MICROMACHINING OF INERTIAL CONFINEMENT FUSION-TARGETS

Many experiments conducted on today's largest inertial confinement fus ion drive lasers require target components with sub-millimeter dimensi ons, precisions of a micron or less and surface finishes measured in n anometers. For metal and plastic, techniques using direct machining wi th diamond tools have been developed that yield the desired parts. New techniques that will be discussed include the quick-flip locator, a m agnetically held kinematic mount that has allowed the. direct machinin g of millimeter-sized beryllium hemishells whose inside and outside su rface are concentric to within 0.25 mu m, and an electronic version of a tracer lathe which has produced precise azimuthal variations of les s than a micron.