Optimizing the slicing pattern of stress-relief crystal analyzers for X-ray Raman scattering

X-ray Raman scattering (XRS) spectroscopy is an emerging inelastic scattering technique used to measure local electronic structure and chemical bonding around low- Z atoms with hard X-rays. This technique is useful in environments where traditional soft X-ray techniques are not applicable. However, the small cross section of XRS requires that the spectrometer must simultaneously achieve large solid angles and good energy resolution. A large XRS spectrometer named `Qian Kun' is currently under construction at the High Energy Photon Source (HEPS) in China, which can hold up to 100 analyzers with an energy resolution in the range 0.4–1.0 eV. Here, the batch production and performance evaluation of the spherically bent crystal analyzers fabricated for this spectrometer are reported. The stress-relief effect of various dicing patterns and their impact on the reflectivity properties of crystal analyzers to achieve good energy resolution when studying the near-edge features of carbon and oxygen K edges were investigated. It was discovered that radially dicing the thin silicon wafers is more effective in relieving stress than conventional strip cuts in the case that the total number of divided blocks is roughly the same.