Applications and Solutions
Innovations in cleanroom technology are pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in optics and nanostructures. From enhancing X-ray imaging to pioneering beamline construction, these advancements are shaping the future of various fields. Imagine the precision of gratings for holograms, the intricacy of photonic circuits, and the cutting-edge research in nuclear and energy sectors—all made possible through state-of-the-art cleanroom solutions. At the heart of these developments lies a blend of precision and creativity, driving technology beyond its limits. Blending precision and creativity, we drive technology beyond its limits, offering unique, customized solutions to transform and innovate your applications.
Maximum Resolution Iridium Line Doubling
With our unique line-doubling technique, we achieve an X-ray beam focus as precise as 5 nm, which makes us the world record holder. With such a precise focus, X-ray imaging resolution reaches an unprecedented level, making visible what was once invisible with high resolution zone plates and enabling completely new applications. The process comprises coating a sparse template with an atomic layer of Iridium before stripping the base structure off through reactive ion etching.
Radiation Stability with Diamond Optics
In the last decades, the brightness of X-ray sources has skyrocketed, with free electron lasers reaching over 100 million times the brilliance of the sun. This has opened up important fields of research, but also revealed a crucial limitation of X-ray optics: At such high radiation energies, they melt. We have developed a method to process optics from monolithic diamond, the most heat-resistant natural material to easily withstand the extreme intensity of FEL X-ray beams and thus relieve this bottleneck in FEL experimentation. Diamond optics and diamond crystal nanostructures pictured here are more than capable by our team opening up new possibilities in utilizing diamond in nanofabrication.
Maximum Efficiency with Blazed Optics
Blazed optics, particularly those utilizing stacked, staircase, multi-level zone plates, and continuous (slanted) zones are a key innovation at XRnanotech. We stack zone plates to create a staircase-shaped lens, or use advanced grayscale lithography, both precisely controlled resulting in superior imaging performance over standard designs. Our blazed optics, such as the grating pictured at about 2 μm high, are instrumental in applications requiring high precision and efficiency, such as advanced microscopy, X-ray imaging, and photonics.
Imaging Systems, Sensors, and Display Technologies with Microlens Arrays
At XRnanotech, we specialize in creating high-precision microlens arrays using advanced grayscale lithography, enabling superior control over lens curvature and shape. Our microlens arrays enhance imaging systems, sensors, and display technologies by improving light-gathering efficiency, image quality, and brightness uniformity. This cutting-edge fabrication process can also be maskless, ensuring cost saving measures to meet stringent demands of innovative optical applications.
Holograms and their Optical Elements
We use advanced techniques to fabricate optical elements essential for holographic applications such as direct laser writing and grayscale lithography. Our capabilities include producing diffraction gratings, microlens arrays, and phase plates in our state-of-the-art clean room environment. These components are crucial for creating, manipulating, and reconstructing holograms in imaging systems, sensors, and display technologies, ensuring exceptional performance and innovation in your optical applications.
High Volume Optical Device Manufacturing with Master Nanoimprint Molds
We craft master nanoimprint molds using direct laser writing, among other techniques, with unmatched complexity and precision. Our molds stand out for their high resolution, exceptional side wall and surface profiles, making them ideal for applications requiring top-tier quality and performance. High throughput is key for nanoimprint lithography of photonic circuits and gratings for example, as well as displays, security features and medical sensors.
Customized Solutions for Advanced Applications
Customized 2D and 3D nano- and micro-structures have a wide range of advanced applications. Whether customized quality indicators for μCT targets, unique optical gratings and phase plate modulators, or intricate photonic circuits, our cutting-edge cleanroom fabrication techniques ensure the highest resolution and precision. We work with various metals and polymers, offering tailored solutions for photonics, battery research, medical devices, and more. Our expertise in over CHF 50 million worth of cleanroom instrumentation guarantees that we meet the unique needs of every client and push the boundaries of what’s possible in nanotechnology.
Photonic Circuit Fabrication
We are excited to announce our expansion into the field of photonic circuit fabrication, specializing in the production of waveguides, resonators, and couplers for silicon-on-insulator (SOI) chips. Our clean room facilities and advanced lithography techniques ensure high-performance and reliable photonic solutions tailored to meet the needs of cutting-edge applications. We specialize in customization, and our prototyping platform enables rapid design iterations and fast lead times, ensuring you can move from concept to prototype swiftly and efficiently.
Optimal Optic Thickness with Ultra High Aspect Ratios
Our high aspect ratio structures are engineered to meet the demands of high diffraction efficiency optics such as gratings and zone plates. We consistently achieve optimal aspect ratios up to 20 with ease, ensuring superior performance for X-ray microscopy applications. Our exceptional developments with deep reactive etching have recorded aspect ratios as high as 200 for nanowires and other structures. These state-of-the-art fabrication capabilities are sure to deliver unparalleled diffraction efficiency, setting us apart from our competitors in X-ray microscopy.
Complete X-ray Microscopy Optical Systems
Unlock the full potential of X-ray microscopy with our precision-engineered optics, designed for advanced imaging techniques like phase contrast and dark-field imaging. Delivering unparalleled image quality and versatility, our complete range of optics empowers researchers to achieve groundbreaking results with ease and reliability.