X-ray diffraction imaging of bulk polycrystalline materials

X-ray diffraction imaging applies an array of parallel capillaries in front of a position sensitive detector. The use of conventional micro channel plates of few millimeter thickness as collimator array requires short sample to detector distances to achieve high spatial resolution. Progress in the fabrication of long polycapillaries allowed to increase the sample to detector distance without decreasing resolution. Furthermore these 300 mm long capillaries can be used with high X-ray energies enabling bulk investigations in transmission geometry. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.