The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) is a non-destructive technique used to analyse the crystal structure of materials by investigating their diffraction patterns. The system available in our laboratory is a D8 Discover Plus (Bruker) and it is an indispensable tool for phase analysis of material. XRD is complementary to other techniques available in MM Section like EDX and EBSD in Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Optical Emission Spectroscopy (OES). Our XRD is compatible with a large variety of crystalline samples including powder, bulk samples and coatings as well as sample's dimension and weight.

Samples require a flat surface for test and the affected depth is around ~30 µm, depending on material properties and X-ray incidence angle.

Applications:

• X-ray powder diffraction (XRPD) at room temperature and high temperature (up to 1200 °C). Phase identification/quantification, structure determination and refinement
• Grazing Incidence Diffraction (GID) for coatings an thin films characterization. Surface sensitive identification of crystalline phases and determination of their structural properties like crystallite size and strain
• Residual stress analysis and texture (preferred orientation) analysis
• High-Resolution XRD (HRXRD) including reciprocal space mapping (RSM), rocking curves and µXRD
• X-ray reflectometry (XRR) for the extraction of thicknesses, material densities and interface structures in multi-layer samples
• Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS)
• Wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS)

Optics:

• Available wavelengths: Cu and Co
• Triple beam path optics (Bragg-Brentano geometry, parallel/ highly parallel beam and monochromatic beam)

Detector:

• EIGER2 R 500K with large active area 77.2 mm x 38.6 mm
• Multi-mode (0D/1D/2D) detector based on the Hybrid Photon Counting technology (Dectris Ltd.)
• Pixel size 75 x 75 µm²
• Variable Sample-Detector Distance (SDD)

Sample stages:

• Centric Eulerian Cradle (sample height up to 40 mm and maximum sample load 1 kg) supports applications such as stress, texture, and epitaxial thin film analysis, including at non-ambient conditions
• Compact UMC Plus 80 (sample height up to 57 mm and maximum sample load 2 kg)
• Platform for very big samples (more than 200 mm height)

Non-ambient: 

• DHS1100: Domed hot stage with an increased temperature range of 25 °C to 1100 °C for in-situ high-temperature studies of phase transformations, texture, and internal stress in crystalline materials
• HTK1200N: High-temperature oven chamber for in-situ XRD studies in different atmospheres up to 1200 °C and accessories for dynamic height correction, vacuum and protective gas atmosphere. With sample spinning option for optimum data quality and with automated motorized Z-alignment stage for temperature-dependent sample realignment.

XRD system in 376/R-014

High-accuracy ATLAS goniometer ∆2θ ≤ ±0.007˚ (for 258mm height)