Instrument Resolution of the Vertical-type Cold-neutron Reflectometer at HANARO

The characteristics of the instrument resolution of the vertical-type cold-neutron reflectometer installed at HANARO, a research reactor in Korea, are estimated. In order to ascertain differences in the instrument resolution according to two scan modes, i.e., the fixed-slit and the variable-slit scan modes, for the measurement of the neutron reflectivity profile, we estimated the beam status of the instrument. Moreover, because the footprint effect and the limitation of the neutron beam window arise during measurements of the neutron reflectivity profiles and affect the instrument resolution, the causes of their occurrence were determined and a correction method was devised. The neutron reflectivity profiles of a SiO2 standard thin-film sample were measured in a Q range up to 0.2 Å−1 by using the two scan modes, and the sample structure was analyzed with the weighted least-squares fitting program Parratt32. During the process of the least-squares fitting of the neutron reflectivity profiles for the structural analysis, the method used to correct for the footprint effect and the limitation of neutron beam window was found to be reasonable. Also, the modified instrument resolutions in the two scan modes for the vertical-type cold-neutron reflectometer were found to be suitable.