Simultaneous microRaman and synchrotron radiation microdiffraction: Tools for materials characterization

MicroRaman (mu Raman) and x-ray microdiffraction (mu XRD) are complementary techniques, ideally suited to simultaneous combination. They provide quite different structural information, across a range of different length scales. This letter reports on a simultaneous mu Raman/mu XRD experiment. The laser and x-ray beams are delivered coaxially and simultaneously to the same point on the sample. To demonstrate the technical capabilities of the system, data are presented from a structured silicon/tantalum sample. The distributions of Si and Ta are given by the intensities of the 520 cm(-1) Raman band and the 002 reflection of the Ta beta-phase, respectively. The combination of these two techniques is a powerful tool for materials characterization.