Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILTOur range of services
Microscopy with radiation in the extreme ultraviolet range (EUV) or with soft X-rays (especially at wavelengths in the range of 2 nm to 13 nm) is used in structural analysis or in material science and makes it possible to examine, for example, biological samples at high-resolution.
For example, cryo-fixation can be used to produce three-dimensional images of whole cells at a resolution in the range of a few tens of nanometers. When markers are used, time-consuming sectioning and subsequent examination with an electron microscope are no longer needed. In semiconductor electronics, current-carrying conductors can be examined at high resolution, making it possible to visually detect the formation of defects.
The effective use of this technology requires large radiation fluxes on the sample, which can usually only be generated at electron storage rings. In this context, the Fraunhofer ILT scientists are developing plasma sources using pulsed high-current gas discharges and corresponding high-intensity source-collector systems that enable them to construct powerful EUV and X-ray microscopes on a laboratory scale. The institute’s extensive experience with this beam source concept can also be used, in particular, in the field of EUV lithography.
The range of services we offer includes feasibility studies for customer-specific tasks, the development of adapted radiation sources and microscopy methods, and individual consulting.
