High-performance XRD

Enhancing XRD analysis with advanced X-ray optics

XRD is essential for analyzing the structure of crystalline materials, but traditional Bragg-Brentano parafocusing instruments have drawbacks. They need precise alignment, well-prepared samples, and are often bulky systems with high power demands.

Polycapillary X-ray optics offer a transformative solution to these limitations. These optics enhance system performance for applications such as thin-film analysis, material texture and stress evaluation, and monitoring crystalline phases in fields like pharmaceuticals and materials science.

Polycapillary optics can be used in two primary configurations to enhance XRD performance:

• Parallel-beam XRD
  A polycapillary collimating optic converts the divergent X-rays from a source into a quasi-parallel beam, dramatically reducing or even eliminating common errors related to sample displacement, surface roughness, and transparency. This results in more reliable peak position and intensity data, simplifying phase identification and quantification. The improved efficiency allows low-power X-ray sources to deliver performance comparable to high-power, kilowatt-class tubes—enabling smaller, more cost-effective instrument designs.
  
• Convergent-beam XRD
  For micro-diffraction applications, a polycapillary focusing optic collects X-rays and directs them to a focused spot on the sample, with diameters as small as tens of micrometers. This enables detailed analysis of small samples or specific features within a larger specimen. This approach gives users greater flexibility to optimize the beam’s convergent angle and intensity for the highest quality data based on specific sample properties.