Quantitative X-ray scattering and reflectivity measurements of polymer thin films with 2D detectors

We describe a fully open-sourced Python package to process raw X-ray scattering data using a GANESHA SAXSLAB facility, and review in this manuscript the connection of X-ray scattering theories with the open-sourced package. This package affords researchers more flexibility in analyzing and visualizing X-ray scattering and reflectivity data from what is now a commonplace facility at many universities and research laboratories engaged in polymer research. We briefly review the applications of X-ray scattering and diffraction, followed by the scattering theories. A pedagogical introduction to processing X-ray scattering data is provided using the modules in the Python package. We compare conventions to visualize and interpret transmission and grazing-incidence scattering data using self-assembled lamellar morphology of bottlebrush copolymers as an example, then describe how area detectors measure specular and off-specular reflectivity. Examples of in-house reflectivity and grazing incidence scattering for the metrological examination of a grating are provided, where the full pitch and pitch height of a line pattern is measured easily without needing to simulate the full scattering intensity profile.