A multi-length-scale USAXS/SAXS facility: 10–50 keV small-angle X-ray scattering instrument

Coupling small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and ultra-small-angle X-ray scattering (USAXS) provides a powerful system of techniques for determining the structural organization of nanostructured materials that exhibit a wide range of characteristic length scales. A new facility that combines high-energy (HE) SAXS and USAXS has been developed at the Advanced Photon Source (APS). The application of X-rays across a range of energies, from 10 to 50 keV, offers opportunities to probe structural behavior at the nano- and microscale. An X-ray setup that can characterize both soft matter or hard matter and high- Z samples in the solid or solution forms is described. Recent upgrades to the Sector 15ID beamline allow an extension of the X-ray energy range and improved beam intensity. The function and performance of the dedicated USAXS/HE-SAXS ChemMatCARS-APS facility is described.