A system for the x-ray topography analysis of a sample, comprising in combination, a goniometer having a base, a tube arm rotatably associated with the base, a detector arm rotatably associated with the base, and a sample stage operatively associated with the base. The system also includes an x-ray source operatively coupled with the tube arm and is capable of emitting a non-collimated beam of x-rays. A collimator is operatively associated with the x-ray source and converts the non-collimated beam of x-rays into a collimated beam of x-rays having a quasi-rectangular shape with a divergence less than three degrees in all directions. A detector operatively coupled to the detector arm.

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.

Disclosed is method of determining one or more unit cells of a poly-crystalline sample and indexing a set DV of 3D diffraction vectors. The method comprising obtaining a plurality of candidate first lattice plane normal vectors and a plurality of candidate second lattice plane normal vectors for a particular unknown grain; using said plurality of candidate first lattice plane normal vectors and said plurality of candidate second lattice plane normal vectors to select a plurality of subsets SSDV_n of the set DV of 3D diffraction vectors and processing said plurality of subsets SSDV_n of 3D diffraction vectors to determine a primary candidate unit cell PCUC defined by three lattice vectors; wherein the primary candidate unit cell PCUC is validated by evaluating the fit of the PCUC with the full set DV of 3D diffraction vectors.

A system for the x-ray topography analysis of a sample, comprising in combination, a goniometer having a base, a tube arm rotatably associated with the base, a detector arm rotatably associated with the base, and a sample stage operatively associated with the base. The system also includes an x-ray source operatively coupled with the tube arm and is capable of emitting a non-collimated beam of x-rays. A collimator is operatively associated with the x-ray source and converts the non-collimated beam of x-rays into a collimated beam of x-rays having a quasi-rectangular shape with a divergence less than three degrees in all directions. A detector operatively coupled to the detector arm.

A crystalline phase contained in a sample is identified, from X-ray diffraction data of the sample which contain data of a plurality of ring-shaped diffraction patterns, using a database in which are registered data related to peak positions and peak intensity ratios of X-ray diffraction patterns for a plurality of crystalline phases. Peak positions and peak intensities for a plurality of the diffraction patterns are detected from the X-ray diffraction data (step 102), and the circumferential angle versus intensity data of the diffraction patterns is created (step 103). The diffraction patterns are grouped into a plurality of clusters on the basis of the circumferential angle versus intensity data (step 105). Crystalline phase candidates contained in the sample are searched from the database on the basis of sets of ratios of peak positions and peak intensities of the diffraction patterns grouped into the same cluster (step 106).

Disclosed is method of determining one or more unit cells of a polycrystalline sample and indexing a set DV of 3D diffraction vectors. The method comprising obtaining a plurality of candidate first lattice plane normal vectors and a plurality of candidate second lattice plane normal vectors for a particular unknown grain; using said plurality of candidate first lattice plane normal vectors and said plurality of candidate second lattice plane normal vectors to select a plurality of subsets SSDV_n of the set DV of 3D diffraction vectors and processing said plurality of subsets SSDV_n of 3D diffraction vectors to determine a primary candidate unit cell PCUC defined by three lattice vectors; wherein the primary candidate unit cell PCUC is validated by evaluating the fit of the PCUC with the full set DV of 3D diffraction vectors.

A device for measuring short-wavelength characteristic X-ray diffraction based on array detection, and a measurement and analysis method based on the device are provided. An array detector of the device only detects and receives a diffraction ray which is diffracted by a material of a to-be-measured part inside a sample and passes through a through hole of a receiving collimator, and rays passing through a positioning hole. The to-be-measured part inside the sample is placed at the center of the diffractometer circle of the device. The method is performed with the device. With the present disclosure, a diffraction pattern of a part inside the sample with a centimeter thickness, i.e. Debye rings, can be rapidly and non-destructively measured, thereby rapidly and non-destructively measuring and analyzing crystal structures, and its crystal structural change of the part inside the sample, such as phase, texture, and stress.

The invention relates to a method for mapping the crystal orientations of a polycrystalline material, the method comprising: receiving (21) a series of images of the polycrystalline material, which images are acquired by an acquiring device in respective irradiation geometries; estimating (22) at least one intensity profile for at least one point of the material from the series of images, each intensity profile representing the intensity associated with the point in question as a function of irradiation geometry; and determining (24) a crystal orientation for each point in question of the material by comparing (23) the intensity profile associated with said point in question to theoretical signatures of intensity profiles of known crystal orientations, which signatures are contained in a database.

This invention provides a method, system, and computer program to visualize texture (crystal orientation distribution) heterogeneity in polycrystalline aggregate part in large length scale. This is a critical representation step for microstructure characterization, useful in effective behavior simulation, risk analysis and hotspot identification. In contrast to orientation image map where each color component represents a crystal orientation, each color in this macrotexture map represents a set of texture. Different color represent different texture and similar texture shall have similar color. This method will provide a critical tool in evaluating texture heterogeneity of components, leading to a first-hand understanding of property heterogeneity and anisotropy. For an experienced user, these maps serve the same purpose in identifying high risk locations in the investigated component as medical imaging maps do for diagnosis purpose. This method will also serve as a starting point in mesoscale simulation with meshing sensitivity based on the texture heterogeneity. It will provide a bridge between texture characterization and behavior simulation of component with texture heterogeneity. This method will also offer a linkage between crystal plasticity simulation in small length scale and finite element/difference simulation in large length scale.

A method for quantifying crystallinity within a sample using second harmonic generation microscopy is described herein. In one aspect, a method for reducing the timeframe for accelerated stability testing of amorphous solid dispersions of active pharmaceutical ingredients though identifying regions of interest to quantify crystallinity and composition is presented herein.