X-ray diffraction apparatus

• US 7,535,992 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2006
• Issued: 05/19/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Rigaku Corporation
• Original Assignee: Rigaku Corporation
• Inventors: Kuribayashi, Masaru, Taguchi, Takeyoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Glick; Edward J
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanei; Mona M
• Application Number:
  US11/477,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20070003012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,056 Days
• Field of Search: 378/71, 378/73, 378/75, 378/124, 378/147, 378/149
• US Class Current: 378/124
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 23/207 Diffractometry using detectors, e.g. using a probe in a central position and one or more displaceable detectors in circumferential positions

Abstract

An X-ray diffraction apparatus allows plural kinds of characteristic X-rays to be incident on a sample at the same time and thus allows X-ray diffraction measurement with the plural kinds of characteristic X-rays to be carried out at the same time. An X-ray tube includes an anode which has the first target region made of Co and the second target region made of Cu. The first and second target regions are sectioned in a direction (Z-direction) perpendicular to an X-ray take-off direction. Incident-side and receiving-side Z-direction-divergence restriction devices restrict the X-ray divergence in the Z-direction. An X-ray detector is position sensitive at least in the Z-direction and can detect separately a diffracted X-ray coming from the first sample region which is irradiated with the Co characteristic X-ray and another diffracted X-ray coming from the second sample region which is irradiated with the Cu characteristic X-ray. The detector may be a two-dimensional CCD sensor capable of executing a TDI operation.

Claims

1. An X-ray diffraction apparatus comprising:

(a) an X-ray tube including an anode having a first target region made of a first material and a second target region made of a second material which is different from the first material, wherein the first target region and the second target region are sectioned in a Z-direction perpendicular to an X-ray take-off direction;

(b) a sample holder for holding a sample so as to be simultaneously irradiated with a first characteristic X-ray emitted from the first target region and a second characteristic X-ray emitted from the second target region;

(c) an incident-side Z-direction-divergence restriction device which is arranged between the X-ray tube and the sample to restrict X-ray divergence in the Z-direction;

(d) an X-ray detector for detecting a diffracted X-ray coming from the sample, wherein the X-ray detector is position sensitive at least in the Z-direction and detects separately a diffracted X-ray coming from a first region of the sample which is irradiated with the first characteristic X-ray and another diffracted X-ray coming from a second region of the sample which is irradiated with the second characteristic X-ray; and

(e) a receiving-side Z-direction-divergence restriction device which is arranged between the sample and the X-ray detector to restrict X-ray divergence in the Z-direction.

2. An X-ray diffraction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray detector comprises one of a one-dimensional CCD sensor and a two dimensional CCD sensor.

3. An X-ray diffraction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the X-ray detector comprises a two-dimensional CCD sensor and executes a TDI operation.

4. An X-ray diffraction apparatus according to claim 3, wherein both the incident-side Z-direction-divergence restriction device and the receiving-side Z-direction-divergence restriction device are Soller slits.

5. An X-ray diffraction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein both the incident-side Z-direction-divergence restriction device and the receiving-side Z-direction-divergence restriction device are Soller slits.