X-ray scattering at wide-, small- and ultra-small angles can provide structural information over several length scales (from Ã… up to 100 nm and beyond). While WAXS refers practically to X-ray diffraction (d-spacing less than 1 nm to a few nanometers), SAXS probes relatively large-scale structures (appr. 1-100nm, while USAXS may even detect micron-sized features. Moreover, SAXS includes not only the diffraction of large lattice spacing, of the order of tens, hundreds, or even thousands of interatomic distances, but also the scattering by perturbed or non-periodic structures of amorphous and mesomorphic materials (including e.g. polymeric, supramolecular, nano-porous and nano-structured materials as well as nano-composites).
A proper structure and morphology analysis of many systems requires information using a combination of SAXS and WAXS and nowadays there are instruments employing both techniques utilizing a single X-ray source but with two different cameras/detectors. Another common configuration in X-ray instrumentation is grazing Incidence SAXS (GISAXS), which allows the study of nanostructured surfaces and thin films.

Qmin - Qmax

0.029 – 4 nm^-1

X-Ray Source

GeniX3D beam-delivery system.
40-μm-microfocus sealed tube, Cu anode (50 kV, 0.6 mA, 30 W).
FOX 3D single reflection aspheric multilayer optic (8 KeV Cu Kα X-ray beam)

Collimation Slits

Αnti-scattering collimation scheme with two pinhole blocks, each of which consists of four collimation apertures corresponding to the four possible configurations: very high flux (VHF), medium resolution (MR), high resolution (HR), and very high resolution (VHR).

Sample Environment

Sample under vacuum environment.

Feedthroughs available.

Sample stage

Sample Stage Assembly with motorized X-Z translations (± 17.5 mm) for sample positioning. Additional motorization for sample
rotation (>180°) around the X-ray beam (anisotropic samples and larger azimuthal coverage).

SAXS Detector

In vacuum 2D Pilatus3 Hybrid pixel detector 1x100K module featuring:

Single photon counting with near zero readout noise and dark current

Retrigger technology for non- paralyzable counting, high accuracy at high count rates.

Pixel size of 172 μm with a point spread function of 1 pixel

Detector active area : 83,8 x 33,5 mm²

SAXS Detector stage

Static (938 mm from the sample).

Beamstop

Beamstop less data acquisition

Accessories / WAXS module

Static (79 mm from the sample and at 33° with respect to the direct beam) 2D Pilatus3 Hybrid pixel detector module placed inside the vacuum sample chamber enabling to detect WAXS angle up to 2Theta 60°.