Crystal orientation verification is an integral stage when manufacturing semiconductors, solar cells, optical products, medical devices, turbine blades, and more. It’s also important for researchers when studying different materials. The arrangement of certain atoms will impact a product’s mechanical properties, uniformity, and performance, as well as how these products handle mechanical stress. This arrangement also predicts and controls the propagation of defects during high-temperature processing steps and determines the characteristics of manufacturing processes, such as etching, oxidation, and epitaxial growth.
At Pulstec, we understand the importance of crystal orientation evaluation and verification, which is why we developed two critical products for researchers, material scientists, and manufacturers: the s-Laue and the m-Laue. The s-Laue is a desktop model that works independently, while the m-Laue is designed to be incorporated into manufacturing systems/machines.
| Factor | s-Laue | m-Laue |
|---|---|---|
| Measurement Speed | 80 seconds | 60-80 seconds |
| Ideal Environment | Labs | Industrial facilities/manufacturing machines |
| Primary Application | Research | Verification and quality control in critical manufacturing applications |
| Portable | Yes | Yes |
| Can Measure Large Parts | Only if they’ve been cut | Yes |
| Irradiation/Spot Size | φ0.8mm | φ0.8mm |
| Can Be Integrated Into Existing Manufacturing Processes | No | Yes |
s-Laue
Our s-Laue single crystal orientation system was first launched in the United States in 2023. It’s extremely lightweight, compact, and portable, making it great for most workspaces. The s-Laue is also easy to handle with its vertical design, and the software makes sample setting as intuitive as possible. All you have to do is use the CCD camera to set your sample, start the X-ray irradiation and detection process using our software, and then fit the Laue spots to determine crystal orientation. You can visit this guide to learn more.
Best Use Cases
The s-Laue was developed with a laboratory and research and development focus. It’s portable and ideal for measuring the principal plane orientation, checking and adjusting cutting orientation, evaluating crystallinity, and analyzing processing-related crystal growth on smaller samples, such as semiconductor wafers (up to 95 mm diameter), small crystal specimens, test pieces, and cut sections. The s-Laue is popular in research labs for crystal growth applications.
The s-Laue provides higher precision, more detailed crystallographic analysis, and laboratory-grade environmental controls than the m-Laue. The downside of the increased accuracy is the increased measurement speed (80 seconds for the s-Laue versus the standard 60 seconds for the m-Laue).
m-Laue
The m-Laue, released just a year later in 2024, is our flexible version of the s-Laue. The m-Laue can be configured for on-site and lab use, even offering automated orientation mapping to evaluate orientation uniformity across an entire part. The m-Laue features the same lightweight vertical design and software program as the s-Laue, but it’s much faster with its 60-second display time.
Best Use Cases
The m-Laue was designed for verification and control in manufacturing, production, and field applications, including measuring orientation during ion implantation, determining ingot cutoff orientation, measuring principal orientation on wafers, and evaluating the crystal orientation of large parts, such as turbines.
The m-Laue is lightweight, so it can be easily carried around as needed, and it can be integrated into existing quality control processes simply by using our proprietary system integration bracket. Pulstec also provides several optional accessories that can be used with the m-Laue to enhance field application safety and efficiency, including a microscope, several collimators with X-ray spot diameters of 0.8mm (standard), 3-axis or 6-axis gonio stage to improve precision when measuring large or irregularly shaped parts, a motorized XY stage for orientation mapping, a tripod to increase vertical access and improve stability, and a shield box to eliminate radiation leakage. The m-Laue is popular in on-site needs, and in integration needs for manufacturing processes.
Request Demos Today
Founded in 1969, Pulstec is dedicated to helping researchers and developers enhance their processes with our innovative line of equipment. Please contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about our s-Laue and m-Laue crystal orientation systems. We offer free demos and up to 5 sample measurement requests.
