Development of a synchrotron powder diffractometer with a one-dimensional X-ray detector for analysis of advanced materials

A new synchrotron X-ray diffractometer with a one-dimensional X-ray detector has been successfully developed for the purpose of high angular resolution, high efficiency and full automatic powder X-ray diffraction experiments. Sample-to-detector distance is designed to be 955 mm. This long distance enables us to obtain high angular resolution powder diffraction data. The one-dimensional detector can observe 3.84 degrees in 2 theta per one exposure, thus multiple exposures at every 2 theta angle are required to collect a whole powder diffraction pattern. The minimum step size of 2 theta is approximately 0.003 degrees. A full automatic data-collection system is achieved with a newly developed diffractometer control program that covers the whole system; a sample exchanger, a sample position adjustment, diffractometer axes and data collection. Diffraction peak profile and angular resolution are comparable to that of the imaging plate Debye-Scherrer camera with the same sample-to-detector distance. Diffraction data of a standard sample (NIST-CeO2) obtained by this system was analyzed properly using Rietveld method. (C) 2013 The Ceramic Society of Japan. All rights reserved.