ID13 is a flexible beamline that can accommodate many different sample sizes and morphologies. Samples can be mounted on needles with glue/epoxy, in capillaries, stuck to tape, or on glass slides. This can be done at the beamline, or beforehand with input from the local contact.

The most common sample holders used at the beamline are:

• A) Free standing glued on glass needles or glass slides
• B) Deposited/dispersed on silicon nitrate membranes (powders, biological samples...)
• C) 3D printed mounts with several samples glued on it
• D) Capillary filled with powder

A                               B                               C                               C                               D

• Humidity control for small samples (< 1 mm³)
• Stretching cell (e.g. for fibrous samples)
• Nano-indenter
• Operando stack pressure electrochemical cell (on collaborative basis)
• Nano-Calorimetry (on collaborative basis)
• Micro-fluidics (on collaborative basis)

Beam calibration:

The beam position and size is measured using:

• X-ray beams >1 µm: Gold cross with 50 µm wires.
• X-ray beams <1 µm: Siemens star made of Au or Ta on Si₃N₄ membrane with smallest features of 50 nm.
• Additionally, copper beads of 5 µm in diameter, dispersed on a Si₃N₄ membrane are used for testing of imaging artifacts.

Detector distance calibration:

• Al₂O₃: Powdered alumina mounted in a capillary. Various capillaries of different thicknesses are available. Used for standard WAXS calibration.
• AgBh: Powdered silver behenate mounted in a capillary. Various capillaries of different thicknesses are available. Used for calibration of SAXS and mixed SAXS/WAXS.