Rapid thermal processing chamber for in-situ x-ray diffraction

Md Imteyaz Ahmad; Douglas G Van Campen; Jeremy D Fields; Jiafan Yu; Vanessa L Pool; Philip A Parilla; David S Ginley; Maikel F A M Van Hest; Michael F Toney

doi:10.1063/1.4904848

Rapid thermal processing chamber for in-situ x-ray diffraction

Rev Sci Instrum. 2015 Jan;86(1):013902. doi: 10.1063/1.4904848.

Authors

Md Imteyaz Ahmad¹, Douglas G Van Campen¹, Jeremy D Fields², Jiafan Yu¹, Vanessa L Pool¹, Philip A Parilla², David S Ginley², Maikel F A M Van Hest¹, Michael F Toney¹

Affiliations

¹ SSRL, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, 2575, Sand Hill Road, Menlo Park, California 94025, USA.
² National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA.

PMID: 25638092
DOI: 10.1063/1.4904848

Abstract

Rapid thermal processing (RTP) is widely used for processing a variety of materials, including electronics and photovoltaics. Presently, optimization of RTP is done primarily based on ex-situ studies. As a consequence, the precise reaction pathways and phase progression during the RTP remain unclear. More awareness of the reaction pathways would better enable process optimization and foster increased adoption of RTP, which offers numerous advantages for synthesis of a broad range of materials systems. To achieve this, we have designed and developed a RTP instrument that enables real-time collection of X-ray diffraction data with intervals as short as 100 ms, while heating with ramp rates up to 100 °Cs(-1), and with a maximum operating temperature of 1200 °C. The system is portable and can be installed on a synchrotron beamline. The unique capabilities of this instrument are demonstrated with in-situ characterization of a Bi2O3-SiO2 glass frit obtained during heating with ramp rates 5 °C s(-1) and 100 °C s(-1), revealing numerous phase changes.