EUV micropatterning for biocompatibility control of PET

We have investigated the influence of oriented microstructures at modified polyethylene terephthalate (PET) on the adhesion and alignment of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. For surface modification, the PET foils were exposed to the radiation of a laser-plasma extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source based on a double-stream gas-puff target. The emission of the plasma was focused onto the samples by means of a gold-plated ellipsoidal collector. The spectrum of the focused radiation covered the wavelength range from 9 to 70 nm. The PET samples were irradiated with the EUV pulses at a repetition rate of 10 Hz in a high vacuum. For control experiments, PET samples were also irradiated in air with the light of a 193 nm ArF-excimer laser. Different kinds of surface microstructures were obtained depending on the EUV or laser fluence and pulse number, including oriented wall- and ripple-type structures with lateral structure periods of a few μm. The surface morphology of polymer samples after the irradiation was investigated using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Changes in chemical surface structure of the irradiated samples were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). We demonstrated that the cells show good adhesion and align along oriented wall- and ripple-type microstructures on PET surfaces produced by the EUV irradiation.     

Combined effect of EUV irradiation and acetone treatment on PET surface

In this work, the radiation from a laser-plasma extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source based on a double-stream gas-puff target was used for surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The spectrum of the wide band radiation focused with a gold-coated ellipsoidal collector consisted of a narrow feature with maximum at 10 nm and a long-wavelength tail up to 70 nm. The PET samples were mounted in the focal plane of the EUV collector or at some distance downstream this plane and irradiated for 0.1 s–2 min with 10-Hz repetition rate. The polymer samples after irradiation were rinsed in acetone. Surface morphologies of the PET samples after irradiation were investigated using a scanning electron microscope and atomic force microscope. Different kinds of surface micro- and nanostructures were created as a result of irradiation depending on the EUV fluence and number of pulses. Acetone treatment of the polymer samples after irradiation resulted in formation of additional nanostructures. In this case the nanostructures were revealed even after exposure with a single EUV pulse.     

Physical and chemical modifications of PET surface using a laser-plasma EUV source

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is the electromagnetic radiation ranging from vacuum ultraviolet to soft X-rays. A single EUV photon carries enough energy to ionize any atom or molecule. The penetration depth of the radiation in any material is very short, ranging from tens to hundreds nanometers. Intense EUV pulses can remove material from the surface or modify its morphology or/and chemical structure. In this work, the radiation from a laser-plasma EUV source based on a double-stream gas-puff target was used for surface modification of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). The PET samples were irradiated with the EUV pulses emitted from krypton plasma and focused with a gold-plated ellipsoidal collector. The spectrum of the focused radiation covered the wavelength range from 9 to 70 nm. The PET samples were irradiated for 1 s–2 min at a 10-Hz repetition rate. Surface morphology of polymer samples after irradiation was investigated using a scanning electron microscope. Changes in chemical surface structure of the irradiated samples were investigated using an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Different kinds of surface microstructures were obtained depending on the EUV fluence in a single pulse and the total EUV fluence. XPS measurements also revealed a modification of the chemical structure.     

Efficient micromachining of poly(vinylidene fluoride) using a laser-plasma EUV source

In this paper an efficient micromachining of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) by direct photo-etching with a laser-plasma EUV (extreme ultraviolet) source was demonstrated for the first time. Mass spectroscopy was employed to investigate the ablation products and revealed emission of numerous molecular species of C-containing fragments of the polymer chain. Chemical surface changes after irradiation were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The XPS spectra obtained for PVDF samples, irradiated with low and high EUV fluence, indicate significant differences between chemical structures in near-surface layers. It was shown that irradiation with low fluence results in defluorination and thus carbon enrichment of the polymer in near-surface layer. In contrary, irradiation with high fluence leads to intense material ablation and hardly modifies the chemical structure of the remaining material.     

Ablation and surface modifications of PMMA using a laser-plasma EUV source

Surface modification and micro-structuring of polymers for different application is mainly performed using ultraviolet (UV) radiation from excimer lamps or excimer lasers. In this case, however, the radiation penetration depth may exceed 100 μm, thereby degrading the polymer deep inside. On the other hand, extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is absorbed in a layer approximately 100 nm thick only. In this work, the radiation from a laser-plasma EUV source based on a double-stream gas-puff target is focused with a gold-coated ellipsoidal collector for surface modification of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). The spectrum of the focused radiation consists of a narrow feature with maximum at 10 nm and a long-wavelength tail up to 70 nm. The PMMA samples are mounted in the focal plane of the EUV collector or at some distance downstream this plane and irradiated for 10–60 s with 10-Hz repetition rate. The irradiated polymer samples were investigated using a scanning electron microscope. When the EUV fluence exceeds 10 mJ/cm², smooth ablation of PMMA was obtained. For lower fluences but close to this value, strong surface modifications appeared.     

PMMA and FEP surface modifications induced with EUV pulses in two selected wavelength ranges

Surface modification of PMMA and FEP polymers using extreme ultraviolet (EUV) in two spectral ranges was investigated. A laser-plasma EUV source based on a double stream gas puff target equipped with an Au coated ellipsoidal collector was used for the experiment. The spectrum of the focused radiation from Kr plasma consisted of a narrow feature with a maximum at 10 nm and a long-wavelength tail up to 70 nm. Al and Zr filters were employed for the selection of radiation from these two spectral regions. The radiation fluences in the two cases were comparable. Polymer samples were mounted in the focal plane of the EUV collector and irradiated for 1–2 min with a 10 Hz repetition rate. Weak ablation accompanied by creation of micro- and nanostructures of different kinds was obtained in both cases. Significant differences in the surface structures after irradiation of PMMA and FEP in these two spectral regions were revealed.     

Propagation and Damping of Two-Fluid Magnetohydrodynamic Waves in Stratified Solar Atmosphere

An extreme ultra-violet(EUV) wave is characterized as a bright pulse that has emanated from the solar eruption source and can propagate globally in the solar corona. According to one leading theory, the EUV wave is a fast magnetoacoustic wave, as the coronal counterpart of the Moreton wave in the chromosphere. However, previous observations have shown that the EUV wave differs significantly from the Moreton wave in both velocity and lifetime. To reconcile these differences, here we analyze the wave characteristics of a two-fluid MHD model in the stratified solar atmosphere with a height-dependent ionization rate. It is found that the collision between neutral and ionized fluids is able to attenuate the wave amplitude, while causing a slight change in its propagation velocity. Because the chromosphere has the lower ionization rate and the stronger magnetic fields than the corona,the velocity of the Moreton wave is much higher than that of the EUV wave. In contrast to the Moreton waves damped strongly by the collision between neutral and ionized fluids, the EUV wave in the fully ionized corona is able to propagate globally on a time scale of several hours. Our results support the previous theory that fast magnetoacoustic waves account for both EUV and Moreteon waves in the different layers of the solar atmosphere.     

Detection of surface changes of materials caused by intense irradiation with laser-plasma EUV source utilizing scattered or luminescent radiation excited with the EUV pulses

Extreme ultraviolet (EUV) radiation is absorbed in a thin surface layer of any material. Irradiation of material samples with intense EUV pulses may cause different surface changes. Some of them, especially connected with material desorption, can be clearly visible using an optical or electron microscope. Other changes concerning crystal structure or chemical composition may not be visible under the microscope. They can however be detected using the EUV radiation itself. In this paper a new method of measurement of surface changes by irradiation with a laser-plasma EUV source is presented. The radiation was collected and focused on a material surface using a specially designed multifoil collector. Radiation scattered or excited in the material was detected with the use of a Wolter-type mirror coupled to a back-illuminated CCD camera. Depending on material samples, images with different intensity distributions were registered. For some samples, the intensity distributions of the images obtained before and after irradiation were slightly different. The intensity differences in such cases allowed us to obtain differential images. The appearance of such images was assumed to be evidence of surface changes. PACS 42.62.-b; 61.80.-x; 52.25.Os     

交流和纳秒脉冲Ar/H2O介质阻挡放电聚丙烯材料表面亲水改性对比研究

为了提高等离子体对聚合物材料表面处理的应用效果,优化亲水处理的条件,研究了交流和纳秒脉冲氩气介质阻挡放电（DBD）中添加适量H₂O,对聚丙烯（PP）亲水改性的处理效果。利用电学和光学诊断方法,系统地对比了交流DBD和纳秒脉冲DBD的放电特性,结果表明,纳秒电源驱动DBD具有更高的放电瞬时功率,更好的放电均匀性和更高的能量效率。通过测量不同水蒸气含量下DBD的OH发射光谱强度,确定了PP材料亲水性处理中H₂O添加的最优含量。利用交流和纳秒脉冲电源驱动DBD分别对PP材料进行亲水改性的处理,测量了不同条件下改性处理后的表面水接触角,并利用原子力显微镜（AFM）和傅里叶红外光谱（FTIR）分别对处理前后PP材料的表面物理形貌和表面化学成分进行分析。结果发现,经DBD处理后PP材料的水接触角明显降低,表面粗糙度明显增大,表面的亲水性含氧基团,羟基（?OH）和羰基（C=O）的数量大幅增加。相比交流电源,纳秒脉冲DBD处理的改性效果更好,其处理后的材料表面水接触角,比交流DBD处理的低5°左右,表面粗糙度也有所提升。而水蒸气的加入可使PP材料的表面水接触角进一步减小4°左右,表面粗糙度明显提升。研究结果为优化DBD聚合物材料表面改性实验条件及处理的效果提供了重要的参考依据。     

EUV branching ratios for ionized nitrogen and oxygen emissions

Branching ratios of singly ionized atomic nitrogen and oxygen EUV emissions that terminate on the metastable states of the respective ions are presented. The four NII ratios and the 482/515 Å ratio in OII reported represent the first measured values. Details of the wavelength calibration procedures adopted and a brief discussion of two modeling implications of the measured ratios are included.     

Capture into rydberg states and momentum distributions of ionized electrons

The yield of neutral excited atoms and low-energy photoelectrons generated by the electron dynamics in the combined Coulomb and laser field after tunneling is investigated. We present results of Monte-Carlo simulations built on the two-step semiclassical model, as well as analytic estimates and scaling relations for the population trapping into the Rydberg states. It is shown that mainly those electrons are captured into bound states of the neutral atom that due to their initial conditions (i) have moderate drift momentum imparted by the laser field and (ii) avoid strong interaction (“hard” collision) with the ion. In addition, it is demonstrated that the channel of capture, when accounted for in semiclassical calculations, has a pronounced effect on the momentum distribution of electrons with small positive energy. For the parameters that we investigated its presence leads to a dip at zero momentum in the longitudinal momentum distribution of the ionized electrons.     

Auto-cleaning of deposited tin debris in a laser-produced plasma extreme ultraviolet source by using a liquid jet target containing tin chloride

We have demonstrated auto-cleaning of deposited tin debris produced in a laser-plasma extreme ultraviolet (EUV) source by using a liquid jet target containing tin chloride solution. The use of double laser pulse irradiation improved the EUV conversion efficiency of 1.1%, which was 3.3 times as large as that obtained with single laser pulse irradiation. At an appropriate concentration of tin chloride, the amount of deposited debris was balanced out with that of sputtered and/or etched debris, resulting in a thickness of deposited debris less than 1 nm after 40?000 laser pulse irradiations.     

Demonstration of fiber-laser-produced plasma source and application to efficient extreme UV light generation

Efficient generation of extreme UV (EUV) light at lambda = 13.5 nm from a bulk Sn target has been demonstrated by using a fiber laser. The conversion efficiency from the 1064 nm IR to the EUV was measured to be around 0.9% into 2pi steradians within a 2% bandwidth. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time an all-fiber system was used to generate EUV or soft x rays.     

Characterization and optimization of the laser-produced plasma EUV source at 13.5 nm based on a double-stream Xe/He gas puff target

The paper describes a debris-free, efficient laser-produced plasma source emitting EUV radiation. The source is based on a double-stream Xe/He gas-puff. Its properties and spectroscopic signatures are characterized and discussed. The spatio-spectral features of the EUV emission are investigated. We show a large body of results related to the intensity and brightness of the EUV emission, its spatial, temporal, and angular behavior and the effect of the repetition rate as well. A conversion efficiency of laser energy into EUV in-band energy at 13.5 nm of 0.42% has been gained. The electron temperature and electron density of the source were estimated by means of a novel method using the FLY code. The experimental data and the Hullac code calculations are compared and discussed. The source is well suited for EUV metrology purposes. The potential of the source for application in EUV lithography was earlier demonstrated in the optical characterization of Mo/Si multi-layer mirrors and photo-etching of polymers.     

EUV emission from solids illuminated with a laser-plasma EUV source

In this paper a possibility of performing fluorescence experiments in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) using a laboratory EUV source was demonstrated. Usually such measurements are performed using third-generation synchrotrons because of extremely low probability of fluorescence in this wavelength range. In this work a 10 Hz laser-plasma EUV source based on a gas puff target was used. Fluorescent radiation from Al and Si was registered. Despite relatively low spectral resolution, some differences in Si spectra coming from different kind of samples were revealed.     

Development of a highly sensitive analytical technique for surfactants by time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry

We have developed a highly sensitive analytical technique for detecting the distribution of surfactants existing on a polymer surface. We studied the chemical modification of surfactants with the hydroxyl group by using amine-containing compounds in the gaseous phase at 23 °C; then, we performed measurements by using time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). We found that 4-(dimethylamino) phenyl isocyanate as a modification reagent is capable of modifying the hydroxyl group when 1,8-diazabicyclo[5,4,0]undec-7-ene (DBU) is used as a catalytic agent. We demonstrated this modification with stearyl alcohol on a polymer material surface. The signal sensitivity of stearyl alcohol after the modification increased considerably in comparison with that of the unmodified stearyl alcohol. Moreover, we confirmed that this modification method can be used for the distribution analysis of surfactants. The distribution conditions of traces of surfactants with the hydroxyl group can be observed clearly by using this modification method.     

Modifications induced in the polycarbonate Makrofol KG polymer by Li (50 MeV) ion irradiation

Swift heavy ions interact predominantly through inelastic scattering while traversing any polymer medium and produce excited/ionized atoms. Here samples of the polycarbonate Makrofol of approximate thickness 20 μm, spin coated on GaAs substrate were irradiated with 50 MeV Li ion (+3 charge state). Build-in modifications due to irradiation were studied using FTIR and XRD characterizations. Considerable changes have been observed in the polymer while varying the fluence from 1E11 ion/cm² to 1E13 ion/cm² Li ions. AFM images of the surface modifications caused by ion irradiation on the polymer are also presented.      

Mass-limited Sn target irradiated by dual laser pulses for an extreme ultraviolet lithography source

A thin Sn film was investigated as a mass-limited target for an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography source. It was found that those energetic ions that are intrinsic with the mass-limited Sn target could be efficiently mitigated by introducing a low-energy prepulse. High in-band conversion efficiency from a laser to 13.5 nm EUV light could be obtained using an Sn film with a thickness down to 30 nm when irradiated by dual laser pulses. It was shown that the combination of dual pulse and inert Ar gas could fully mitigate ions with a low ambient pressure nearly without the penalty of the absorption of the EUV light.     

Femtosecond laser-fabricated microstructures in bulk poly(methylmethacrylate) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) at 800 nm towards lab-on-a-chip applications

Laser direct writing technique is employed to fabricate microstructures, including gratings (buried and surface) and two-dimensional photonic crystal-like structures, in bulk poly(methylmethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) using ∼100 femtosecond (fs) pulses. The variation of structure size with different writing conditions (focussing, speed and energy) was investigated in detail. Diffraction efficiencies of the gratings were calculated and the changes in diffraction efficiency (DE) as a function of period, energy and scanning speed were evaluated. Highest diffraction efficiencies of 34% and 10%, for the first order, were obtained in PMMA and PDMS respectively. Heat treatment of these gratings demonstrated small improvement in the diffraction efficiency. Several applications resulting from these structures are discussed. Fs modification in PMMA and PDMS demonstrated emission when excited at a wavelength of 514 nm. We attempted to prepare buried waveguides in PMMA with higher refractive index at the core. We have successfully fabricated branched and curved structures in PMMA and PDMS finding impending applications in microfluidics.     

Effect of focal spot size on in-band 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet emission from laser-produced Sn plasma

The effect of focal spot size on in-band 13.5 nm extreme ultraviolet (EUV) emission from laser-produced Sn plasmas was investigated for an EUV lithography light source. Almost constant in-band conversion efficiency from laser to 13.5 nm EUV light was noted with focal spot sizes from 60 to 500 microm. This effect may be explained by the opacity of Sn plasmas. Optical interferometry showed that the EUV emission must pass through a longer plasma with higher density when the focal spot is large, and strong reabsorption of EUV light was confirmed by a dip located at 13.5 nm in the spectrum.