Target Fabrication in Support of Inertial Confinement Fusion and High Energy Density Physics Experiments

Target fabrication is increasingly important in experiments for inertial confinement fusion and high energy density physics. As the facilities are nearing completion and programs become more mature, refinements and new target designs remain a path to explore new physics through development of new materials and techniques. To meet the needs of the laboratory and academic communities, the target fabrication groups are working together across the DOE and NNSA complex to make best use of facilities and capabilities at the different sites. The challenge of target fabrication is to place new materials with sub-micron to micron tolerances into mm-sized packages. Targets are often needed in limited quantities, and even for a point design, flexible fabrication support is needed to meet evolving needs, making it difficult to take advantage of economies of scale. Here, we highlight the target ordering process we have implemented to specify, track, and use resources as efficiently as possible.