Nano-machining for advanced X-ray crystal optics

We present our recent technological achievements in development of the nano-machining of active X-ray crystal optics surfaces. This technique uses a single crystal diamond tool with extremely precise and temperature stabilized positioning system. We can prepare various simple (flat, spherical, cylindrical) as well as more complex free-form surfaces (including aspherical ones). The objective is to prepare high-quality surfaces of the desired shape with sub-nanometer surface roughness and low sub-surface damage of the crystal lattice. The final surface roughness of a flat Ge surface below 0.4 nm (RMS) was achieved for a very slow regime of the processing using feed rates