Patent Number: 051757559
Section: claims

1. An X-ray lithographic system comprising a Kumakhov lens. 2. A system of claim 1, wherein the Kumakhov lens is located between an X-ray source and a mask. 3. A system of claim 2, wherein the X-ray source is a point source. 4. A system of claim 2, wherein the X-ray source is a non-point source. 5. A system of claim 4, wherein the X-ray source is a synchrotron providing a horizontally divergent beam. 6. A system of claim 3, wherein the Kumakhov lens captures a divergent beam produced by the X-ray source and focuses it into a quasi-parallel beam. 7. A system of claim 3, wherein the Kumakhov lens has channeling elements of compound curvature which capture a divergent beam produced by the X-ray source and focus it into a quasi-parallel beam of higher intensity. 8. A system of claim 1, wherein the Kumakhov lens comprises a plurality of bent tubes. 9. A system of claim 8, wherein at least one bent tube is a bundle of capillaries. 10. A system of claim 2, where the lens to mask distance is sufficient to homogenize any difference in beam intensity caused by the discrete pattern of the tubes and capillaries. 11. A system of claim 2, wherein the X-ray source produces a beam and a filter is used to control the beam intensity across the beam cross-section. 12. A system of claim 5, wherein the Kumakhov lens collects the horizontally divergent beam and focuses it into a quasi-parallel beam. 13. A system of claim 1, wherein the Kumakhov lens performs energy band selection. 14. A system of claim 13, wherein the energy band selection is accomplished by selective absorption. 15. A system of claim 13, wherein the energy band selection is accomplished by selective transmission. 16. A system of claim 2, wherein the Kumakhov lens modifies the cross-section of a beam produced by the X-ray source. 17. A system of claim 2, wherein the Kumakhov lens changes the direction of a beam produced by the X-ray source. 18. A system of claim 2, wherein the Kumakhov lens splits a beam produced by the X-ray source. 19. A system of claim 1, where the Kumakhov lens is located between a mask and a resist. 20. A system of claim 19, wherein the Kumakhov lens reduces the cross-section of a beam. 21. A system of claim 19 further comprising a point source, a Kumakhov lens capable of capturing a divergent beam emitted by the point source, means for holding the mask, and a Kumakhov lens capable of reducing beam cross-section. 22. A system of claim 19, wherein the mask is incorporated into a Kumakhov lens in the system. 23. A method for X-ray lithography, which comprises: providing a source of radiation; focusing the radiation from the source through a Kumakhov lens; and passing the focused radiation through a mask. 24. A method of claim 23 further comprising passing the radiation exiting the mask through a filter and through a second Kumakhov lens to narrow the beam, then contacting the radiation with a resist. 25. A method for X-ray lithography, which comprises: providing a source of radiation; focusing the radiation from the source through a Kumakhov lens to form a quasi-parallel beam; focusing the quasi-parallel beam through a second Kumakhov lens to form a beam having an energy within a preselected band; and passing the beam through a mask. 26. A method of claim 25 further comprising focusing the beam having an energy that is within a preselected band through a third Kumakhov lens to produce a beam having preselected shape prior to passing the beam through a mask.