Fabrication of Gratings for Neutron and X-ray Interferometry with the Ability to Adjust the Period in Real-Time

ORAL

Abstract

We describe the development of a neutron and x-ray transmission grating whose period can be adjusted in near real-time to serve as a suitable source grating for far field interferometry. Our DynAmic ReconfIgUrable Source grating (DARIUS) is fabricated on a silicon platform by patterning and etching microchannels to create a microfluidic device. DARIUS will allow for selectively infilling the microfluidic channels with an x-ray/neutron absorbing fluid to reconfigure the effective grating period on demand. This method enables neutron and/or x-ray beam modulation in real-time. We will report on the initial prototype DARIUS which is comprised of 128 active microchannels etched in silicon with a 20 µm period and 125 µm depth. We will provide details on the fabrication and scaling up to a final device consisting of two gratings patterned on both sides of the wafer, with an active area of 51.2 mm × 51.2 mm and 2,560 channels on each side. The dual-sided DARIUS will be used for dynamic tuning of the effective transmission grating period from 20 µm to 20,000 µm. We also will report progress on wafer-scale bonding to seal the channels with open access ports for selective filling and draining the opaque fluid.

*This work was supported by The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Innovation in Measurement Services Program. S.M.R. acknowledges financial support through the NIST Professional Research Experience Program at the University of Maryland, College Park.

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Presenters

  • Sarah M Robinson

    • UMD/NIST
    • University of Maryland, College Park; National Institute of Standards and Technology

Authors

  • Sarah M Robinson

    • UMD/NIST
    • University of Maryland, College Park; National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Ryan P Murphy

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Jacob M LaManna

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Caitlyn M Wolf

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, MD
    • National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Youngju Kim

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Gaithersburg, MD; University of Maryland, Dept of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College Park, MD
    • University of Maryland
    • University of Maryland, College Park; National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Katie M Weigandt

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology, NIST Center for Neutron Research, Gaithersburg, MD
    • National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Daniel S Hussey

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology, Physical Measurement Laboratory, Gaithersburg, MD
    • National Institute of Standards and Technology

  • Nikolai N Klimov

    • National Institute of Standards and Technology