Spherical pinch x-ray generator prototype for microlithography

A new type of plasma x-ray source has been developed by applying the spherical pinch concept of imploding shock waves to produce a dense plasma hot enough to emit soft x-rays. Very intense x-rays in a few keV energy (5-10 angstroms) is radiated from a small plasma volume as microsecond pulses. SPX II is a prototype machine designed to demonstrate the engineering feasibility of the spherical pinch scheme. It is expected to generate at least 10 mJ/cm2 of usable soft x-rays for microlithography