Polyimide Xray Filters Optimized for Strength at Cryogenic Temperatures Luxel Corporation Friday Har

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Polyimide X-ray Filters Optimized for Strengthat
Cryogenic Temperatures Luxel
CorporationFriday Harbor, WA
Small Business Innovation Research

• INNOVATION
• This SBIR optimized the strength of polyimide
  thin film x-ray filter substrates at cryogenic
  temperatures, allowing thinner windows, higher
  internal pressure, or a larger safety factor on
  burst thereby improving mission performance.

• ACCOMPLISHMENTS
• High resolution x-ray spectroscopy using
  microcalorimeters requires windows that can
  survive launch loads and long term operation at
  cryogenic temperature.
• Polyimide windows from 450 to 9115Å were burst
  tested at room temperature (300K), liquid
  nitrogen temperature (77K), and liquid helium
  temperature (4.2K).
• By optimizing the processing parameters,
  especially cure cycle time, temperature, and
  atmosphere, an average burst strength increase of
  36 was obtained.
• COMMERCIALIZATION
• Polyimide films fabricated using the optimized
  processing parameters are now commercially
  available from Luxel.

Cryogenic Burst Strength Testing Apparatus

• GOVERNMENT/SCIENCE APPLICATIONS
• The filters developed during this SBIR offer
  improved mission performance for future astronomy
  experiments at lower cost.
• Polyimide film, optimized for cryogenic
  temperature, will be used as pressure windows for
  laser targets. For example, the National
  Ignition Facility (NIF) requires windows that
  operate at 18K with a 1 atmosphere differential.

Goddard Space Flight Center
Points of Contact NASA Ritva Keski-Kuha (301)
286-6706 Luxel Richard Capps [phone]
1997 Phase II, SS5-078, 12/02