Patent Number: 
Section: claims

1. An X-ray diffraction apparatus comprising:an X-ray generator for generating an X-ray beam that propagates in a beam direction to illuminate a sample in order to make an X-ray diffraction measurement;a movable component having a plurality of apertures with identical sizes and shapes, but located at different positions along a first direction perpedicular to the beam direction, the component being positioned between the generator and the sample so that the X-ray beam illuminates the sample through a single first aperture; anda mechanism for moving the component in a second direction different from the first direction to cause the X-ray beam to illuminate the sample through another single aperture with a position that is shifted in the first and second directions from the position of the first aperture. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the movable component comprises an aperture medium that is substantially opaque to the X-ray beam and within which a plurality of holes are located. 3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the aperture medium comprises a disk that is moved rotationally. 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein rotation of the disk by a predetermined angular distance moves a first one of the holes out of alignment with the beam and a second one of the holes into alignment with the X-ray beam. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the second hole has a different radial position than the first hole relative to an axis about which the disk is rotated. 6. An apparatus according to claim 5 wherein at least some of the holes in the disk are aligned in a row that, from one end of the row to an opposite end, is characterized by the incremental increase in radial position of the holes in the row relative to an axis about which the disk is rotated. 7. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein all of the holes of the row have the same cross-sectional size and shape. 8. An apparatus according to claim 6 wherein the row is a first row and wherein the holes of the disk are organized into a plurality of rows located in different radial segments around the disk. 9. An apparatus according to claim 8 wherein the holes of a given row all have the same cross-sectional size as each other, and a cross-sectional size different from that of the holes in the other rows. 10. An apparatus according to claim 4 wherein the disk rotation is driven by a motor. 11. An apparatus according to claim 10 further comprising a position sensor that detects indicia of the disk to determine the rotational position of the disk. 12. An apparatus according to claim 11 wherein the indicia comprise the holes of the disk. 13. An apparatus according to claim 11 further comprising a controller that controls the position of the disk so as to align a chosen one of the holes with the beam. 14. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the aperture medium comprises a tape that is moved in a linear direction in the vicinity of the beam. 15. An apparatus according to claim 14 wherein movement of the tape by a predetermined distance moves a first one of the holes out of alignment with the beam and a second one of the holes into alignment with the beam. 16. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the second hole has a different lateral position than the first hole relative to a direction perpendicular to the direction along which the tape is moved in the vicinity of the beam. 17. An apparatus according to claim 16 wherein at least some of the holes in the tape are aligned in a row that, from one end of the row to an opposite end, is characterized by the incremental increase in lateral position of the holes in the row relative to a direction perpendicular to the direction along which the tape is moved in the vicinity of the X-ray beam. 18. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein all of the holes of the row have the same cross-sectional size and shape. 19. An apparatus according to claim 17 wherein the row is a first row and wherein the holes of the tape are organized into a plurality of rows located in different linear segments along the length of the tape. 20. An apparatus according to claim 19 wherein the holes of a given row all have the same cross-sectional size as each other, and a cross-sectional size different from that of the holes in the other rows. 21. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the tape movement is driven by a motor. 22. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the tape is wound onto take-up reels that are rotated to move the holes on the tape relative to the X-ray beam. 23. An apparatus according to claim 22 further comprising a position sensor that detects indicia of the tape to determine the position of the tape relative to the X-ray beam. 24. An apparatus according to claim 23 wherein the indicia comprise the holes of the tape. 25. An apparatus according to claim 23 further comprising a motor that drives one of the take-up reels and a controller that controls the motor to position the tape so as to align a chosen one of the holes with the X-ray beam. 26. An apparatus according to claim 22 further comprising a cassette within which the tape and take-up reels are housed, the cassette having apertures that allow the X-ray beam to enter a first side of the cassette, encounter the tape, and exit a second side of the cassette. 27. An apparatus according to claim 15 wherein the tape forms a closed loop. 28. An apparatus according to claim 27 wherein the tape forms a Möbius loop. 29. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the aperture medium has a minimum of thirty-six holes. 30. An apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising at least one fixed aperture positioned between the generator and the sample along with the movable component. 31. A method for operating an X-ray diffraction apparatus, the method comprising:generating an X-ray beam that propagates in a beam direction to illuminate a sample in order to make an X-ray diffraction measurement;positioning a movable component between the generator and the sample, the movable component having a plurality of apertures with identical sizes and shapes, but located at different positions along a first direction perpendicular to the beam direction, so that the X-ray beam illuminates the sample through a single first aperture; andmoving the component in a second direction different from the first direction to cause the X-ray beam to illuminate the sample through another single aperture with a position that is shifted in the first and second directions from the position of the first aperture.