Line-broadening analysis of synchrotron x-ray diffraction data

The advantages of using monochromatic and parallel synchrotron x rays for the microstructure analysis of polycrystalline materials have been studied. Analysis of line broadening from Pd powers showed encouraging results. Warren-Averbach analysis [J. Appl. Phys. 21, 595 (1950)] with respect to the three major crystal axes [111], [100], and [110] was done using 1-Å x rays. Crystallite sizes and microstrains relative to the [111] direction were obtained using three different reflection pairs (111)-(222), (111)-(333), and (111)-(444). The fixed symmetrical instrument profile shape has major advantages in the correction of instrumental broadening and the determination of a low level (10-4 range) of stacking-fault probabilities.