X-ray Reflectometry (XRR) on the Aeris diffractometer

Alignment-free thin-film analysis with effortless return to powder diffraction

Enabled by advanced hybrid pixel area (2D) detector technology, frame-based 1D measurement brings speed, flexibility, and simplicity to X-ray reflectometry. It converts detector frames into clear 1D reflectivity profiles, combining modern detector efficiency with conventional XRR analysis. Previously available only on floor-standing systems, this capability is now accessible on the compact Aeris diffractometer.

As shown in Fig. 1, the experimental setup for frame-based 1D measurement is very similar to a standard powder diffraction setup. This enables straightforward, alignment-free XRR measurements while maintaining compatibility with the sample changer for greater throughput and ease of use. Just as importantly, users can switch back to routine powder diffraction quickly and effortlessly, making Aeris a highly versatile platform for both thin-film and diffraction analysis.

Figure 1: Experimental set-up for X-Ray Reflectometry measurement on Aeris

A typical frame-based 1D measurement result is shown in Figure 2. The corresponding XRR curve can then be extracted with a single click using the AMASS software, as illustrated in Figure 3. This streamlined workflow makes it easy to move from measurement to interpretation with minimal user intervention.

Figure 2: Frame-based 1D measurement of an iridium layer collected on Aeris.

Figure 3: Extracted X-ray reflectometry curve obtained from the frame-based 1D measurement.

With the advanced analysis capabilities of AMASS, film thickness and surface or interface roughness can be determined directly from the extracted reflectivity curve. As shown in Figure 4, an excellent fit is obtained giving rise to a thickness value of 50.1 nm for a reference value of 49,97 nm with a roughness of 0.34 nm and a density of 21.1 g.cm^-3, demonstrating the ability of Aeris to deliver reliable thin-film characterization on a compact diffraction platform.

Figure 4: X-ray reflectometry fit of the data extracted from the frame-based 1D measurement on Aeris. The blue curve shows the experimental data, while the red curve shows the fitted profile for a 50 nm iridium layer.

In conclusion, Aeris shows how frame-based 1D measurements can make XRR a practical and accessible extension of compact X-Ray Diffraction. By combining measurement flexibility, easy operation, and seamless switching between techniques, Aeris enables efficient thin-film characterization alongside routine diffraction analysis in a single versatile instrument.