A micro collimator for compressing X-ray beams for use in a X-ray
diffractometer is described, wherein said collimator has a channel means
for providing a channel guiding said X-ray beams, said channel having a
channel entrance portion and a channel exit portion. The object of the
invention is to provide a micro beam collimator capable of being used in
a conventional X-ray diffractometer with the Bragg-Brentano geometry, so
as to enable the characterisation of very small sample regions without
need of very large radiation sources (synchrotron). For solving this
technical problem it is proposed to form the channel means by two
opposite, polished, oblong plate means made of or coated with a material
selected from the group consisting of the heavyweight metals and
materials having total reflection properties comparable to those of the
heavyweight metals.