Preserving Micron Tolerances Through the Assembly Process of an X-band Accelerating Structure

The CLIC structures are designed for operating at XBand, 2π/3 traveling wave mode with a loaded 100 MV/m gradient. Mechanical tolerances, at the submicron level, are required to satisfy the RF design constraints and beam dynamics and are reachable using ultra-precision diamond machining. However, inherent to the manufacturing process, there is a deviation from the nominal specifications and as a result; incorrect cavity dimensions produce a less efficient linac. Moreover, the assembly process increase the difference from the original geometry. As part of a cost and manufacturability optimization of the structures for mass production, this study aims to identify a correlation between frequency deviations and geometrical errors of the individual discs of the accelerating structures caused by the production process. A sensitivity analysis has been carried out to determine the most critical parameters. Cell frequency deviations have been monitored by bead pull measurements before and after bonding. Several accelerating structure prototypes have been tested to determine our assumptions and to assess if the assembly process preserves the tight tolerances achieved by machining.