Two-dimensional X-ray waveguides: fabrication by wafer-bonding process and characterization

The fabrication of two-dimensionally confining X-ray waveguides enables the generation of nanoscopic X-ray beams. First applications of such waveguides for lens-less holographic imaging have already been demonstrated, but were limited by the fabrication methods and the design. To overcome these limitations, we present here the fabrication process for a second generation of X-ray waveguide with air or vacuum as guiding channel, based on e-beam lithography, ion etching and subsequent wafer bonding. This is a first step towards waveguides fulfilling requirements of high transmission and high confinement, since the process can be scaled down to smaller channel dimensions from the present structures. We address the structuring method used and present results of first X-ray characterization at synchrotron beamlines, under two entirely different beam settings, corresponding to the coupling of a coherent beam and an incoherent beam.