Contact
Dr. Fabian Ganss
f.ganss
hzdr.de
Phone: +49 351 260 2133
X-ray Laboratory
The X-ray laboratory of the Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research at the HZDR operates three different laboratory diffractometers. They are optimized to cover a wide range of tasks in materials research. The Rigaku SmartLab is operated in close collaboration with the Department of Magnetism within their laboratory and next to several deposition tools. All diffractometers operate with Cu radiation (Kα: 0.154 nm / 8.04 keV).
Equipment
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X-ray diffractometer D8 with vertical θ-θ goniometer and secondary monochromator Source: Dr. Ganss, Fabian |
X-ray diffractometer Empyrean with vertical θ-θ goniometer, X-ray source with monochromator (left), area detector (top right) and proportional counter (bottom right) Source: Dr. Ganss, Fabian |
X-ray diffractometer SmartLab with vertical θ-θ goniometer, X-ray source with parallel beam optics (left) and area detector (right) Source: Dr. Ganss, Fabian |
| Name | Type | Optics | Applications |
| Bruker D8 Advance | powder diffractometer | Bragg-Brentano geometry with graphite secondary monochromator and scintillator | diffraction at crystalline powders or polycrystalline materials |
| Panalytical Empyrean | thin film diffractometer | parallel beam geometry with germanium monochromator, proportional counter and area detector | diffraction at thin films, reflectivity, orientiation and texture analysis, reciprocal space maps |
| Rigaku SmartLab 3kW | thin film diffractometer | Bragg-Brentano geometry or parallel beam geometry with germanium monochromator and area detector | diffraction at crystalline powders or polycrystalline materials as well as thin films, reflectivity, orientiation and texture analysis, reciprocal space maps |
Topics of Research
The development of new high-performance materials, new materials for micro- and nano-technology requires a constantly evolving analytics, in particular to clarify the relationship between the atomic microstructure and the practice-relevant macroscopic material properties. The aim is by means of material science to achieve a targeted design of materials with specific properties. Structural studies are the key to establish a connection between the functional and structural properties which generate this function. This knowledge makes it possible to design new materials with precisely defined characteristics. Thin nanostructured layers can, for example, affect surface and interfacial properties such that the material properties of conventional materials can be adjusted to match a particular task. The function of the nanostructures is not only determined by their internal structure, but in large part by their morphology and surface characteristics.
Crystallisation and Phase Analysis
The atomic structure, particularly the formation of (nano-) crystallites, which evolves during a deposition process, during modification with ion beams or in connection with subsequent annealing steps, decisively influence the material properties. For materials undergoing only structural changes at a thin surface layer, the method of grazing (or glancing) incidence diffraction is used. By varying the angle of incidence, the sensitivity regarding a thin surface layer can be greatly improved.
These studies relate to various topics such as light metal materials, materials for biomedical applications, metallic layers, semiconductor nanoclusters, metal-ceramic interfaces, transparent oxides, etc. In addition to the phase formation as a function of the different technological steps also the development of the crystallite size, the change of the lattice constants as well as their statistical distribution function can be studied. As appropriate for thin films and possible texture effects are investigated. The objective is, for example, to observe or to keep track of orientation relationships between substrate and a deposited layer.
X-ray Reflectometry
With X-ray reflectometry one gains information about the layer thicknesses, the surface and interface roughness and the density of the materials. The method is applied, for example, to study the ion beam mixing in Co/Cu multilayers, the change of the density in SiC after implantation or to assess the quality of BN layers from an IBAD process. The quality of semiconductor substrate surfaces or of hetero-structure interfaces can be investigated as well.
High Resolution Diffractometry
This is primarily used to study smallest lattice strains, e.g., after ion implantation into Si, ZrO, or in III-V semiconductor heterostructures and their relaxation after some treatment.
Powder Diffraction
This method is the default method for phase identification mainly of polycrystalline materials.
Tutorials:
