Model groove structures of molten salt-promoted MgO-based CO ₂ sorbents. The number of nucleation sites are not affected by the depth of the groove, while there is a large dependence of crystal growth on groove depth.

We employ xenon (Xe) plasma focused ion beam (PFIB) milling to obtain soft X-ray transparent windows out of bulk samples. The use of a Xe PFIB allows for the milling of thin windows (several 100 nm thick) with areas of the order of 100 µm × 100 µm into bulk substrates. In addition, we present an approach to empirically determine the transmission level of such windows during fabrication by correlating their electron and soft X-ray transparencies. We perform scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) imaging on a sample obtained by Xe PFIB milling to demonstrate the conceptual feasibility of the technique. Our thinning approach provides a fast and simplified method for facilitating soft X-ray transmission measurements of epitaxial samples and it can be applied to a variety of different sample systems and substrates that are otherwise not accessible.

The interaction between silicon carbide and heavy ions is governed by both the material properties of SiC and the characteristics of the heavy ions. Relevant heavy-ion parameters include the total stopping power (S), its components, electronic stopping power (Se) and nuclear stopping power (Sn), the linear energy transfer, and the ion energy, while irradiation conditions are characterized by the fluence. This study examines how the parameters of the incoming ions influence the total number of silicon vacancies (VSi) generated, the damage to the crystal structure, and, consequentially, the induced strain. Heavy-ion–induced damage was characterized using photoluminescence spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy. The results indicate that increasing S at the surface increases VSi concentration, reduces crystallinity, and introduces broad Raman features, whereas low S values at the surface can improve the crystalline quality. The strain induced by heavy ions exhibits distinct S-dependent trends depending on Sn and the fluence. These findings advance the understanding of SiC–heavy-ion interactions by clarifying the impact of S and fluence on VSi formation and crystal damage.

Reliable monitoring of the incident X-ray beam intensity and position is essential in soft X-ray microspectroscopy, where beam instabilities directly affect data normalization and achievable spatial resolution. Conventional beam diagnostics are often implemented using offline detectors located far from the sample or by measuring downstream on empty regions of the sample support membrane, not fully reflecting the experimental conditions experienced during measurements. In this work, the development of functionalized soft X-ray optical elements based on monolithic silicon carbide (SiC) diode detectors, enabling real-time in situ beam diagnostics directly within a scanning transmission X-ray microscopy (STXM) setup, is presented. Two complementary device geometries are investigated: order-sorting aperture (OSA)-based detectors and center-stop-based detectors. The devices are fabricated using plasma-focused-ion-beam milling and substrate thinning, allowing the integration of optical and sensing functionalities with minimal changes to the beamline and endstation setup. The performance of the functionalized optics is experimentally validated at the PolLux STXM beamline of the Swiss Light Source. The devices provide simultaneous access to the transverse beam position and the incident beam intensity I ₀ through the unfocused 0th-order component. Using this component, the OSA detector enabled simultaneous measurements of the intensity and transverse displacement of the beam from the focused beam illuminating the sample. Between 700 and 1000 eV, the SiC measured current exhibited linear correlation to the avalanche photodiode (APD) signal, with coefficient of determination R ² = 0.997. Position-sensitive detection was possible with a four-sector diode, where all sectors were electrically continuous and beam responsive, while gaps between the quadrants were insensitive. These results demonstrate the feasibility of SiC-based functionalized X-ray optics as beam diagnostic tools for soft X-ray microscopy and spectroscopy.

This study investigates the phase and elemental distribution in a suspension plasma-sprayed (SPS) Li4Ti5O12 (LTO) thin-film anode for solid-state lithium batteries, deposited on an SS-304 substrate. Advanced synchrotron-based μXRD and μXRF techniques were employed for micro-scale characterization, revealing distinct phase regions influenced by thermal exposure during the SPS process. The dominant Li4Ti5O12 phase was retained across most of the film, with localized transformations to secondary phases Li2Ti3O7, Li2TiO3, and TiO2 near the substrate interface, primarily due to prolonged high-temperature exposure and subsequent lithium loss. These findings underscore the importance of controlling SPS parameters to minimize lithium loss and optimize phase stability and interfacial integrity in solid-state battery components.