Dynamics of a laser produced plasma for soft X-ray production

Laser produced plasmas (LPP) can be used as a source of a wide variety of useful radiation in the Soft X-ray (SXR) and Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) spectral regime. The specific spectral range emitted depends largely on the target material. Copper, the first material studied by this group, strongly emits X-rays in the 1.0 to 1.1 nm wavelength range. These X-rays have long been used in the biological sciences. Carbon and nitrogen rich targets emit in the 2.3-4.4nm range the so called "Soft X-ray Water Window," which is extremely useful in microscopy1. Tin has been shown to emit with the greatest efficiency in EUV the range around 13.5 nm which is of great industrial interest for producing semiconductors in next generation lithography machines ². Here we study the processes that are required to make a LPP that will emit radiation in these spectroscopic ranges. Presentation of a model will be made that looks at the formation of plasma by looking at the physics of the laser interaction with the target, conversion efficiency, debris generation, and the processes involved in producing SXR and EUV radiation.