An X-ray camera for single-crystal studies at high temperatures under controlled atmosphere

Abstract

A vacuum heating camera has been developed for extremely low background X-ray film work between room temperature and 2000 K. It can be used with modified conventional Weissenberg goniometers and with a specially designed focusing goniometer. The temperature control is maintained by a Pt/Pt–10% Rh thermocouple, a three-term proportional, integral and derivative (PID) controller and a programmable power supply. The accuracy in the absolute temperature setting is 10 K, the stability better than 1 K and the maximum thermal gradient over the crystal 7 K mm−1 at 1330 K. A small oxygen pressure can be applied, depending on the temperature, to control oxidation or reduction reactions of the sample.