Laue measurement system with turntable and method of operating the same

An X-ray diffraction apparatus for successively measuring crystal orientation of a plurality of crystalline samples, the apparatus comprising:

• an enclosure that is shielded against X-ray radiation;
• a sample stage provided within the enclosure, comprising:
• a turntable comprising at least one tray for positioning each one of the crystalline samples thereon at a corresponding measuring position, to obtain a set of measuring positions;
• a turntable support platform defining a plane, and onto which the turntable is supported;
• and
• a motorized turntable displacement system for remotely displacing the turntable linearly along a first axis parallel to the plane, linearly along a second axis perpendicular to the plane, and rotatably about the second axis;
• an X-ray assembly provided within the enclosure, comprising:
• an X-ray source to generate X-ray radiation and a collimator connected to the X-ray source to generate a collimated X-ray beam, the collimated X-ray beam being directed toward the turntable;
• a detector assembly to detect and capture X-ray radiation diffracted from the crystalline samples positioned on the turntable;
• an X-ray assembly support platform onto which the X-ray source, collimator and X-ray detector assembly are supported;
• and
• a motorized X-ray assembly displacement system for displacing the support platform linearly along a third axis, the third axis being parallel to the plane and non-parallel to the first axis;
• wherein, for each one of the crystalline samples, at least one of the motorized turntable displacement system and the motorized X-ray assembly displacement system is actuated to align the collimated X-ray beam with the corresponding measuring position and measure the crystal orientation of the crystalline sample.