Bourevestnik JSC delivered and commissioned five high-resolution diffractometers

In 2024–2025, Burevestnik JSC delivered and commissioned five high-resolution diffractometers based on the DRON-8T diffractometer, featuring a high-precision vertical-mount θ–θ goniometer.
All hardware and software systems are designed for research on epitaxial nanoheterostructures, which are being developed in Russian research and manufacturing organizations as part of a program to replace imported electronic components.
The central components of the developed diffractometers are:
- a multifunctional χφxyz attachment (MFA) with two mounting methods (vacuum and mechanical) for various types of samples with diameters up to 100 mm;
- a motorized X-ray optical system (XROS), which is designed for software-controlled collimation of the primary beam and enables reconfiguration to implement various research methods in parallel-beam geometry and high-resolution geometry.


The motorized XROS on the primary beam consists of:
- a mechanism for moving the X-ray tube (XRT) housing;
- a parabolic mirror;
- an automatic attenuator;
- a motorized monochromator;
- a motorized slit.
Motorized monochromators with double- and triple-reflection slotted crystals can be installed on the diffractometer’s diffracted beam; these provide software-controlled rotation of the crystal and detector to include or exclude this element from the overall X-ray optical system.
Both point-type and linear position-sensitive detectors can be used as detection systems. When two detectors are simultaneously mounted on the goniometer arm, software-controlled switching between them is provided depending on the selected measurement method.



The high-resolution diffractometer allows for the study of thin films with varying structures in high-resolution, reflectometry, and gliding-beam geometries, using reciprocal space maps and scans in 2θ-w, 2θ, θ, and w modes, as well as to analyze the orientation and quality of single-crystal plates using w-φ and χ-φ pole figures and tilt curves. In addition, by excluding monochromators from the X-ray optical path of the diffractometer, it is possible to measure polycrystalline objects (powders, bulk samples, coatings) to analyze their phase composition and structural features, including textured and stressed states, at various points on their surface.
Building on this experience, in 2026 the company began developing the high-resolution DRON-9 diffractometer with a high-precision 2θ–θ goniometer of horizontal design. The instrument will incorporate previously developed motorized X-ray optical elements that have proven themselves in operation as part of the DRON-8T system. A new χφxyz attachment will be created specifically for the DRON-9 diffractometer, which will allow for the study of samples with a diameter of up to 200 mm, as well as the installation of dome-shaped high- and low-temperature chambers for studying solid-state phase transitions in thin films.