Synopsis

BM05 Users Guide

The Instrumentation Facility BM05 is a 2-pole wiggler beamline equipped with experimental stations to perform X-ray tomography, topography, diffraction, reflectometry and wavefront metrology. Beams of decimeter to micrometer sizes and energies from 6 keV to 150 keV are available for industrial use and for developing the instrumentation of the future.

The BM05 beamline is available for internal development and for proprietary research. It serves as a test and development station for X-ray optical elements and detectors, beam characterisation (coherence, polarisation…) and instrumentation R&D in general.

This beamline is unique in terms of flexibility. It offers the specific characteristics:

  • Coverage of a large energy-range, from 6 keV to 60 keV, using 2 monochromators
  • Variable energy resolution: ΔE/E< 10-4 when using Si(111) crystals, ΔE/E~ 10-2 when using multilayers.
  • High monochromaticity by combining Bragg reflection on crystals and multilayers (harmonic rejection <10-5).
  • Various customizable stations located at ~31 m, ~43 m and ~58 m where either white beam or monochromatic beam can be delivered.

Scientific applications

Most experiments performed at BM5 are related to Methods & Instrumentations.

1. X-Ray Optics

  • Characterization of optical elements (reflectometry and diffractometry): mirrors, multilayers, single crystals
  • Performance tests of microfocusing optical elements (mirror benders)
  • Testing of optical devices and schemes based on refractive and diffractive lenses, Laue/Bragg monochromator…

2. Metrology instrumentation

  • Coherent and incoherent mirror and multilayer metrology
  • Interferometry using crystals, gratings, speckle

3. Other Instrumentation Developments

  • Detector tests: spatial resolution and performance of 2D detectors of various kinds
  • Time-Resolved setups, including choppers.

4. Proprietary research

  • Topography (absorption and phase contrast): study of crystal defects
  • Computed tomography (medium resolution)
  • High energy beam conditioning: monochromator, curved and graded multilayers

Techniques Available

X-ray Reflectometry and Diffractometry

  • A horizontal diffractometer, work horse of the beamline, allows multiple configurations. It can take sample environments of up to 40 kg weight. X-ray diffractometry with micrometer spatial resolution can also be performed using a 2D camera. Additional optical elements can be installed on any of the 3-axes or on a table located at about 1 meter in front of the diffractometer, so that this instrument also serves as test station for various kinds of optical elements. Notice also that white beam can also be used in this hutch.
  • A five-circle commercial diffractometer (3 circles for sample orientation, 2 circles for detectors) is available to address the high-throughput multi-characterisation R&D rapid-access needs of the micro- and nano-electronics industry. The instrument was financed by the French IRT Nanoelec programme via a collaboration between CEA-LETI and ESRF. The available  X-ray characterisation techniques include in-plane and out-of-plane diffraction, both in reflection and transmission, anomalous diffraction, CD-SAXS, PDF measurements on amorphous thin layers, fluorescence, reflectivity and diffraction imaging (white and monochromatic x-ray topography, rocking curve imaging). Different detectors are available including 0D scintillation APD detectors and 2D Pixirad FreLon or a PCO cameras. It is installed in the second hutch at a mean distance from the source of 60 m, so that the beam has a maximum size of 100 mm x 10 mm (FWHM). The setup is also used to measure diffuse scattering on polished surfaces or to qualify the uniformity response of detectors. A bent multilayer bending mounted upstream (optics table) may be used to concentrate the x-ray beam in the horizontal direction down to 30 micrometers.

X-ray Topography

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X-ray Tomography

  • X-ray computed tomography technique is available on beamline BM05 for both academic (through proposals twice a year) and industrial (faster and paid access) experiments.

    This imaging technique is well suited to study the 3D microstructure of materials. BM05 has a high automation level for high throughput and is equipped with a sample changer for large batches.

    With up to 3.5 metres of propagation distance for phase-contrast imaging, BM05 proposes a large range of polychromatic beam energies (25-130 keV) and pixel sizes (0.3-25 microns).

    Maximum sample size is 30kg, 30 cm diametre and 50 cm vertical field of view.

    4D studies can also be carried out with furnaces, cooling devices, traction/compression stages, ...