A laboratory use image plate camera for surface and interface structure analysis

We designed a new X-ray camera with an image plate (IP) detector so as to s tudy surface and interface structures. It is made up of two goniometers wit h coaxial setup and a curved IP cassette that traverses up and down. The ax is of rotation is vertical and perpendicular to the incident beam. The samp le is mounted on one of the goniometer. The other goniometer carries an arm . This arm is intended to hold a hemicylindrical metal sleeve with a narrow slot or with crossed slits. Owing to the slit screen, of which rotation ca n be synchronized with the sample rotation and the IP translation, the back ground was reduced by half. Consequently, we could detect X-ray surface sca ttering of the order of 10(-6). On the other hand, if the slit screen is he ld stationary, an easy measurement of diffuse X-ray reflectivity was found to be possible by combining the IP translation and the sample rotation. Sin ce the goniometer and goniometer head are intended for experimental setup o f heavy and large devices, vacuum chambers or cryostats can easily be insta lled. Therefore, the IP camera enables to measure the diffraction from surf aces under various extreme conditions. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All r ights reserved.