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The Determination of the Efficiency of Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectrometers by a New Reference Material

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 September 2006

Marco Alvisi
Affiliation:
ENEA, Research Centre of Brindisi, S.S. 7 Appia km 713.7, I-72100 Brindisi, Italy
Markus Blome
Affiliation:
HDZ Herzogenrather Dienstleistungszentrum GbR, Kaiserstrasse 100, D-52134 Herzogenrath, Germany
Michael Griepentrog
Affiliation:
Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und –pruefung (BAM), D-12200 Berlin, Germany
Vasile-Dan Hodoroaba
Affiliation:
Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und –pruefung (BAM), D-12200 Berlin, Germany
Peter Karduck
Affiliation:
HDZ Herzogenrather Dienstleistungszentrum GbR, Kaiserstrasse 100, D-52134 Herzogenrath, Germany
Marco Mostert
Affiliation:
SAMx, 1554 route de la Roquette, F-06670 Levens, France
Michele Nacucchi
Affiliation:
ENEA, Research Centre of Brindisi, S.S. 7 Appia km 713.7, I-72100 Brindisi, Italy
Mathias Procop
Affiliation:
Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und –pruefung (BAM), D-12200 Berlin, Germany
Martin Rohde
Affiliation:
Roentec, Schwarzschildstrasse 12, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
Frank Scholze
Affiliation:
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, Abbestraße 2-12, 10587 Berlin, Germany
Peter Statham
Affiliation:
Oxford Instruments Analytical Limited, Halifax Road, High Wycombe, Bucks HP12 3SE, UK
Ralf Terborg
Affiliation:
Roentec, Schwarzschildstrasse 12, D-12489 Berlin, Germany
Jean-Francois Thiot
Affiliation:
SAMx, 1554 route de la Roquette, F-06670 Levens, France
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Abstract

A calibration procedure for the detection efficiency of energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers (EDS) used in combination with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for standardless electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) is presented. The procedure is based on the comparison of X-ray spectra from a reference material (RM) measured with the EDS to be calibrated and a reference EDS. The RM is certified by the line intensities in the X-ray spectrum recorded with a reference EDS and by its composition. The calibration of the reference EDS is performed using synchrotron radiation at the radiometry laboratory of the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt. Measurement of RM spectra and comparison of the specified line intensities enables a rapid efficiency calibration on most SEMs. The article reports on studies to prepare such a RM and on EDS calibration and proposes a methodology that could be implemented in current spectrometer software to enable the calibration with a minimum of operator assistance.

Type
MICROANALYSIS
Copyright
© 2006 Microscopy Society of America

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References

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