An induction heating system for in situ X-ray diffraction imaging: design, simulation and application to dislocation dynamics in semiconductors

We present a compact induction heating system for time-resolved in situ X-ray diffraction imaging, enabling contact-free volumetric heating of samples up to approximately 1600°C with flexible operation in different working modes. Real-time, spatially resolved thermography is achieved using an integrated near-infrared camera. A three-dimensional finite-element model of electromagnetic heating, steady-state heat transfer and thermo-elastic stress predicts Joule heating, temperature fields and resolved shear stresses, and guides experimental design. The system has been demonstrated at a synchrotron topography station using simultaneous X-ray white-beam topography and infrared thermography during controlled heating of an indented Si(001) wafer. Dislocation activity is observed starting at local temperatures above 1000°C, increasing at higher temperatures. The experimentally observed number of dislocations on individual {111}〈110〉 glide systems correlates with the simulated resolved shear stresses. This integrated approach enables quantitative, time-resolved studies of dislocation dynamics under well defined thermal conditions and offers a simulation-guided route to tailoring temperature gradients and stress fields for future materials and in situ experiments.