X-ray diffraction is a powerful technique for analyzing the crystal structure of materials. It uses the diffraction phenomenon generated by the interaction of X-ray with the regularly arranged atomic planes in the crystal to infer the crystal structure, lattice parameters, atomic arrangement and phase composition of the material.

X-ray diffraction process When the X-ray passes through the crystal, because the atoms inside the crystal are arranged according to a certain law to form a lattice, the X-ray as an electromagnetic wave will interact with the atoms. Each atom will act as a tiny scattering source, but due to the periodicity of the lattice, the X-rays scattered from each atom will interfere.

Crystal structure analysis

Taking silicon single crystal as an example, silicon belongs to the face-centered cubic structure, and its typical X-ray diffraction pattern will appear several sets of characteristic diffraction peaks, such as (111), (220), (311) and other crystal faces corresponding peaks. By measuring the positions of these peaks, using Bragg's law to calculate the corresponding crystal plane spacing, combined with the lattice parameters of silicon, the correctness of the crystal structure can be verified.

X-ray diffraction technology provides a window into the microstructure of materials by capturing and analyzing the diffraction signal of crystals, and is an indispensable research means in many fields.