The rapid advancements in nanoelectronics have led to a profound increase in the complexity of three-dimensional nanostructures utilized in cutting-edge transistor architectures. As this complexity grows, the demand for precise metrology becomes paramount to ensure successful fabrication. X-ray fluorescence techniques, when employed in specific operational modes, emerge as a valuable tool,...
Properties of nanostructured surfaces are determined by their composition,
size and shape. In the semiconductor industry, the continuously shrinking
dimensions of the features and their increasing complexity require innovative metrology solutions. Non-destructive methods with high throughput that are able to assess complex 3D structures are of major importance. Measurement techniques based...
Since putting into service, the ASTRA beamline at SOLARIS synchrotron (Krakow, Poland) has gained great interest among scientists working on various research topics. Even though ASTRA is a relatively new bending magnet beamline, open for user operation just for 10 months, until April 2024 a total of over 45 experiments were carried out there. As its name ("Absorption Spectroscopy beamline for...
The demand for cost and time-effective and customizable components for high-vacuum (HV) and ultra-high-vacuum (UHV) systems has prompted exploration into the application of 3D printing technology. This study investigates the viability of utilizing 3D printed plastics in UHV environments by evaluating their outgassing properties. An extensive evaluation of 3D printing materials was caried out,...
Diamond Light Source is actively exploring acoustics for sample manipulation and delivery, primarily for synchrotron beamlines, but also at X-FELs. Sound is being exploited in two key ways: the first is to use acoustic energy to eject and deliver picolitre drops containing protein crystals in the range of 5-50 microns at a repetition rate up to 50KHz on demand; the second is the use of...
The background of the diffraction patterns is one of the main limiting factors to the quality of macromolecular crystallography (MX) experiments, together with the radiation damage and the crystallinity and size of the crystals. In the last decade, the development of the photon-counting detectors has contributed to effectively reduce the background. Other strategies, such as the operation in...
