Patent ID: 7116754

Claim:
An X-ray diffraction system, comprising: an X-ray source ( 2 ) for emitting X-rays; a rotating sample stage ( 12 ) for mounting a sample; control electronics for determining the rotation period of the sample stage; a Johansson monochromator ( 4 ) for directing the X-rays emitted by the X-ray source as a convergent monochromatic beam ( 26 ) defining a range of convergent incident angles onto the sample; a multichannel X-ray detector ( 22 ) arranged to make a plurality of sets of measurements of intensity with a measurement time t m , each set of measurements of intensity being a set of measurements of intensity of X-rays diffracted by the sample at a plurality of diffraction angles (ε), for making measurements of intensity with a measurement time t m determined by the control electronics at t m < t r 4 where t r is the rotation period of the sample stage; and a measurement system ( 24 ) for combining a plurality of the sets of measurements of intensity against diffraction angle by identifying the maximum in each set of measurements, and summing the sets of measurements together with the maxima aligned, the measurement system controlled by the control electronics.