Applications of perforated diamond anvils for very high-pressure research

To reduce the large absorption effect in diamond anvil pressure cells for soft x rays, perforated anvils employed as diamond-backing plates (DBPs) used in conjunction with miniature anvils (MAs) made of 1/100 carat diamonds were tested for high-pressure efficacy. Static pressures beyond 100 GPa were generated using a piston/cylinder cell having 0.2 mm culets. Tests were carried out in 0.1 mm cavities drilled in a Re gasket, using Ar samples and ruby chips for manometry. Except for a single failure of a 0.3 mm culet MA, no damage was detected in the DBPs drilled with truncated conical holes tapering from 0.3 mm to 1, 1.5, and 2 mm diameter. Another arrangement in which one anvil was partially drilled leaving a 0.5 mm thick wall behind the culet achieved 100 GPa. Detailed discussions are given concerning the benefits of the DBP/MA cells for high-pressure studies with soft x rays and for background reduction in Raman, IR, UV, and 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopies.