Physics: Theses

Permanent URI for this collection

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1

X-RAY DIFFRACTOMETER FOR THIN FILM ANALYSIS AT HOUGHTON UNIVERSITY
(Houghton University, 2024-05-03) Davie, Nathaniel T.
A Bragg-Brentano theta-2 theta x-ray Diffractometer was advanced towards completion in construction at Houghton University as a means to measure the lattice structure and sub-atomic spacing of thin films and small crystals. The x-ray Diffractometer (XRD) uses angles of diffracted characteristic x-rays to analyze the space between cells. The XRD is dependent on the derivation and application of the mathematical equation denoted by Bragg’s Law, stating the angle of large quantities of x-rays being delayed by integer multiples such that the wavefronts are lined up in shape, called constructive interference. The Houghton XRD machine was inherited from previous students ranging back 14 years. Preliminary tests using a Silicon thin film and a single Sodium-Iodide lab-grown crystal have been conducted, and further, intensive tests are aimed to be conducted in the fall of 2024. The analysis conducted at Houghton University by the XRD can offer a range of data regarding the mechanical, physical, and electrodynamic properties of thin films, resulting in optimized application of the thin films themselves.