Rigaku Corporation is an international manufacturer and distributor of scientific, analytical and industrial instrumentation specializing in X-ray related technologies, including X-ray crystallography, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity and X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Rigaku is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, with additional production, research and laboratory facilities located in both Japan and the United States. Subsidiaries in North America include Rigaku Americas Corporation (The Woodlands, Texas, USA) and Rigaku Innovative Technologies (Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA). European branches are located in Sevenoaks, Kent (U.K.), Berlin, Germany and Prague, Czech Republic.

History

Rigaku was founded in 1951 by Mr. Yoshihiro Shimura. The core innovation of the company was the introduction of the world's first commercially available rotating anode X-ray generator in 1952. In 1954, Rigaku introduced the first automatic-recording X-ray diffractometer. Rigaku developed the first parallel-beam type X-ray diffractometer for stress analysis, as well as the first X-ray fluorescence spectrometers capable of carbon analysis (1976) and boron analysis (1981). Today, the company is led by Mr. Hikaru P. Shimura (President & CEO).

References

External links

• Rigaku home page (English)
• Rigaku home page (Japanese)
• Rigaku Journal: An International Journal of X-ray Characterization