Published online by Cambridge University Press: 06 March 2019
Two different inversion methods, the inverse Laplace method and the linear constrained numerical method, for retrieving the z-profiles of diffraction data from experimentally obtained τ-profiles were compared using tests with a known function as the original z-profile. Two different real data situations were simulated to determine the effects of specimen thickness and missing τ-profiles data at small τ-values on the retrieved z-profiles. The results indicate that although both methods are able to retrieve the z-profiles in the bulk specimens satisfactorily, the numerical method can be used for thin film samples as well. Missing τ-profile data at small τ values causes error in the retrieved z-profiles with both methods, particularly when the trend of the τ-profile at small τ is significantly changed because of the missing data