Production and performance of multilayer-coated conical x-ray mirrors

A method of fabricating replica figured x-ray optics with integral multilayer coatings is presented. With the intact electroforming multilayer process (IEMP) technique, we sputter multilayers onto a reusable superpolished mandrel, electroform nickel over the multilayers, and remove the multilayer-coated nickel shell intact from the mandrel. This approach offers advantages over more traditional, original, and segmented-replica fabrication techniques, including low cost; compatibility with a wide range of mirror designs, diameters, and focal lengths; simple integration with multilayer sputtering processes; and the ability to produce complete shells of revolution. The fabrication of W/Si multilayer-coated 10-cm-diameter conical x-ray mirrors is described, as are reflectivity measurements at 10 and 30 keV. The measured reflectivity of the IEMP multilayers at the 10-keV primary Bragg peak was 17%. Measurements of multiple points on the cone showed multilayer uniformity to within a few percent around the mirror.