A back-reflection Laue apparatus and a method are provided. The apparatus includes a source for generating X-ray radiation, a collimator for collimating the X-ray radiation into an X-ray beam; a back-reflection Laue chamber for transmitting the beam therethrough towards a sample, and back-reflecting visible radiation obtained from the beam being diffracted off the sample and converted to visible radiation upon re-entering the chamber, the chamber comprising a reflection side wall having an exterior surface and a reflective interior surface for back-reflecting the visible radiation, the wall being provided with a through-hole extending from the exterior surface to the reflective interior surface; and a detector assembly for detecting the back-reflected visible radiation. The collimator has a first end connected to the source and a second end terminating between the exterior surface and the reflective interior surface of the wall, within the through-hole, the beam exiting the collimator at the second end.

A system is provided for detecting the mass of oil in an inorganic mineral of shale. The system operates by performing an extraction test on a first shale sample by using chloroform to obtain a total content of shale oil in the shale; enriching kerogen from the second shale sample to obtain dry kerogen; and performing an extraction test on oven-dried kerogen by using chloroform to determine the mass of extracted kerogen. The system also operates by determining the mass of the oil in the organic matter of the shale sample and the mass of the oil in an inorganic mineral of the shale; establishing a model for predicting a ratio of the mass of the oil in the inorganic mineral of the shale to the mass of the oil in the organic matter; and using the prediction model to determine the mass of oil in an inorganic mineral.

Disclosed, is a sample preparation apparatus which is configured to prepare a material sample suitable for X-ray diffraction. The apparatus comprises a dished sample holder bottom configured to fit within an annular sample holder. The dished sample holder bottom has a concave dished surface which is adapted to distribute sample material under pressing forces. A method of preparing a material sample suitable for X-ray diffraction is also disclosed. The method comprises dosing a dished sample holder bottom which is configured to fit within an annular sample holder with sample material, wherein the dished sample holder bottom preferably has a concave dished surface which is adapted to distribute sample material under pressing forces.

A ball-mapping system connectable to an X-ray diffraction apparatus, for collecting X-ray diffraction data at measurement points located on a ball-shaped sample is provided. The system includes a sample stage, including a sample-contacting surface and a guide assembly cooperating with the sample-contacting surface for guiding the sample-contacting surface along a first axis and along a second axis unparallel to the first axis. The system includes a sample holder for keeping the ball-shaped sample in contact with the sample stage and a motor assembly in driving engagement with the guide assembly, the motor assembly driving the sample-contacting surface in translational movement along the first axis and the second axis, the translational movement of the sample-contacting surface causing the ball-shaped sample to rotate, on the sample-contacting surface along the first axis and the second axis. A method for mapping the ball-shaped sample is also provided.

Methods and systems for characterizing dimensions and material properties of semiconductor devices by full beam x-ray scatterometry are described herein. A full beam x-ray scatterometry measurement involves illuminating a sample with an X-ray beam and detecting the intensities of the resulting zero diffraction order and higher diffraction orders simultaneously for one or more angles of incidence relative to the sample. The simultaneous measurement of the direct beam and the scattered orders enables high throughput measurements with improved accuracy. The full beam x-ray scatterometry system includes one or more photon counting detectors with high dynamic range and thick, highly absorptive crystal substrates that absorb the direct beam with minimal parasitic backscattering. In other aspects, model based measurements are performed based on the zero diffraction order beam, and measurement performance of the full beam x-ray scatterometry system is estimated and controlled based on properties of the measured zero order beam.

An X-ray diffraction method measures crystallite size distribution in a polycrystalline sample using an X-ray diffractometer with a two-dimensional detector. The diffraction pattern collected contains several spotty diffraction rings. The spottiness of the diffraction rings is related to the size, size distribution and orientation distribution of the crystallites as well as the diffractometer condition. The invention allows obtaining of the diffraction intensities of all measured crystallites at perfect Bragg condition so that the crystallite size distribution can be measured based on the 2D diffraction patterns.

A sample holder unit for a single-crystal X-ray structure analysis apparatus that quickly, surely and easily performs structure analysis with a crystalline sponge, the structure analysis inclusive of an operation of attaching a sample soaked in the crystalline sponge thereto, even if having no specialized knowledge, is provided. There are provided a sample holder, and an applicator comprising an opening 302 and a storing space in which the sample holder is stored, and a pull-out prevention part that selectively prevents and releases the sample holder stored in the storing space from being pulled out from the opening 302, wherein the pull-out prevention part comprises an operation part that releases pull-out prevention thereof in a state where the sample holder stored in the applicator is attached to the goniometer.

An analysis apparatus comprises: a moveable stage assembly; a sample holder on a top surface of the stage assembly; a first photon source and a first photon detector or detector array, the first photon source being configured to emit a first beam of photons that intercepts the surface of a sample at a first location on the sample and the first photon detector or detector array being configured to detect photons that are emitted from the first location; and a second photon source and a second photon detector or detector array, the second photon source being configured to emit a second beam of photons that intercepts the surface of the sample at a second location on the sample, the second location being spaced apart from the first location, and the second photon detector or detector array being configured to detect photons that are emitted from the second location.

A diffraction system for determining a crystalline structure of a sample collects a series of diffraction frames from a crystal sample illuminated by a beam of photonic or particulate radiation, such as X-rays. A plurality of software modules for processing the detected diffraction frames perform different tasks in refining the collected diffraction data, such as harvesting, indexing, scaling, integration, and structure determination. Output parameters from certain modules are used as input parameters in others, and are exchanged between the modules as they become available. The modules operate simultaneously, and generate successive versions of output parameters as corresponding input parameters are changed until a final result is achieved. This provides a system of structure determination that is fast and efficient.

The sample mounting system comprises a sample holder and a sample stage having a platform for supporting the sample holder. The sample can be fixed to the sample holder by a mount. The sample holder comprises a holder reference portion, which co-operates with a corresponding reference portion of the sample stage (the stage reference portion) to align the sample holder with the sample stage. When the sample holder is positioned on the platform such that the stage reference portion and the holder reference portion engage each other, the sample holder is aligned with the sample stage.