A method of defining at least one scan parameter for an x-ray scan of a single crystal structure, the method comprising: determining a target orientation of the structure for the scan; and defining different non-zero levels of x-ray exposure for different parts of a scan area based on either or both of the target orientation and characteristics of the structure; and, defining the scan area so that substantially all x-rays of the scan are directed to the structure in the target orientation.

The invention relates to a method for processing images obtained by a diffraction detector, of a crystalline or polycrystalline material, in which a first image of the material is acquired in a state of reference as well as a second image of the material in a deformed state. The invention is characterised in that, in a calculator, during a first step (E6, E12), a current elastic deformation gradient tensor F.sup.e is given a value determined by calculation, during a second step (E7), the current displacement field induced by the tensor F.sup.e is calculated, during a third step (E8), third digital values of a deformed image {hacek over (g)}(x)=g(x+u(x)) corrected by the current displacement field are calculated, and during an iterative algorithm, iterations of the second and third steps (E12, E7, E8) are carried out on modified values of the tensor r F.sup.e until a convergence criterion is met in relation to the correction to the current value of F.sup.e.

There is provided a tilting parameters calculating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample mounted on a sample stage, the tilting parameters calculating device being configured to calculate tilting parameters, the tilting parameters being input parameters to control a tilting direction and a tilting value of the sample and/or the charged particle beam, the input parameters being necessary to change an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample, the tilting parameters calculating device including a tilting parameters calculating unit for calculating the tilting parameters based on information that indicates the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal lying at a selected position on the surface in a state where the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample is in a predetermined incident direction, the information being designated on a crystal orientation figure, which is a diagram illustrating the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal coordinate system of the crystal.

There is provided a crystal orientation figure creating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample, the crystal orientation figure creating device being configured to create a crystal orientation figure, which is a figure representing a crystal coordinate system of a crystal at a position selected on the surface with respect to an incident direction of the charged particle beam, the crystal orientation figure creating device including: an orientation information acquiring unit configured to acquire crystal orientation information with respect to the incident direction at the selected position; an incident direction information acquiring unit configured to acquire information relating to an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample; and a crystal orientation figure creating unit configured to create a crystal orientation figure in a changed incident direction at the selected position, based on the crystal orientation information acquired by the orientation information acquiring unit, and the information relating to the incident direction at the time when the crystal orientation information is acquired and the information relating to the changed incident direction, acquired by the incident direction information acquiring unit.

A method and apparatus for rapid measurement and analysis of structure and composition of poly-crystal materials by X-ray diffraction and X-ray spectroscopy, which uses a two-dimensional energy dispersive area detector having an array of pixels, and a white spectrum X-ray beam source. A related data processing method includes separating X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy signals in the energy dispersive X-ray spectrum detected by each pixel of the two-dimensional energy dispersive detector; correcting the detected X-ray diffraction signals by a correction function; summing the corrected X-ray diffraction signals and X-ray spectroscopy signals, respectively, over all pixels to obtain an enhanced diffraction spectrum and an enhanced spectroscopy spectrum; using the enhanced diffraction and spectroscopy spectrum respectively to determine the structure and composition of the sample. The summing step includes using Bragg's equation to convert the intensity-energy diffraction spectrum for each pixel into an intensity-lattice spacing spectrum before summing them.

The disclosure discloses a method and apparatus for measuring a size of a crystal grain, and a method for fabricating a poly-silicon thin film. The method for measuring the size of the crystal grain includes: obtaining a grain morphology image of a crystalline region of a crystal, and drawing a grain interface diagram according to the grain morphology image; measuring at least one crystal grain in the grain interface diagram, and determining a transverse size and a longitudinal size of each measured crystal grain; and determining a transverse size and a longitudinal size of a crystal grain of the crystal according to the transverse size and the longitudinal size of each measured crystal grain.

There is provided a tilting parameters calculating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample mounted on a sample stage, the tilting parameters calculating device being configured to calculate tilting parameters, the tilting parameters being input parameters to control a tilting direction and a tilting value of the sample and/or the charged particle beam, the input parameters being necessary to change an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample, the tilting parameters calculating device including a tilting parameters calculating unit for calculating the tilting parameters based on information that indicates the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal lying at a selected position on the surface in a state where the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample is in a predetermined incident direction, the information being designated on a crystal orientation figure, which is a diagram illustrating the incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to a crystal coordinate system of the crystal.

There is provided a crystal orientation figure creating device for use in a charged particle beam device for making a charged particle beam irradiated to a surface of a sample, the crystal orientation figure creating device being configured to create a crystal orientation figure, which is a figure representing a crystal coordinate system of a crystal at a position selected on the surface with respect to an incident direction of the charged particle beam, the crystal orientation figure creating device including: an orientation information acquiring unit configured to acquire crystal orientation information with respect to the incident direction at the selected position; an incident direction information acquiring unit configured to acquire information relating to an incident direction of the charged particle beam with respect to the sample; and a crystal orientation figure creating unit configured to create a crystal orientation figure in a changed incident direction at the selected position, based on the crystal orientation information acquired by the orientation information acquiring unit, and the information relating to the incident direction at the time when the crystal orientation information is acquired and the information relating to the changed incident direction, acquired by the incident direction information acquiring unit.

The system for in-situ real-time measurements of microstructure properties of 3D-printing objects during 3-D printing processes. An intensive parallel X-ray beam (with an adjustable beam size) impinges on a printing object and is diffracted on a crystal lattice of the printing material. The diffracted radiation impinges on a reflector formed with an array of reflector crystals mounted on an arcuated substrate. The diffracted beams reflected from the reflector crystals correspond to the diffraction intensity peaks produced by interaction of the crystal lattice of the printing material with the impinging X-ray beam. The intensities of the diffraction peaks are observed by detectors which produce corresponding output signals, which are processed to provide critical information on the crystal phase composition, which is closely related to the defects and performance of the printing objects. The subject in-situ technology provides an effective and efficient way to monitor, in real-time, the quality of 3D-printing parts during the 3-D printing process, with a significant potential for effective process control based on the reliable microstructure feedback.

A method and a device for determining the material properties of a polycrystalline, in particular metallic, product during production or quality control of the polycrystalline, in particular metallic, product by means of X-ray diffraction using at least one X-ray source and at least one X-ray detector. In this case, an X-ray generated by the X-ray source is directed onto a surface of the polycrystalline product and the resulting diffraction image of the X-ray is recorded by the X-ray detector. After exiting the X-ray source, the X-ray is passed through an X-ray mirror, wherein the X-ray is both monochromatized and focused, by the X-ray mirror, in the direction of the polycrystalline product and/or the X-ray detector, and then reaches a surface of the metallic product.