Long-range ordering in anodic alumina films: a microradian X-ray diffraction study

A quantitative analysis of long-range order in the self-organized porous structure of anodic alumina films has been performed on the basis of a microradian X-ray diffraction study. The structure is shown to possess orientational order over macroscopic distances larger than 1 mm. At the same time, the interpore positional order is only short-range and does not extend over more than ∼10 interpore distances. These positional correlations are mostly lost gradually rather than at the domain boundaries, as suggested by the divergence of the peak width for the higher-order reflections. In the direction of the film growth the pores have a very long longitudinal self-correlation length of the order of tens of micrometres.