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Accurate high-resolution single-crystal diffraction data from a Pilatus3 X CdTe detector.

ABSTRACT: Hybrid photon-counting detectors are widely established at third-generation synchrotron facilities and the specifications of the Pilatus3 X CdTe were quickly recognized as highly promising in charge-density investigations. This is mainly attributable to the detection efficiency in the high-energy X-ray regime, in combination with a dynamic range and noise level that should overcome the perpetual problem of detecting strong and weak data simultaneously. These benefits, however, come at the expense of a persistent problem for high diffracted beam flux, which is particularly problematic in single-crystal diffraction of materials with strong scattering power and sharp diffraction peaks. Here, an in-depth examination of data collected on an inorganic material, FeSb₂, and an organic semiconductor, rubrene, revealed systematic differences in strong intensities for different incoming beam fluxes, and the implemented detector intensity corrections were found to be inadequate. Only significant beam attenuation for the collection of strong reflections was able to circumvent this systematic error. All data were collected on a bending-magnet beamline at a third-generation synchrotron radiation facility, so undulator and wiggler beamlines and fourth-generation synchrotrons will be even more prone to this error. On the other hand, the low background now allows for an accurate measurement of very weak intensities, and it is shown that it is possible to extract structure factors of exceptional quality using standard crystallographic software for data processing (SAINT-Plus, SADABS and SORTAV), although special attention has to be paid to the estimation of the background. This study resulted in electron-density models of substantially higher accuracy and precision compared with a previous investigation, thus for the first time fulfilling the promise of photon-counting detectors for very accurate structure factor measurements.

SUBMITTER: Krause L

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7312157 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:In a test experiment, a two-dimensional pixel detector was mounted on the nine-channel multi-analyzer stage of the high-resolution powder diffraction beamline ID22 at the ESRF. This detector replaces a bank of scintillation counters that detect the diffracted intensity passing via the analyzer crystals as the diffractometer arm is scanned. At each diffractometer detector arm angle 2Θ, a 2D image is recorded that displays nine distinct regions of interest corresponding to the diffraction signals transmitted by each of the analyzer crystals. Summing pixels from within each region of interest allows the diffracted intensity to be extracted for each channel. X-rays are diffracted from the sample at various angles, 2θ, into Debye-Scherrer cones. Depending on the azimuthal angle around the cone, diffracted photons satisfy the analyzer-crystal Bragg condition at different diffractometer 2Θ values and arrive on the detector at different horizontal (axial) positions. The more the azimuthal angle deviates from diffraction in the vertical plane, the lower the 2Θ angle at which it is transmitted by an analyzer crystal, and the greater the distance of the detecting pixel from the centerline of the detector. This paper illustrates how the axial resolution afforded by the pixel detector can be used to correct the apparent diffraction angle, 2Θ, given by the diffractometer arm to its true diffraction angle, 2θ. This allows a reduction in peak asymmetry at low angle, and even with a relatively small axial acceptance, the correction leads to narrower peaks than if no correction is applied. By varying axial acceptance with diffraction angle, it is possible to optimize angular resolution at low diffraction angles and counting statistics at high angles. In addition, there is an intrinsic peak broadening with increasing azimuthal angle, dependent on the axial beam and detector pixel sizes. This effect reduces with 2θ, as the curvature of the Debye-Scherrer cones decreases. This broadening can be estimated and used to help choose the axial range to include as a function of diffraction angle.

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Accurate high-resolution single-crystal diffraction data from a Pilatus3 X CdTe detector.

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