Front- and backside structuring of gratings for phase contrast imaging with x-ray tubes

Phase contrast imaging with conventional X-ray tubes as e.g. in computer tomography scanners (CTscanners) requires a setup of three different types of optical gratings. One grating is used to obtain a spatially coherent radiation, the second grating defines a periodic phase shift and the third is used as a periodic absorption grating. In order to absorb high energy radiation, absorption gratings with periods of a few microns only and extreme aspect ratios (>80) are fabricated, employing a modified LIGA process. However, above a critical structural height, structures collapse due to e.g. capillary effects. To overcome this limitation a new variant of the LIGA process has been developed. It is characterized by structuring of a resist on both sides of a membrane, resulting in a moderate aspect ratio on both sides of the membrane instead of an extreme aspect ratio on one side. To get a perfect overlay of both structures the grating structure on the front side of a membrane patterned by the standard LIGA-process is used as the mask for structuring the second resist layer on the backside of the membrane. A second electroforming step fills the gaps on the backside.