Fabrication and performance at 1.33 nm of a 0.24-um period multilayer grating

We report on the fabrication of a multilayer linear grating, characterization in the soft x-ray region and modeling of its perfonnance. Holographic lithography was used to produce a 0.24 p.m spatial period grating on a triode sputtered Mo/C multilayer mirror. The pattern was transferred into the multilayer mirror by reactive ion etching in an SF6 plasma after an intermediate lift-off step. The position and relative efficiency of the different orders of a grating etched down to the silicon substrate were measured at the Cu Lcz line (1.33 nm). The results were compared to the values calculated within the framework of a scalar kinematic diffraction theory of relief gratings.