Replacement of the pinhole collimator on a double axis X-ray diffractometer with a device incorporating a channel-cut crystal permits the beam to be pre-conditioned in angular divergence. We examine the merits of such devices, known as channel-cut collimators (CCC's), of different materials and reflections. The experimental performance of InP 004 and Si 022 CCC's is presented.

With a reference crystal on the first axis, set in the dispersive peometry with respect to the CCC, conditioning in wavelength spread is achieved. Dispersion broadening is effectively eliminated and no resetting of the reference crystal is required when changing specimen materials or reflections. The devices have extremely low background and reduced Bragg tails. Application of the 4-reflection CCC to rocking curve analysis of thin epitaxial layers, ultra-low angle scattering from biological systems, grazing incidence reflectometry and triple axis diffraction of semi-conductors is discussed.