a frozen layer of the normally gaseous material condenses onto the substrate to form the target; and a normally-expanded bellows having one end connected to the cold-finger and another end connected to the housing for removing the cap.