ICS-SAXS: Hard x-ray metrology accelerated by an Inverse Compton Scattering source

Small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) is a well-established, non-destructive technique to determine structural dimensions such as the particle size distribution in a solution. It can also be used to determine the critical dimensions (CD) of 3D structures used in semiconductors.
There are two main conditions for CD-SAXS. The first is a trade-off between diffraction efficiency and the transmission through the wafer. The second condition is the need for a source with enough brightness at the right energy to keep the measurement time short. An inverse Compton scattering (ICS) source offers a potential tabletop solution for both these conditions. The continuous tunability of an ICS source allows for operation at the optimal x-ray energy, while also promising a significant increase in brightness compared to other tabletop solutions, such as x-ray tubes.
To investigate this potential, we have access to a fully functioning SAXS system and a prototype ICS source that is currently being finalized at the TU/e. The goal of this project is to replace the current source of the SAXS system with the ICS source.