X-ray detector for studying characteristics of materials
Scientists and engineers use the beams to study the properties of materials as they are subjected to rapid changes in environmental conditions.
First-ever epitaxial bismuth platinum pyrochlore thin-films grown at CHESS
These bismuth platinum pyrochlore films have potential for use in fuel cells, where they could act as more effective cathode materials. Using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at the G3 beamline of CHESS to co-deposit epitaxial δ-Bi2O3 and disordered platinum, the team was able to produce epitaxial Bi2Pt2O7 crystals approximately 100 nanometers in length by annealing the PLD deposited films in air.
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The Real Thing: D-line sample robot serves first user group
CHESS summer student Arthur Campello tackled the task of designing a sample changing robot for CHESS D1 station, under the guidance of CHESS Staff Scientist Detlef Smilgies. The basic ingredients of the robot were a rotation stage as a sample carousel and a slim translation stage for the sample transfer. A suction device lightly picks up the sample in one of the 20 slots on the sample carousel. Then the translation stage transports the sample to the sample holder. Campello designed the basic structural components based on beamline dimensions and the available stages.
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Improving HOIP solar cells by controlling structural instabilities
Their potential application is, however, currently limited as HOIPs shows structural instability under high temperature, humidity, or even extended light exposure. Understanding of the perovskite structural stability and phase transitions is deemed both timely and essential.
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CHESS's own Howie Joress wins Jerome B. Cohen award
Joress is a PhD candidate in the Cornell Materials Science Department, and has been very active at CHESS since his arrival in the fall of 2012. His particular interest has been the study of fast processes in real time, especially chemical reactions and phase transitions in thin films, and he has co-authored over a dozen publications in this area.
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Materials
X-rays are routinely used by teams of scientists and engineers to characterize new materials and new phenomena, ranging from the softest materials, like biological thin films and organic electronics, to the hardest known materials like novel carbon nanotubes now able to damage diamond-anvil cells. The link between material behavior (mechanical, magnetic, electrical, etc.) and crystallographic structure must be understood in order to design new materials with desired properties most effectively.
More effective design and prediction of new crystal structures may be achieved by the analysis of existing structures. By identifying relevant crystallographic factors, the development of future materials is advanced. High-resolution x-ray diffraction (XRD) is applied to see features as small as hundredths of a nanometer. Grazing-incidence small-angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) can look at surface ordering on feature sizes as large as 200 nanometers. A variety of detectors are used routinely, including high-count-rate solid-state detectors, phosphor-coupled large area CCD detectors and fast, low-noise pixel array detectors. CHESS provides a world-class facility and staff to foster the study of materials.
Materials
X-rays are routinely used by teams of scientists and engineers to characterize new materials and new phenomena, ranging from the softest materials, like biological thin films and organic electronics, to the hardest known materials like novel carbon nanotubes now able to damage diamond-anvil cells. The link between material behavior (mechanical, magnetic, electrical, etc.) and crystallographic structure must be understood in order to design new materials with desired properties most effectively.
Chemistry
Careful measurement of solution concentration and crystallization throughout the drying of a solution allows for the control of the way in which the solution to solid phase transformation takes place. The improvement of organic light-emitting diodes and discovery fuel cell energy sources are just a few of the topics collaborators come to CHESS to investigate.
The study of chemical reactions, at times, requires high spatial resolution. X-ray diffraction techniques can probe the crystallographic structures of materials during reactions. Thin films and devices can be studied with grazing-incidence small and wide angle scattering. Additionally, CHESS is equipped with sample environments for studying chemical reactions and for monitoring self-assembly or structural changes, such as occur during thin film deposition and annealing.
Chemistry
Careful measurement of solution concentration and crystallization throughout the drying of a solution allows for the control of the way in which the solution to solid phase transformation takes place. The improvement of organic light-emitting diodes and discovery fuel cell energy sources are just a few of the topics collaborators come to CHESS to investigate.