A high-energy triple-axis X-ray diffractometer for the study of the structure of bulk crystals

Abstract

A triple-axis diffractometer for high-energy X-ray diffraction is described. A 450 kV/4.5 kW stationary tungsten X-ray tube serves as the X-ray source. Normally, 220 reflections of thermally annealed Czochralski Si are employed for the monochromator and analyser. Their integrated reflectivity is about ten times higher than the ideal crystal value. With the same material as the sample, and working with the WKα line at 60 keV in symmetric Laue geometry for all axes, the full width at half-maximum (FWHM) values for the longitudinal and transversal resolution are 2.5 × 10−3and 1.1 × 10−4for ΔQ/Q, respectively, and the peak intensity for a non-dispersive setting is 3000 counts s−1. In particular, for a double-axis mode, an energy well above 100 keV from theBremsstrahlungspectrum can be used readily. High-energy X-rays are distinguished by a high penetration power and materials of several centimetre thickness can be analysed. The feasibility of performing experiments with massive sample environments is demonstrated.