CCD AREA DETECTORS OF X-RAYS APPLIED TO THE ANALYSIS OF MINERAL STRUCTURES

The recently available CCD (charge-coupled device) area detector fur X -rays provides many advantages over a scintillation detector mounted o n a serial diffractometer, including 1) improved sensitivity to weak r eflections, which permits the study of very small crystals with a seal ed-tube laboratory X-ray source, 2) improved resolution, permiting the study of long-axis problems, and 3) reduced data-collection times. Th e applicability of the CCD detector to the analysis of mineral structu res is demonstrated with several examples. The CCD detector provides s tructure refinements that are comparable to those obtained using a ser ial diffractometer in a fraction of the time. More significantly, the sensitivity and resolution of the CCD detector permit the successful e lucidation of mineral structures that were previously unattainable. As such, the CCD detector will likely revolutionize the acquisition of d iffraction data for the analysis of mineral structures.