Chirped multilayer coatings for increased x-ray throughput

Chirped Mo-Si multilayer coatings, where the multilayer period is systematically varied throughout the deposition process, exhibit an increased x-ray bandwidth at normal incidence with a corresponding increase in the integrated reflectance of as much as 20% at lambda ~ 13 nm. The increased bandwidth is accompanied by a slight reduction in peak reflectance. The relation between the integrated and peak reflectance is used to determine the chirp required to optimize the x-ray throughput of a multiple-element optical system.