Jülich Centre for Neutron Science (JCNS)

Quantum Materials and Collective Phenomena (JCNS-2 / PGI-4)

GALAXI - High resolution diffractometer for GISAXS

GALAXI (Gallium Anode Low-Angle X-ray Instrument) is a small angle X-ray diffractometer that has been designed to serve the needs of small angle scattering at grazing incidence (GISAXS). GALAXI is useful for the investigation of structures in the order of D = 2 π/Q = 2 … 100 nm, even if the structures are deposited on a substrate that is not transparent for X-rays. GALAXI uses the Bruker AXS Metaljet X-ray source, the laboratory X-ray source with the highest brilliance available today. Using parabolic optics, the X-ray beam is directed through the 4 m long collimation. The sample can be adjusted in the beam with 2 translational and 2 rotational degrees of freedom. As a small angle detector, we use the Dectris Pilatus 1M. Its impressively low background allows 6 orders of magnitude signal/noise within a single detector image. The detector distance can be adjusted between ca. 80 cm and 350 cm to adapt the angular range and resolution to the requirements of the experiment. The beam path is evacuated from the source up to the detector, and the samples are also located in the vacuum area.