TY - CHAP A1 - Döhring, Thorsten A1 - Probst, Anne-Catherine A1 - Emmerich, Florian A1 - Stollenwerk, Manfred A1 - Stehlikova, Veronika A1 - Friedrich, Peter A1 - Damm, Christine T1 - Development of iridium coated X-ray mirrors for astronomical applications T2 - Proceedings of the International Society for Optics and Photonics (SPIE) N2 - Future space-based X-ray observatories need to be very lightweight for launcher mass constraints. Therefore they will use a reduced mirror thickness, which results in the additional requirement of low coating stress to avoid deformation of the initial precisely shaped mirror substrates. Due to their excellent reflection properties iridium coatings are sometimes applied for grazing incidence mirrors in astronomical X-ray telescopes. At Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences the coating of thin iridium films by an RF-magnetron sputtering technique is under development. The work is embedded in collaborations with the Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics in Germany, the Czech Technical University in Prague, the Osservatorio Astronomico di Brera in Italy, the German Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research in Dresden, and the French Institute Fresnel. Sputtering with different parameters leads to iridium films with different properties. The current work is focused on the microstructure of the iridium coatings to study the influence of the substrate and of the argon gas pressure on the thin film growing process. Correlations between coating density, surface micro-roughness, the crystalline structure of the iridium layers, and the expected reflectivity of the X-ray mirror as well as coating stress effects are presented and discussed. The final goal of the project is to integrate the produced prototype mirrors into an X-ray telescope module. On a longer timescale measurements of the mirror modules optical performance are planned at the X-ray test facility PANTER. KW - X-ray KW - telescope KW - mirror KW - iridium KW - coating KW - Iridium KW - Röntgenteleskop Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2273988 VL - 2017 IS - 10399 SP - 103991C-1 EP - 103991C-8 PB - SPIE ER - TY - CHAP A1 - Döhring, Thorsten A1 - Probst, Anne-Catherine A1 - Stollenwerk, Manfred A1 - Emmerich, Florian A1 - Stehlíková, Veronika A1 - Inneman, Adolf ED - Hudec, René ED - Pina, Ladislav T1 - Prototyping iridium coated mirrors for X-ray astronomy T2 - Proceedings of the International Society for Optics and Photonics N2 - X-ray astronomy uses space-based telescopes to overcome the disturbing absorption of the Earth´s atmosphere. The telescope mirrors are operating at grazing incidence angles and are coated with thin metal films of high-Z materials to get sufficient reflectivity for the high-energy radiation to be observed. In addition the optical payload needs to be light-weighted for launcher mass constrains. Within the project JEUMICO, an acronym for “Joint European Mirror Competence”, the Aschaffenburg University of Applied Sciences and the Czech Technical University in Prague started a collaboration to develop mirrors for X-ray telescopes. The X-ray telescopes currently developed within this Bavarian- Czech project are of Lobster eye type optical design. Corresponding mirror segments use substrates of flat silicon wafers which are coated with thin iridium films, as this material is promising high reflectivity in the X-ray range of interest. The deposition of the iridium films is based on a magnetron sputtering process. Sputtering with different parameters, especially by variation of the argon gas pressure, leads to iridium films with different properties. In addition to investigations of the uncoated mirror substrates the achieved surface roughness has been studied. Occasional delamination of the iridium films due to high stress levels is prevented by chromium sublayers. Thereby the sputtering parameters are optimized in the context of the expected reflectivity of the coated X-ray mirrors. In near future measurements of the assembled mirror modules optical performances are planned at an X-ray test facility. KW - X-ray KW - iridium KW - mirror KW - lightweight optic KW - Lobster Eye KW - Iridium KW - Röntgenastronomie KW - Spiegelteleskop Y1 - 2017 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2265931 VL - 2017 IS - 10235 SP - 1023504-1 EP - 1023504-8 PB - SPIE International Society for Optics and Photonics CY - Bellingham WA ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Probst, Anne-Catherine A1 - Begou, Thomas A1 - Döhring, Thorsten A1 - Zeising, Sebastian A1 - Stollenwerk, Manfred A1 - Stadtmüller, Johannes A1 - Emmerich, Florian A1 - Lumeau, Julien ED - Publishing OSA, T1 - Coating stress analysis and compensation for iridium-based x-ray mirrors JF - Applied Optics N2 - Iridium-based coatings for mirrors of x-ray telescopes are studied. In particular, stress-induced deformation is characterized and shown to be compressive and equal to −1786  MPa. Two methods for stress compensation are then studied. One relies on the deposition of silica on the back surface of the substrate and a second one relies on the deposition of a chromium sublayer. Advantages and drawbacks of each of these techniques are presented. KW - iridium KW - coating stress KW - X-ray KW - mirror KW - astronomy KW - Röntgenteleskop KW - Iridium KW - Spiegelteleskop Y1 - 2018 UR - https://doi.org/10.1364/AO.57.008775 VL - 2018 IS - 57 (29) SP - 8775 EP - 8779 ER -