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Welcome!
Welcome
to the x-ray microdiffraction facility at the Advanced
Light Source (ALS), Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
(LBNL).
X-ray diffraction is a powerful experimental technique
that is routinely used to investigate the structural
properties of materials. We use
x-rays focused to a spot size of one micron or less to
perform x-ray diffraction experiments with very high
spatial resolution. X-ray microdiffraction is providing
new insights in the fields of materials and
environmental science. The ALS X-ray microdiffraction
facility has undergone a major upgrade with
its move from the bending magnet end-station 7.3.3. to
the superbend beamline 12.3.2. The new end-station with
its enhanced capabilities including brighter beam,
smaller spot size, better strain sensitivity and larger
energy range is now operational.
Why use x-ray microdiffraction?
- Materials properties such as strength and fatigue
resistance are highly dependent on microstructure.
X-ray microdiffraction can measure local variations in
stress, orientation, and plastic deformation between
grains and within individual grains, helping us
understand mechanical properties at this critical length
scale.
- In microelectronics and related industries, the
dimensions of the constitutive devices range from a few
microns to submicron. Confinement and interfaces
make thin film mechanical properties drastically
different than bulk materials. With x-ray
microdiffraction, we can measure local characteristics
such as texture and stress within individual devices,
offering an experimental counterpart to computer
simulations.
- Samples such as soils are highly complex and are a
challenge for spatially resolved characterization.
X-ray microdiffraction allows for structural
identification of small amounts of phases imbedded in a
heterogeneous matrix. For questions and comments about
this site, contact Nobumichi Tamura |
