Live Broadcast Recap | "Innovation 100" Interview with Dr. Yang Lintao: The Breakthrough Path of Domestically Produced High-Performance X-ray Diffractometers
Recently, Dr. Yang Lintao, Partner and CEO of IDONANO Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., was invited to a special live interview session of "Instrument Talk: Dialogue with 100 Innovation Leaders".
From International Platforms to Domestic Instrument Entrepreneurship
Dr. Yang Lintao graduated from the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and has long been engaged in X-ray diffraction technology, products, and applications.
When discussing his relationship with XRD, he summarized it with four keywords: "professionalism, passion, accumulation, and long-termism".
In his view, X-ray diffraction is not only a materials analysis technique, but also a crucial tool connecting basic research, materials innovation, and advanced manufacturing. From researchers to industry practitioners, and then to corporate managers, roles may change, but the core remains the same: solving problems based on real needs and helping users obtain accurate, stable, and valuable information about material structures.
Regarding why he left a mature international platform to join a domestic scientific instrument startup, Dr. Yang Lintao stated that China possesses a vast research and manufacturing system, as well as abundant demand for materials analysis. With continuous improvements in precision manufacturing, electronic control, software algorithms, and supply chain capabilities, **China has a solid foundation for developing high-end scientific instruments**.
Joining IDU Nano is not just a career change, but also a desire to transform years of industry experience into product capabilities for domestically produced high-end scientific instruments, and to participate in building an internationally competitive Chinese X-ray diffractometer brand. Since its inception, Aidu Nano's products have been implemented in top research institutions such as Peking University and multiple institutes of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, with actual test data supporting the publication of numerous high-level academic achievements. The company continuously optimizes its optical systems, detectors, and intelligent software algorithms, constantly narrowing the performance gap with leading international brands.
Domestic substitution is the starting point; international competitiveness is the goal.
Founded in 2023, Aidu Nano Technology focuses on the research, development, manufacturing, and application services of high-performance X-ray diffractometers.
Currently, the company has established a technical system covering X-ray optics, precision motion control, detector integration, mechanical design, electrical control, software algorithms, application development, and manufacturing, forming three major product platforms. The N3 PhiniX series benchtop X-ray diffractometer is designed for compact, high-performance analytical needs.
The N6 Scientific multi-functional X-ray diffractometer supports applications such as powder, thin film, texture, stress, XRR, two-dimensional diffraction, and in-situ experiments.
The N8 DiffraX high-performance X-ray diffraction platform focuses on high-end applications in semiconductors, new energy, and advanced materials, continuously expanding its capabilities in high-resolution diffraction, weak signal detection, complex structure analysis, and automation.
Dr. Yang Lintao stated that domestic substitution is the starting point for Aidu Nano's market entry, but not its ultimate goal. The company hopes to first gradually reach the level of mainstream international products in terms of data quality, reliability, and user experience, then develop its own unique characteristics in new energy, semiconductors, in-situ analysis, and intelligent technologies, ultimately participating in global competition. "We hope users choose EduNano not just because it's a domestic brand, but because its products are professional, reliable, and truly solve their problems."
N3 PhiniX Series Desktop X-ray Diffractometer
N8 DiffraX High-Performance X-ray Diffraction Platform
The core of high-end scientific instruments is long-term data quality
In the interview, Dr. Yang Lintao emphasized the product philosophy of Aidu Nano: "Designed with Purpose".
He stated that users purchase scientific instruments not simply to own a device, but to accomplish specific tasks such as materials structure research, phase analysis, quality control, and process optimization. Therefore, instrument design must be centered around the problems users truly need to solve.
The value of high-end scientific instruments should not only be reflected in the peak performance of a single indicator, but also in their ability to continuously ensure data quality during long-term use.
Obtaining a set of impressive data under specific conditions is not difficult for an instrument; the real challenge lies in maintaining **angle accuracy, repeatability, peak shape, background noise reduction, and signal-to-noise ratio** consistently over years of use.
“Today’s data must be reliable, and the data a year from now must also be reliable. Long-term stable data capabilities are the true competitive advantage of high-end scientific instruments.”
Based on this philosophy, Edon Nano continuously strengthens its X-ray optics, precision motion control, high-performance detectors, overall software, and testing and verification systems.
The real barrier is systems engineering capability.
An X-ray diffractometer is a highly coupled and complex system.
The light source and optical system determine the quality of the incident X-rays; the angle measurement system and sample stage determine the angle and positioning capabilities; the detector determines the signal acquisition efficiency; and the software and algorithms are responsible for experimental control, data acquisition, and analysis. Dr. Yang Lintao stated that the most difficult aspect of overall system development is often not breakthroughs in a single component, but rather the **system synergy between modules**.
Increasing luminous flux requires balancing resolution and background; increasing motion speed necessitates ensuring positioning accuracy and repeatability; adding functionality must be accompanied by ensuring long-term system reliability.
Therefore, excellent XRD companies must not only master key modules but also possess capabilities in product definition, system architecture, overall system optimization, engineering verification, and continuous iteration.
“Components can be purchased, and individual technologies can be learned, but how to create a stable and efficient whole from different modules requires long-term accumulation.”
Dr. Yang Lintao believes that the most difficult capability for Aidu Nano to replicate is the **systems engineering experience** accumulated by the core team through years of industry practice, and the **complete closed loop established from R&D, manufacturing, application to service**.
Independent R&D and international cooperation are not contradictory
Dr. Yang Lintao stated that scientific instruments are a highly globalized industry, and independent innovation and international cooperation should not be simply seen as opposing forces.
For Idu Nano, **product definition, overall architecture, system control, software algorithms, application methods**, and **continuous iteration capabilities** must be mastered independently; for high-performance detectors and some advanced optical components, open cooperation with leading global companies is possible.
He believes that domestically produced scientific instruments cannot be simply defined by the origin of components. More importantly, it's about who leads the product definition, whether the overall technology is truly in the hands of the company, and whether the company possesses the ability for continuous iteration and independent problem-solving.
"**Self-reliance in core capabilities, open cooperation in advanced technologies.**"
**Domestic XRD is moving from 'usable' to 'easy to use.'"
**Regarding the gap between domestic XRD and international advanced levels,** Dr. Yang Lintao believes that the current gap is not just in single parameters, but also in comprehensive capabilities such as engineering experience, software ecosystem, application accumulation, manufacturing consistency, and user trust.
**For domestic XRD to achieve a breakthrough, it needs to go through three stages:**
**From the 'usable' stage, solving basic performance and stable operation issues;
**To the 'easy to use' stage, improving software, automation, user experience, and service systems;
**Finally, to the 'leading' stage, developing original capabilities in product form, technology roadmap, and emerging application areas.** He believes that the next three to five years represent a crucial window of opportunity for domestically produced XRD to narrow the gap with international advanced levels. The rapid development of the new energy, semiconductor, and advanced materials industries has brought about a surge in new structural analysis demands; China's capabilities in precision manufacturing, electronic control, software, and supply chains are also continuously improving.
However, this market window does not guarantee that success will come naturally. Ultimately, domestically produced scientific instruments must rely on stable products, reliable data, and long-term service to win user trust.
AI Drives XRD Towards Intelligent Experimental Platforms
Dr. Yang Lintao believes that in the past, scientific instruments primarily addressed the problem of "how to obtain data," but in the future, they will further address the problem of "how to intelligently generate, understand, and utilize data." In the field of XRD, AI may initially be applied to data analysis and experimental process automation, including phase identification, anomaly signal detection, complex spectrum comparison, and automatically recommending test conditions, optimizing parameters, and judging data quality based on sample type and research objectives.
With the gradual connection of automated sample introduction, robots, in-situ attachments, experimental databases, and AI analysis platforms, XRD will no longer be just a single analytical device, but may become an important component of intelligent experimental systems.
However, he also emphasized that AI in scientific instruments must be built on high-quality data, professional knowledge, and reliable verification. AI will not replace applied scientists, but rather help professionals reduce repetitive work and devote more energy to experimental design and scientific interpretation.
New energy and semiconductors open up new growth opportunities.
As material systems and manufacturing processes become increasingly complex, the application boundaries of X-ray diffraction technology continue to expand. In the field of new energy, XRD can be used for phase, lattice parameters, crystallinity, and impurity phase analysis of positive and negative electrode materials and solid electrolyte materials, and to observe the structural evolution of materials during charge and discharge processes through in-situ technology.
In the semiconductor field, the analysis of thin films, epitaxial materials, stress, crystal quality, and multilayer structures places higher demands on angular accuracy, resolution, weak signal detection, and two-dimensional diffraction capabilities.
Dr. Yang Lintao stated that in the short term, import substitution remains an important opportunity for domestically produced XRD; however, in the long term, new applications such as in-situ analysis, automated laboratories, industrial online testing, semiconductor metrology, and AI-assisted analysis will create greater incremental space.
“The truly imaginative opportunity is not just about replacing existing equipment, but about enabling scenarios that previously did not use XRD to begin using it.”
New performance, intelligence, globalization
RegardingDr. Yang Lintao outlined three key words for the future development of Idu Nano over the next three years:
**High Performance, Intelligentization, Globalization.**
The company will continue to improve its three major product platforms—N3, N6, and N8—enhancing data quality, long-term stability, and high-end application capabilities; advancing automated sample introduction, intelligent testing, data management, and AI-assisted analysis; and gradually improving its international certification, distribution channels, application support, and service systems.
Dr. Yang Lintao expressed his hope that in three years, Idu Nano will become a representative enterprise in the field of high-performance X-ray diffractometers in China, and establish a number of benchmark cases in the fields of new energy, semiconductors, and advanced materials.
Conclusion
At the end of the interview, Dr. Yang Lintao shared a quote with young entrepreneurs and researchers hoping to enter the scientific instrument industry:
"Choose something that truly has long-term value and persevere in doing it well."
In the future, IDU Nano will continue to adhere to technological innovation, user value, open cooperation, and long-termism, continuously improving the performance, reliability, and intelligence level of domestically produced X-ray diffractometers.
"We hope to gradually move from 'being able to choose' to 'being worthy of choosing' domestically produced instruments, and to enable domestically produced high-end scientific instruments to serve a wider range of global scientific and technological innovations."
