Advantages of using a strip detector in the X-ray Bragg-Brentano diffraction geometry are presented. The instrument setting (described in detail in [1]) includes a semiconductor strip detector permitting for data collection with high counting rate and very good resolution. The installed detector (of construction related to those earlier reported [2-5]) is a commercial one with 127 active strips of 0.05 mm width. The X-ray beam is conditioned by selecting either an X-ray filter or a Johansson-monochromator. The latter option offers a high spectral purity and low background at the expense of reduced intensity. Nevertheless, the data collection using this setting is several times faster than that available at classical instruments. The data reveal peaks of even 0.1%~intensity, enabling i) improved analysis results for minority phases in bulk polycrystalline samples, ii) detailed phase analysis of very thin polycrystalline layers and iii) diffraction studies of multilayer systems. The diffraction data of polycrystals are suitable for structure refinement by the Rietveld refinement. Refinement applications for various materials will be demonstrated. The applied modification of the Bragg-Brentano setting is concluded to create new quality in diffraction measurements.

[1] Paszkowicz W, Proc. XIX Conf. on Applied Crystallography (Kraków 1-4 Sept. 2003), ed. H. Morawiec and D. Stróż (World Scientific, Singapore 2004), pp. 22-26.
[2] Zieba A, Dabrowski W, Grybos P, Powroznik W, Stobiecki T, Swientek K, Slowik J., Wiacek P., Acta Phys. Polon. 101 (2002) 629-634
[3] Fauth F, Bronnimann C, Auderset H, Maehlum G, Pattison P, Patterson B, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A 439 (2000) 138-146
[4] Loukas D, Psycharis V, Karvelas E, Pavlidis A, Haralabidis N, Mousa J, IEEE Trans. Nucl. Sci. 47 (2000) 877-880
[5] Schmitt B, Bronnimann C, Eikenberry EF, Hulsen G, Toyokawa H, Horisberger R, Gozzo F, Patterson B, Schulze-Briese C, Tomizaki T, Nucl. Instrum. Meth. A 518 (2004) 436-439