To overview |
|
| | |||
| Delivery to NASA |
| Mandrel for X-ray Mirrors Now Delivered | Downloads and Links | ||
| NASA Optics for Carl Zeiss Know-How for Space Research Mission | RTF Documents
english (20 KB)Further Information 
Deutsche Version | ||
| OBERKOCHEN/Germany, 06.09.2002. The fascination of mankind with the exploration of the universe dates back to antiquity. Since the late eighties of the last century, state-of-the-art X-ray telescopes have permitted the discovery of increasingly distant galaxies and have given new insights into the processes involved in the formation of stars, galaxies and the universe as a whole. Carl Zeiss Laser Optics GmbH has now delivered a mandrel to NASA for a new, ambitious X-ray astronomy project. The know-how of Carl Zeiss is thus making a major contribution to finding an explanation for the workings of the universe. Carl Zeiss Laser Optics, a subsidiary of Carl Zeiss SMT AG, has now supplied a high-precision mandrel for the manufacture of mirror shells to be used in the NASA Constellation X Mission for the investigation of the universe. These mirror shells permit X-rays from distant stars and galaxies to be bundled on detectors inside the telescope. Processes taking place in the interior of stars are accompanied by the emission of X-radiation. This is why X-ray detection is of particular importance for deciphering the processes involved in the birth of stars and galaxies. In particular, what are known as "black holes" in the universe can only be investigated by X-ray astronomy. The mandrel now delivered measures 1100 x 520 mm˛, making it the largest manufactured by Carl Zeiss to date. An epoxy replication technique is used to reproduce the mandrel surface. The interior of the replica provides the mirror for X-radiation. Twelve shells duplicated from a mandrel are assembled into a mirror tube for X-radiation. A mirror telescope comprises several dozens of these mirror tubes nested one into the other. Constellation X will be the X-ray telescope featuring the hitherto highest collecting power, permitting even extremely faint radiation to be detected. Researchers expect the instrument to let them look approx. 13 billion years back into the past of the universe. The mandrel technology for the replication of extremely smooth mirrors has been successfully used in several previous X-ray astronomy projects. The microroughness of the surfaces totals just a few atomic layers. This is a decisive requirement for X-rays to be directed onto a detector via reflection. An entirely new application of replication technology is now building a bridge between the macrocosm of astronomy and the microcosm of chip fabrication. The innovative technology of chip fabrication known as EUV lithography also uses soft X-radiation. This short-wave radiation requires mirror systems in the direct vicinity of the X-ray source. A large number of nested mirror tubes collect the source's radiation and direct it to the projection system. Mandrel technology makes a major contribution to the manufacture of these mirror tubes. The company Carl Zeiss SMT AG is a global leader in this innovative, optical lithographic technology. The functional principle behind EUV lithography was verified last year by the fabrication of 50 nm structures. Optical lithography plays a key role in microchip fabrication. It is used to transfer the chip features, i.e. the structures of the electrical tracks, from a mask onto the chip material. The lithographic systems from Carl Zeiss SMT AG currently used by chip makers work with UV light.  Photo: Carl Zeiss Laser Optics GmbH has supplied a mandrel for the manufacture of high-precision mirror shells to be used in NASA's X-ray satellite mission Constellation X . The mandrel measures 1100x520 mm2. The microroughness of its surface totals just a few atomic layers. Markus Wiederspahn Carl Zeiss SMT AG Marketing Phone: +49 7364 20-2194 Fax: +49 7364 20-9206 E-Mail: 
wiederspahn@smt.zeiss.comNumber: 071/02 SE Number of Words: 599 Number of Characters: 4057 |
|
