Technologies for manufacturing of high angular resolution multilayer coated optics for the New Hard X-ray Mission: a status report II

Focusing mirrors manufactured via galvanic replication process from negative shape mandrels is the candidate solution for some of next future X-ray missions. Media Lario Technologies (MLT) is the industrial enabler developing, in collaboration with Brera Astronomical Observatory (INAF/OAB) and Italian Space Agency, the Optical Payload for the New Hard X-ray Mission (NHXM) Italian project. The current and ongoing development activities in Media Lario Technologies complement the electroforming technology with a suite of critical manufacturing and assembly of the Mirror Module Unit. In this paper, the progress on mandrels manufacturing, mirror shell replication, multilayer coating deposition and mirror module integration, leading to the manufacturing and testing of some astronomical Hard X-ray Engineering Models, is reported. Mandrel production is a key point in terms of performances and schedule; the results from mandrels fabricated using a proprietary multistep surface finishing process are reported. The progress in the replication of ultrathin Nickel and Nickel-Cobalt substrates gold coated mirror shells is reported together with the results of MLT Magnetron Sputtering multilayer coating technology for the hard x-ray waveband and its application to Pt/C.

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