Information on Imperfections

Line Profile Analysis is the common name given to those methods allowing microstructure information to be extracted from the breadth and shape of the peaks in a diffraction pattern. A fast analysis is always possible via traditional techniques such as the Scherrer formula, Williamson-Hall plot and Warren-Averbach method, but at the expenses of the physical meaning of the result. A more sound alternative is offered by the Whole Powder Pattern Modelling, allowing physical information to be extracted from diffraction data in a self- consistent way.