To extend soft x-ray microscopy to a resolution of order 10 nm or better, we developed a new nanofabrication process for Fresnel zone plate lenses. The new process, based on the double patterning technique, has enabled us to fabricate high quality gold zone plates with 12 nm outer zones. Testing of the zone plate with the full-field transmission x-ray microscope, XM-1, in Berkeley, showed that the lens clearly resolved 12 nm lines and spaces. This result represents a significant step towards 10 nm resolution and beyond.

© 2009 OSA

1. S. Aoki, Y. Kagoshima, and Y. Suzuki, eds., The 8th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy (Institute of Pure and Applied Physics, Tokyo, 2006); and references therein.
2. W. L. Chao, B. D. Harteneck, J. A. Liddle, E. H. Anderson, and D. T. Attwood, “Soft X-ray microscopy at a spatial resolution better than 15 nm,” Nature 435(7046), 1210–1213 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
3. K. Jefimovs, J. Vila-Comamala, T. Pilvi, J. Raabe, M. Ritala, and C. David, “Zone-doubling technique to produce ultrahigh-resolution x-ray optics,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(26), 264801 (2007). [CrossRef]
4. S. Eisebitt, J. Lüning, W. F. Schlotter, M. Lörgen, O. Hellwig, W. Eberhardt, and J. Stöhr, “Lensless imaging of magnetic nanostructures by X-ray spectro-holography,” Nature 432(7019), 885–888 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
5. S. Marchesini, S. Boutet, A. E. Sakdinawat, M. J. Bogan, S. Bajt, A. Barty, H. N. Chapman, M. Frank, S. P. Hau-Riege, A. Szoke, C. Cui, D. A. Shapiro, M. R. Howells, J. C. H. Spence, J. W. Shaevitz, J. Y. Lee, J. Hajdu, and M. M. Seibert, “Massively parallel X-ray holography,” Nat. Photonics 2(9), 560–563 (2008). [CrossRef]
6. J. W. Miao, P. Charalambous, J. Kirz, and D. Sayre, “Extending the methodology of X-ray crystallography to allow imaging of micrometre-sized non-crystalline specimens,” Nature 400(6742), 342–344 (1999). [CrossRef]
7. A. Barty, S. Boutet, M. J. Bogan, S. Hau-Riege, S. Marchesini, K. Sokolowski-Tinten, N. Stojanovic, R. Tobey, H. Ehrke, A. Cavalleri, S. Düsterer, M. Frank, S. Bajt, B. W. Woods, M. M. Seibert, J. Hajdu, R. Treusch, H. N. Chapman, and R. A. Tobey, “Ultrafast single-shot diffraction imaging of nanoscale dynamics,” Nat. Photonics 2(7), 415–419 (2008). [CrossRef]
8. B. Abbey, G. J. Williams, M. A. Pfeifer, J. N. Clark, C. T. Putkunz, A. Torrance, I. McNulty, T. M. Levin, A. G. Peele, and K. A. Nugent, “Quantitative coherent diffractive imaging of an integrated circuit at a spatial resolution of 20 nm,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(21), 214101 (2008). [CrossRef]
9. C. Song, R. Bergstrom, D. Ramunno-Johnson, H. Jiang, D. Paterson, M. D. de Jonge, I. McNulty, J. Lee, K. L. Wang, and J. Miao, “Nanoscale imaging of buried structures with elemental specificity using resonant x-ray diffraction microscopy,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100(2), 025504 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
10. P. Thibault, M. Dierolf, A. Menzel, O. Bunk, C. David, and F. Pfeiffer, “High-resolution scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy,” Science 321(5887), 379–382 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
11. W. Meyer-Ilse, D. Hamamoto, A. Nair, S. A. Lelièvre, G. Denbeaux, L. Johnson, A. L. Pearson, D. Yager, M. A. Legros, and C. A. Larabell, “High resolution protein localization using soft X-ray microscopy,” J. Microsc. 201( 3), 395–403 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
12. D. Y. Parkinson, G. McDermott, L. D. Etkin, M. A. Le Gros, and C. A. Larabell, “Quantitative 3-D imaging of eukaryotic cells using soft X-ray tomography,” J. Struct. Biol. 162(3), 380–386 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
13. M.-Y. Im, L. Bocklage, P. Fischer, and G. Meier, “Direct observation of stochastic domain-wall depinning in magnetic nanowires,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 102(14), 147204 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
14. L. Bocklage, B. Krueger, R. Eiselt, M. Bolte, P. Fischer, and G. Meier, “Time-resolved imaging of current-induced domain-wall oscillations,” Phys. Rev. B 78(18), 180405 (2008). [CrossRef]
15. S. Kasai, P. Fischer, M.-Y. Im, K. Yamada, Y. Nakatani, K. Kobayashi, H. Kohno, and T. Ono, “Real-time X-ray imaging of current-induced resonant motion of a vortex core in a ferromagnetic disk,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 237203 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
16. S. C. B. Myneni, J. T. Brown, G. A. Martinez, and W. Meyer-Ilse, “Imaging of humic substance macromolecular structures in water and soils,” Science 286(5443), 1335–1337 (1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
17. S.-C. Gleber, J. Thieme, W. Chao, and P. Fischer “Stereo soft x-ray microscopy and elemental mapping of hematite and clay suspensions” J. Microsc. (in print). [PubMed]
18. V. S. Harutyunyan, A. P. Kirchheim, P. J. M. Monteiro, A. P. Aivazyan, and P. Fischer, “Investigation of early growth of calcium hydroxide crystals in cement solution by soft X-ray transmission microscopy,” J. Mater. Sci. 44(4), 962–969 (2009). [CrossRef]
19. P.J.M. Monteiro, A.P. Kirchheim, S. Chae, P. Fischer, A.A. MacDowell, E. Schaible, and H.R. Wenk “Characterizing the Nano and Micro Structure of Concrete to Improve its Durability” Cem. Concr. Compos. (2009) (in print). [CrossRef]
20. E. H. Anderson, D. L. Olynick, B. Harteneck, E. Veklerov, G. Denbeaux, W. L. Chao, A. Lucero, L. Johnson, and D. Attwood, “Nanofabrication and diffractive optics for high-resolution x-ray applications,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18(6), 2970–2975 (2000). [CrossRef]
21. W. Chao, “Resolution Characterization and Nanofabrication for Soft X-ray Zone Plate Microscopy,” (University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, 2005), chapt. 3.
22. D. T. Attwood, Soft x-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation: principles and applications, 1st ed. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K., 2000), chapt. 9.
23. J. W. Goodman, Statistical optics, Wiley classics library ed. ed., Wiley classics library (Wiley, New York, 2000), pp 303–324.
24. M. Born, and E. Wolf, Principles of optics: electromagnetic theory of propagation, interference and diffraction of light, 7th expanded ed. (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1999), pp 441, 596–606.
25. K. K. H. Toh, and A. R. Neureuther, “Identifying and monitoring effects of lens aberrations in projection printing,” in Optical Microlithography VI., H. L. Stover, ed. (SPIE, Bellingham, Washington, 1987)
26. W. Chao, E. H. Anderson, P. Fischer, and D.-H. Kim, “Toward sub-10-nm resolution zone plates using the overlay nanofabrication processes,” in Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics, T. J. Suleski, W. V. Schoenfeld, and J. J. Wang, eds. (SPIE, San Jose, CA, USA, 2008), p. 688309.
27. A. G. Michette, Optical systems for soft X rays (Plenum Press, New York, 1986).
28. E. H. Anderson, D. Ha, and J. A. Liddle, “Sub-pixel alignment for direct-write electron beam lithography,” Microelectron. Eng. 73–74, 74–79 (2004). [CrossRef]
29. P. Fischer, D.-H. Kim, W. Chao, J. A. Liddle, E. H. Anderson, and D. T. Attwood, “Soft x-ray microscopy of nanomagnetism,” Mater. Today 9(1-2), 26–33 (2006). [CrossRef]
30. http://www.emal.engin.umich.edu/handbooks/NovaNanoLab/online-009.pdf
31. R. M. Langford and C. Clinton, “In situ lift-out using a FIB-SEM system,” Micron 35(7), 607–611 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

• B. Abbey, G. J. Williams, M. A. Pfeifer, J. N. Clark, C. T. Putkunz, A. Torrance, I. McNulty, T. M. Levin, A. G. Peele, and K. A. Nugent, “Quantitative coherent diffractive imaging of an integrated circuit at a spatial resolution of 20 nm,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 93(21), 214101 (2008). [CrossRef]

Cem. Concr. Compos.

• P.J.M. Monteiro, A.P. Kirchheim, S. Chae, P. Fischer, A.A. MacDowell, E. Schaible, and H.R. Wenk “Characterizing the Nano and Micro Structure of Concrete to Improve its Durability” Cem. Concr. Compos. (2009) (in print). [CrossRef]

J. Mater. Sci.

• V. S. Harutyunyan, A. P. Kirchheim, P. J. M. Monteiro, A. P. Aivazyan, and P. Fischer, “Investigation of early growth of calcium hydroxide crystals in cement solution by soft X-ray transmission microscopy,” J. Mater. Sci. 44(4), 962–969 (2009). [CrossRef]

J. Microsc.

• S.-C. Gleber, J. Thieme, W. Chao, and P. Fischer “Stereo soft x-ray microscopy and elemental mapping of hematite and clay suspensions” J. Microsc. (in print). [PubMed]
• W. Meyer-Ilse, D. Hamamoto, A. Nair, S. A. Lelièvre, G. Denbeaux, L. Johnson, A. L. Pearson, D. Yager, M. A. Legros, and C. A. Larabell, “High resolution protein localization using soft X-ray microscopy,” J. Microsc. 201( 3), 395–403 (2001). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Struct. Biol.

• D. Y. Parkinson, G. McDermott, L. D. Etkin, M. A. Le Gros, and C. A. Larabell, “Quantitative 3-D imaging of eukaryotic cells using soft X-ray tomography,” J. Struct. Biol. 162(3), 380–386 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B

• E. H. Anderson, D. L. Olynick, B. Harteneck, E. Veklerov, G. Denbeaux, W. L. Chao, A. Lucero, L. Johnson, and D. Attwood, “Nanofabrication and diffractive optics for high-resolution x-ray applications,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 18(6), 2970–2975 (2000). [CrossRef]

Mater. Today

• P. Fischer, D.-H. Kim, W. Chao, J. A. Liddle, E. H. Anderson, and D. T. Attwood, “Soft x-ray microscopy of nanomagnetism,” Mater. Today 9(1-2), 26–33 (2006). [CrossRef]

Microelectron. Eng.

• E. H. Anderson, D. Ha, and J. A. Liddle, “Sub-pixel alignment for direct-write electron beam lithography,” Microelectron. Eng. 73–74, 74–79 (2004). [CrossRef]

Micron

• R. M. Langford and C. Clinton, “In situ lift-out using a FIB-SEM system,” Micron 35(7), 607–611 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Nat. Photonics

• A. Barty, S. Boutet, M. J. Bogan, S. Hau-Riege, S. Marchesini, K. Sokolowski-Tinten, N. Stojanovic, R. Tobey, H. Ehrke, A. Cavalleri, S. Düsterer, M. Frank, S. Bajt, B. W. Woods, M. M. Seibert, J. Hajdu, R. Treusch, H. N. Chapman, and R. A. Tobey, “Ultrafast single-shot diffraction imaging of nanoscale dynamics,” Nat. Photonics 2(7), 415–419 (2008). [CrossRef]
• S. Marchesini, S. Boutet, A. E. Sakdinawat, M. J. Bogan, S. Bajt, A. Barty, H. N. Chapman, M. Frank, S. P. Hau-Riege, A. Szoke, C. Cui, D. A. Shapiro, M. R. Howells, J. C. H. Spence, J. W. Shaevitz, J. Y. Lee, J. Hajdu, and M. M. Seibert, “Massively parallel X-ray holography,” Nat. Photonics 2(9), 560–563 (2008). [CrossRef]

Nature

• J. W. Miao, P. Charalambous, J. Kirz, and D. Sayre, “Extending the methodology of X-ray crystallography to allow imaging of micrometre-sized non-crystalline specimens,” Nature 400(6742), 342–344 (1999). [CrossRef]
• W. L. Chao, B. D. Harteneck, J. A. Liddle, E. H. Anderson, and D. T. Attwood, “Soft X-ray microscopy at a spatial resolution better than 15 nm,” Nature 435(7046), 1210–1213 (2005). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. Eisebitt, J. Lüning, W. F. Schlotter, M. Lörgen, O. Hellwig, W. Eberhardt, and J. Stöhr, “Lensless imaging of magnetic nanostructures by X-ray spectro-holography,” Nature 432(7019), 885–888 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

• L. Bocklage, B. Krueger, R. Eiselt, M. Bolte, P. Fischer, and G. Meier, “Time-resolved imaging of current-induced domain-wall oscillations,” Phys. Rev. B 78(18), 180405 (2008). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

• S. Kasai, P. Fischer, M.-Y. Im, K. Yamada, Y. Nakatani, K. Kobayashi, H. Kohno, and T. Ono, “Real-time X-ray imaging of current-induced resonant motion of a vortex core in a ferromagnetic disk,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 237203 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• M.-Y. Im, L. Bocklage, P. Fischer, and G. Meier, “Direct observation of stochastic domain-wall depinning in magnetic nanowires,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 102(14), 147204 (2009). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• K. Jefimovs, J. Vila-Comamala, T. Pilvi, J. Raabe, M. Ritala, and C. David, “Zone-doubling technique to produce ultrahigh-resolution x-ray optics,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 99(26), 264801 (2007). [CrossRef]
• C. Song, R. Bergstrom, D. Ramunno-Johnson, H. Jiang, D. Paterson, M. D. de Jonge, I. McNulty, J. Lee, K. L. Wang, and J. Miao, “Nanoscale imaging of buried structures with elemental specificity using resonant x-ray diffraction microscopy,” Phys. Rev. Lett. 100(2), 025504 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Science

• P. Thibault, M. Dierolf, A. Menzel, O. Bunk, C. David, and F. Pfeiffer, “High-resolution scanning x-ray diffraction microscopy,” Science 321(5887), 379–382 (2008). [CrossRef] [PubMed]
• S. C. B. Myneni, J. T. Brown, G. A. Martinez, and W. Meyer-Ilse, “Imaging of humic substance macromolecular structures in water and soils,” Science 286(5443), 1335–1337 (1999). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Other

• http://www.emal.engin.umich.edu/handbooks/NovaNanoLab/online-009.pdf
• S. Aoki, Y. Kagoshima, and Y. Suzuki, eds., The 8th International Conference on X-ray Microscopy (Institute of Pure and Applied Physics, Tokyo, 2006); and references therein.
• W. Chao, “Resolution Characterization and Nanofabrication for Soft X-ray Zone Plate Microscopy,” (University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, 2005), chapt. 3.
• D. T. Attwood, Soft x-rays and extreme ultraviolet radiation: principles and applications, 1st ed. (Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K., 2000), chapt. 9.
• J. W. Goodman, Statistical optics, Wiley classics library ed. ed., Wiley classics library (Wiley, New York, 2000), pp 303–324.
• M. Born, and E. Wolf, Principles of optics: electromagnetic theory of propagation, interference and diffraction of light, 7th expanded ed. (Cambridge University Press, New York, 1999), pp 441, 596–606.
• K. K. H. Toh, and A. R. Neureuther, “Identifying and monitoring effects of lens aberrations in projection printing,” in Optical Microlithography VI., H. L. Stover, ed. (SPIE, Bellingham, Washington, 1987)
• W. Chao, E. H. Anderson, P. Fischer, and D.-H. Kim, “Toward sub-10-nm resolution zone plates using the overlay nanofabrication processes,” in Advanced Fabrication Technologies for Micro/Nano Optics and Photonics, T. J. Suleski, W. V. Schoenfeld, and J. J. Wang, eds. (SPIE, San Jose, CA, USA, 2008), p. 688309.
• A. G. Michette, Optical systems for soft X rays (Plenum Press, New York, 1986).

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