Patent ID: 7035373
Filing Date: 2006-04-25
Classification: G01N,G21K

Abstract:
1. An X-ray diffraction apparatus in which: (a) said X-ray diffraction apparatus comprises an incident optical system, a sample support mechanism, a receiving optical system, and receiving-optical-system rotating means, and an X-ray emitted from the incident optical system is incident on a sample supported by the sample support mechanism, and an X-ray diffracted by the sample is detected by the receiving optical system; (b) the receiving-optical-system rotating means has a function to rotate the receiving optical system around a first axis of rotation for changing an angle which is defined by a direction of the X-ray incident on the sample and an optical axis of the receiving optical system; (c) the incident optical system includes an X-ray source and a multilayer-film mirror which has a function to collimate an X-ray emitted from the X-ray source within a plane perpendicular to the first axis of rotation; (d) the sample support mechanism includes attitude controlling means which has a function to switch a condition of the sample support mechanism from a state maintaining the sample to have a first attitude in which a normal line of the surface of the sample is substantially parallel with the first axis of rotation to another state maintaining the sample to have a second attitude in which the normal line of the surface of the sample is substantially perpendicular to the first axis of rotation; (e) the sample support mechanism includes first incident-angle controlling means which has a function to rotate the sample around a second axis of rotation which is substantially perpendicular to the first axis of rotation for changing an incident angle of an X-ray which is emitted from the incident optical system and is incident on the surface of the sample in the first attitude; (f) the sample support mechanism includes second incident-angle controlling means which has a function to rotate the sample around the first axis of rotation for changing the incident angle of an X-ray which is emitted from the incident optical system and is incident on the surface of the sample in the second attitude; and (g) the sample support mechanism includes an additional means for rotating the sample around two axes of rotation which are orthogonal to each other and pass on the surface of the sample.