X-ray is an essential probe for observing, from the nano to atomic scale, the physical and chemical properties of thin films, such as film thickness, electron densities, and features related to crystal structures. In particular, bright and collimated synchrotron (SR) X-rays have enabled various in situ experiments combined with multiple measurements of X-rays and other probes. In this report, we provide basic information on SR-related X-ray experiments, such as X-ray reflectivity-Total reflection X-ray fluorescence, Grazing incidence wide-angle X-ray scattering, and 3-dimensional reciprocal space mapping, for thin film research.

Keywords: Thin film, Synchrotron X-rays, X-ray scattering, X-ray fluorescence