Thin film targets

[Keith Welch <welch@CEBAF.GOV>]

A research team at my facility is trying to locate a supplier of targets for
a photofission experiment.  What is needed is a deposition of fissile
material on a very thin film substrate.  Several would probably be needed
(U-238, U-235) as well as a reference fission source (Cf-252).  Size is
approximately 5cm diameter active surface (except for the Cf).  The main
hitch is probably the fact that the film needs to be extremely thin -
exactly how thin I'm not sure, but I can say it's less than 1mil.  The
problem with the original targets was that the material was so fragile that
it would not stand up to any physical handling.

Amount of material needed is about .01 - .1 kBq for the U targets (deposited
uniformly at about 0.1 mg/cm2.  The Cf source(s) only need to have a small
surface area (< 1cm2) with deposition around 10^-5 mg/cm2 totaling about 4 -
5 uCi each (2 or three of them).

Please contact me dirctly if you know anyone who can produce this kind of thing.
Disclaimer:  The values quoted here are my interpretation of someone else's
stuff.  It could be all screwed up.

Thanks in advance.

Keith Welch
Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility
Newport News VA
welch@cebaf.gov
Ph: (757)269-7212
FAX:(757)269-5048