B₄C/Pd multilayers with small d-spacing can easily degrade in the air, and the exact degradation process is not clear. In this work, we studied the chemical modification of B₄C films and B₄C/Pd double layers stored in four different environments: a dry nitrogen environment, the atmosphere, a dry oxygen-rich environment, and a wet nitrogen environment. The XANES spectra of the B₄C/Pd layers placed in a dry oxygen-rich environment showed the most significant decrease in the σ* states of the B–C bonds and an increase in the π* states of the B–O bonds compared with the other samples. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements of the samples placed in a dry oxygen-rich environment showed more intensive B-O binding signals in the B₄C/Pd layers than in the single B₄C film. The results of the Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) showed a similar decrease in the B–C bonds and an increase in the B–O bonds in the B₄C/Pd layers in contrast to the single B₄C film placed in a dry oxygen-rich environment. We concluded that the combination of palladium catalysis and the high content of oxygen in the environment promoted the oxidization of boron, deteriorated the B₄C composition.

Ultrathin Pd/B₄C multilayers are suitable X-ray mirrors working at the photon energy region of 7–20 keV. To further improve the layer structure, Pd/B₄C multilayers with a d-spacing of 2.5 nm were fabricated by magnetron sputtering using the heavy noble gas Kr and compared with the conventional ones fabricated by Ar. Although the Kr-sputtering process can work at a lower pressure, the interface width—especially the interface roughness—is a little larger than that made by Ar. A stronger polycrystallization and a lower content of sputter gas atoms were found in the Kr-made sample, which can be explained by the joint effect from less recoiled particles and lower sputtering pressure. A good reflectance of 68% of the Kr made multilayer was measured at 10 keV, which is only slightly lower than that of the Ar made sample (71%).

In this work, a masking technique was used to improve the thickness uniformity of a Mo/Si multilayer deposited on a curved spherical mirror by direct current (DC) magnetron sputtering with planetary rotation stages. The clear aperture of the mirror was 125 mm with a radius of curvature equal to 143.82 mm. Two different shadow masks were prepared; one was flat and the other was oblique. When using the flat mask, the non-uniformity considerably increased owing to the relatively large gap between the mask and substrate. The deviation between the designed and measured layer thickness and non-uniformity gradually reduced with a smaller gap. The second mask was designed with an oblique profile. Using the oblique mask, the deviation from multilayer thickness uniformity was substantially reduced to a magnitude below 0.8% on the curved spherical substrate over the clear aperture of 125 mm. Multilayers still achieved a smooth growth when deposited with obliquely incident particles. The facile masking technique proposed in this study can be used for depositing uniform coatings on curved spherical substrates with large numerical apertures for high-resolution microscopes, telescopes, and other related optical systems.

The laterally graded multilayer collimator is a vital part of a high-precision diffractometer. It is applied as condensing reflectors to convert divergent X-rays from laboratory X-ray sources into a parallel beam. The thickness of the multilayer film varies with the angle of incidence to guarantee every position on the mirror satisfies the Bragg reflection. In principle, the accuracy of the parameters of the sputtering conditions is essential for achieving a reliable result. In this paper, we proposed a precise method for the fabrication of the laterally graded multilayer based on a planetary motion magnetron sputtering system for film thickness control. This method uses the fast and slow particle model to obtain the particle transport process, and then combines it with the planetary motion magnetron sputtering system to establish the film thickness distribution model. Moreover, the parameters of the sputtering conditions in the model are derived from experimental inversion to improve accuracy. The revolution and rotation of the substrate holder during the final deposition process are achieved by the speed curve calculated according to the model. Measurement results from the X-ray reflection test (XRR) show that the thickness error of the laterally graded multilayer film, coated on a parabolic cylinder Si substrate, is less than 1%, demonstrating the effectiveness of the optimized method for obtaining accurate film thickness distribution.

Cr/V multilayer mirrors are suitable for applications in the “water window” spectral ranges. To study factors influencing the internal microstructure of Cr/V multilayers, multilayers with different vanadium layers thicknesses varying from 0.6 nm to 4.0 nm, and a fixed thickness (1.3 nm) of chromium layers, were fabricated and characterized with a set of experimental techniques. The average interface width characterizing a cumulative effect of different structure irregularities was demonstrated to exhibit non-monotonous dependence on the V layer thickness and achieve a minimal value of 0.31 nm when the thickness of the V layers was 1.2 nm. The discontinuous growth of very thin V films increased in roughness as the thickness of V layers decreased. The columnar growth of the polycrystalline grains in both materials became more pronounced with increasing thickness, resulting in a continuous increase in the interface width to a maximum of 0.9 nm for a 4 nm thickness of the V layer.