MIT MRSEC - Materials Reseach Science and Engineering Center

X-ray Diffraction Shared Experimental Facility

New X-ray facility manager - Jordan Cox Ph.D

Please welcome Jordan Cox to the MRL team. He joined Nov 2021 and will oversee the X-ray lab daily operations and instrument training. Charles Settens has been promoted to manage the MRL Shared Experimental Facilities as the Operations Manager.

Upgraded PANalytical Empyrean to Mo/Cu + Galipix detector

The Panalytical Empyrean diffractometer has been equipped with a Mo X-ray source, focusing mirror and Galipix 3D detector. An alternate Cu X-ray source, Bragg-Brentano HD mirror and PIXcel 1D solid state detector is also available. The instrument has many different stage configurations:

• XYZ stage with auto height sensor
• Capillary spinner with alignment camera
• Reflection-transmission spinner stage with 45 position sample changer
• In-operando coin and pouch cell battery holder

There is also an Anton Paar CHC plus+ in-situ heating and relative humidity stage for sample investigations in humid gas, air, inert gas or vacuum. The heating stage can achieve -5 °C to 300 °C in air or inert gas and up to 400 °C in vacuum. Controlled humidity is possible for sample temperatures from 10 °C to 80 °C.

For training, please email Jordan Cox.

BRUKER LEPTOS Software Workshop for High Resolution X-ray Diffraction (HRXRD) of Epitaxial Thin Films

Benjamin Krueger, Bruker Applications Scientist
Wednesday, March 4th, 2020
10am–12pm Background and demonstration (Bring laptops)
1pm–4pm Data analysis workshop (Bring laptops)
12-0168, MIT.nano (basement level)

Workshop details Bruker LEPTOS software to:
• Analyze HRXRD measurements for in-plane and out-of-plane strain, composition and defect density of epitaxial thin films
• Simulate and fit data in direct and reciprocal space using advanced X-ray scattering theories and numerical methods for estimation
• Parameterize any type of thin film and build your specific crystal structure model using the extendable material database

Bruker D8 with GADDS - Co Kα1 radiation and Cryostream 700

The Bruker GADDS now has a Cobalt anode to provide low background 2D XRD data of Fe or Co containing samples while mitigating the fluorescence issues associated with a Cu target. Also, an Oxford Cryosystems Cryostream 700 has been outfitted to the Bruker GADDS system to provide variable temperature XRD down to 77º K. Contact Charles Settens for training.

SAXSLAB instrument

The MIT MRSEC has committed to supporting lab-based Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) in the X-ray Diffraction Shared Experimental Facility. The Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies SAXS system has been moved to the X-ray facility and is currently being upgraded by MRL to support research programs that would benefit from an X-ray nanoprobe sensitive to size scales from 0.5 – 200 nm. The planned upgrades include a vacuum compatible DECTRIS PILATUS 300K detector, automated sample to detector distance positioning, tunable scatterless collimation slits, a HUBER single circle segment for GI-SAXS stage - all controlled by spec. An additional capability for Linkham HFSX350 heating cooling stage has been added. Contact Charles Settens for training on the SAXS system.

X-ray Diffraction Capabilities in Chemistry Department

In addition to single crystal structure refinement, the Chemistry Department’s Diffraction Facility now offers transmission-mode powder diffraction at temperatures from 100K to 500K. Transmission mode diffraction gives rise to high-quality powder patterns from minute amounts of sample (only ca. 2 cubic millimeters of tightly packed powder are needed) and the variable temperature setup, which is unique on MIT campus, allows the examination of many phase transitions. In addition, the user has the choice of copper and molybdenum radiation (Mo radiation reduces fluorescence in samples containing Co or Fe). The quality of the powder data collected in the facility is generally high and on several occasion was good enough for Rietveld refinement. For further information contact Peter Mueller or see here: http://web.mit.edu/x-ray/powder.html.

Back-reflection Laue instrument now available

This instrument is currently working. Training for this system will be one-on-one and must be pre-arranged with staff. Please send an email expressing your interest and the nature of your samples to Charles Settens.

Website Upgraded

If you would like to visit the old website, it has been moved to prism.mit.edu/xray/oldsite.