Research & Development World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • Educational Assets
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE

New X-ray Optics for Observing the Hot Universe

By R&D Editors | May 19, 2014

Active galaxy, glowing in X-raysA new idea to use super-polished silicon wafers as the heart of a telescope is set to reveal more of the hot, high-energy Universe, peering back into its turbulent history.

Invisible X-rays tell us about the very hot matter in the Universe – black holes, supernovas and superheated gas clouds. Today’s X-ray observatories, ESA’s XMM-Newton, and NASA’s Chandra, were launched in the last century, and are still delivering world-class science.  But they are starting to age.

To replace them, ESA is planning a much more capable X-ray observatory for launch in 2028, which would probe 10 to 100 times deeper into the Universe than the current generation of X-ray telescopes.

“This demands a whole new type of X-ray mirror,” explains Marcos Bavdaz, leading the technology push for ESA’s future science missions. “To reach the kind of size needed, this new mission’s mirrors will have to be 10 times lighter than XMM’s, while delivering even sharper images.”

Stacked telescope mirrors of ESA's current XMM-NewtonThe problem is that energetic X-rays do not behave like typical light waves – try to reflect them with a standard mirror and they are absorbed inside. Instead, X-rays can only be reflected at shallow angles, like stones skimming along water.

That means multiple mirrors must be stacked together to build a large-enough telescope. XMM has 174 gold-plated nickel mirrors, nested inside one another like Russian dolls.

But to reach the performance required for ESA’s next X-ray mission, tens of thousands of densely packed mirror plates will be needed. How can this be done?

A new approach is required. “Silicon pore optics,” developed by ESA, draws on high-tech equipment and materials from the semiconductor industry.

“We make use of industrial silicon wafers, normally used to manufacture microprocessors,” adds Eric Wille, optical system engineer for the X-ray optics development.

“We take advantage of their stiffness and super-polished surface, stacking a few dozen at a time together to form a single ‘mirror module.’”

Many hundreds of these modules will be fitted together to form the optics of the X-ray mission.

Silicon pore optics mirror stackGrooves are cut into the wafers, leaving stiffening ribs and paper-thin mirrors, which are then covered with reflective metal. For maximum accuracy, semiconductor manufacturing techniques are applied for the stacking process.

“Stacking is done by a specially designed robot, aiming for micron-scale precision,” Eric describes. “We’ve seen big jumps in quality as the robotics improve.”

Vibration testing“All the stacking takes place in a cleanroom, since tiny dust particles risk large deformations in the mirror stack.

“The semiconductor industry is improving the quality of silicon wafers, which will further improve the mirror quality in future.”

Release Date: May 16, 2014
Source: European Space Agency 

Related Articles Read More >

First MCU combines gigahertz CPU, 35× faster AI engine and MRAM in single device
Stargate’s $500B bet could force data-center and 1.2 GW grid rethink
Compact AI model lets popular ESP32 microcontroller predict network failures and memory leaks in real time
TSMC’s N3P hits mass production, with N3X customer sampling slated for Q3–Q4 2025a
rd newsletter
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest info on technologies, trends, and strategies in Research & Development.
RD 25 Power Index

R&D World Digital Issues

Fall 2024 issue

Browse the most current issue of R&D World and back issues in an easy to use high quality format. Clip, share and download with the leading R&D magazine today.

Research & Development World
  • Subscribe to R&D World Magazine
  • Enews Sign Up
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
  • Drug Discovery & Development
  • Pharmaceutical Processing
  • Global Funding Forecast

Copyright © 2025 WTWH Media LLC. All Rights Reserved. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media
Privacy Policy | Advertising | About Us

Search R&D World

  • R&D World Home
  • Topics
    • Aerospace
    • Automotive
    • Biotech
    • Careers
    • Chemistry
    • Environment
    • Energy
    • Life Science
    • Material Science
    • R&D Management
    • Physics
  • Technology
    • 3D Printing
    • A.I./Robotics
    • Software
    • Battery Technology
    • Controlled Environments
      • Cleanrooms
      • Graphene
      • Lasers
      • Regulations/Standards
      • Sensors
    • Imaging
    • Nanotechnology
    • Scientific Computing
      • Big Data
      • HPC/Supercomputing
      • Informatics
      • Security
    • Semiconductors
  • R&D Market Pulse
  • R&D 100
    • Call for Nominations: The 2025 R&D 100 Awards
    • R&D 100 Awards Event
    • R&D 100 Submissions
    • Winner Archive
    • Explore the 2024 R&D 100 award winners and finalists
  • Resources
    • Research Reports
    • Digital Issues
    • Educational Assets
    • R&D Index
    • Subscribe
    • Video
    • Webinars
  • Global Funding Forecast
  • Top Labs
  • Advertise
  • SUBSCRIBE