The Effects of Oxidation on the Refractive Index of Uranium Thin Films in the Extreme Ultraviolet

Utah State University

We measured the transmittance and reflectance of two samples in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) at the Advanced Light Source at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The samples were prepared with approximately 20 nm of UOx with one reactively sputtered onto a diode, and one allowed to oxidize naturally on an identical diode. Fitting the reflectance data to the Parratt model yielded a more precise thickness of the UOx film. This thickness combined with a simple analysis of the transmission measurements provides estimates for the imaginary part of the index of refraction for UOx at approximately every tenth of a nanometer from about 3 nm to 30 nm with emphasis in the 12- to 13-nm range. Using these values, a first approximation for the real part of the refractive index has also been calculated. These values provide researchers with information for modeling, design, and fabrication of optical systems in the extreme ultraviolet.