INDUSTRY NEWS
Bridging the Gap to the Synchrotron Source: By Dr. Cameron Chai, Dr. Nav Dhaliwal, Dr. Kamran Khajehpour, Peter Airey and Richard Trett, AXT Pty Ltd
The Australian Synchrotron (AS) is a critical piece of research infrastructure. The synchrotron beamlines house high-end research facilities which simply cannot be replicated in a normal laboratory. In recent years several technologies have enabled instruments that close the gap to the synchrotron. Instruments that can easily be incorporated into onsite laboratories open up new research opportunities. In this article we take a look at some of these systems. While the benefits to research of these facilities are undeniable, sometimes access can be an issue. Their sheer size and expense means we only have one in Australia. Unfortunately, running experiments can be cost prohibitive, while availability and logistics can also provide barriers.
Synchrotron Alternatives While the power of a synchrotron may not be able to be replicated there are lab-based systems available that produce and utilise high intensity X-rays. These systems can provide data that results in similar analyses or can be a highly capable way of screening samples, helping you to decide which are the most important ones to measure at the synchrotron.
X-Ray Diffraction XRD has been a staple technique for materials identification and analysis. Most commercially available systems use sealed X-ray tubes and are rated at 3kW, but don’t normally operate above 1.6kW (i.e. 40kV and 40mA). The Rigaku SmartLab using uses a Rotating Anode X-ray generator and can operate continuously at 9kW, producing almost 6 times more usable flux with the addition of purposedesign optics. Despite its higher power output it is no bigger than 3kW systems.
9kW Rigaku SmartLab XRD.
This system retains the same architecture as lower powered system, enabling it to run all the same experiments. The higher X-ray flux available with the SmartLab 9kW just means it can do it faster, resulting in higher throughputs, with a better chance of identifying trace components, especially when coupled with high-speed detectors like the HyPix range that use Hybrid pixel area detector (HPAD) technology. Given the life expectancy of a diffractometer, installing a system like this also better prepares your lab for future experiments on materials that you may have never thought of. Similarly for crystallography researchers, in particular those working on single crystals, the Synergy-R from Rigaku Oxford Diffraction uses the same Rotating Anode technology and can also be married to high speed HPAD detectors for maximum sensitivity and throughput.
Micro X-Ray Fluorescence XRF spectrometers typically use similar sealed X-ray tubes with a limited power output of 3-4kW. Sigray, pioneers in the X-ray imaging and analysis field have developed a revolutionary new X-ray source called Fine Anode Array Source Technology or FAAST. It incorporates micron-scale metal X-ray emitters that are embedded into a diamond substrate which provides optimal cooling and synchrotron-like performance.
XtaLAB Synergy-R single crystal diffractometer from Rigaku Oxford Diffraction, powered by a rotating anode X-ray source.
30 | JUNE 2020
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FAAST is used in the AttoMap, X-ray fluorescence microscope. While a conventional XRF might produce an elemental map in tens of minutes, the AttoMap achieves this is just a WWW.MATERIALSAUSTRALIA.COM.AU