A new and improved sample holder suited for small samples has been developed for X-ray diffractometry. This holder is made from a commercial semiconductor grade of silicon wafer grown and cut along the [100]-axis, i.e., Si(100). This new holder not only meets almost all basic requirements of an ideal holder, namely, flat and damage free surface, low background noise, few interference peaks, and desired shape with different cavity sizes, but also provides additional advantages for measuring crystallite sizes and mass absorption coefficients. Furthermore, this holder is easy to clean and has good appearance because of its polished surface. A U.S. patent has been issued and a commercialization effort is underway.
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