Fabrication and characterization of carbon-backed thin ²⁰⁸Pb targets

Thin carbon-backed isotopically enriched ²⁰⁸Pb targets were required for our experiment aimed to study the reaction dynamics for ⁴⁸Ti + ²⁰⁸Pb system, populating the near super-heavy nucleus ²⁵⁶Rf, through mass-energy correlation of the fission fragments. Purity and thickness of the targets are of utmost importance in such studies as these factors have strong influence on the measurement accuracy of mass and energy distribution of fission fragments. ²⁰⁸Pb targets with thickness ranging from 60 μg/cm² to 250 μg/cm² have been fabricated in high vacuum environment using physical vapor deposition method. Important points in the method are as follows: •²⁰⁸Pb was deposited using resistive heating method, whereas carbon (backing foil) deposition was performed by using the electron beam bombardment technique.•Different characterization techniques such as Particle Induced X-ray Emission (PIXE), Energy Dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (EDXRF) and Rutherford Backscattering Spectrometry (RBS) were used to assert the purity and thickness of the targets.•These targets have successfully been used to accomplish our experimental objectives.