High efficiency multilayer gratings for monochromators in the energy range from 500 eV to 2500 eV

Multilayer (ML) gratings have been prepared by coating shallow ion etched lamellar gratings with a Mo2C/B4C multilayer having a layer thickness close to the groove depth. It was shown that such a structure behaves as a 2D synthetic crystal and can reach very high efficiencies when the Bragg condition is satisfied. A ML coated grating has been characterized at the SOLEIL Metrology beamline between 700 and 1700 eV and a beamline of PTB at BESSY II between 1750 and 3500 eV. A peak diffraction efficiency of nearly 27 % was measured at 2200 eV. The measured efficiencies are well reproduced by numerical simulations made with the electromagnetic propagation code CARPEM, This grating will be used in the Deimos beamline at SOLEIL together with a matched multilayer mirror.