Diffraction and Small Angle Scattering in 2D and 3D

The development of new materials is today closely related to the “creation” of new functional nanostructures. Structural investigations are the key to establish a connection between the functional and structural properties that generate this function. This knowledge makes it possible to design new materials with precisely predetermined properties. The function of nanostructures is not only determined by their internal structure, but in large part by their morphology and surface properties.
The development of advanced optical components and 2D detectors enable today measurements that were some years ago only possible using synchrotron radiation. The most important factor is the enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio using a well optimized setup depending on the concrete measurement problem.
For example, the development of micro-focus sources in the combination of high-performance optics and especially the new semiconductor area detectors (here we used: 2x2 á 256x256 pixels with 55μm pixel size) has established the possibility of GISAXS investigations increasingly in the laboratory. The measurements were performed on a system equipped with a two-dimensional side-by-side optics using a Q-Q diffractometer. It was ensured that the primary beam width remains almost constant over the entire dynamic range and that no secondary maxima occur. The advantage of such an optimized approach is that using the same device both small-angle scattering and as well as additional necessary diffraction experiments without any change in the setup of the diffractometer are possible.
A great advantage of GISAXS is the investigation of buried nanostructures that can be investigated without any additional preparation. Based on thin films prepared by an energetic ion assisted by PVD process, we illustrate the potential of laboratory GISAXS studies.
2D detectors are very efficient for the measurement of large reciprocal space maps at medium resolution in reciprocal space. As an example we will show the investigation of Sn-Ge-Si layers on a Si(001) substrate that are used in modern detectors for telecom applications.
In this contribution we will demonstrate the advantages as well as the special care that is needed during use of modern semiconductor pixel detectors.