Experimental study of the stability and reflective properties of depleted uranium thin films at a wavelength of 4.5 nm

A technology of depleted uranium thin films, which can be used as high-reflectivity X-ray mirrors at a wavelength of 4.5 nm, is presented. The coefficient of X-ray reflection by these mirrors varies from 90 to 10% at grazing angles between 1° and 10°. The stability of the reflection coefficients for 200-Å-thick depleted uranium films covered by a protective carbon layer 100 and 200 Å in thickness and for 200-Å-thick uranium-nickel films with a nickel content of 9 and 23 wt % is studied. A high-reflectivity mirror is fabricated with the goal of increasing the X-ray radiation intensity in RKK-1-100 X-ray calibration equipment. Advice on fabrication of X-ray mirrors based on depleted uranium films is given.