The determination of the efficiency of energy dispersive X-ray spectrometers by a new reference material. Conference Paper uri icon

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.

published proceedings

  • Microsc Microanal

author list (cited authors)

  • Alvisi, M., Blome, M., Griepentrog, M., Hodoroaba, V., Karduck, P., Mostert, M., ... Thiot, J.

citation count

  • 40

complete list of authors

  • Alvisi, Marco||Blome, Markus||Griepentrog, Michael||Hodoroaba, Vasile-Dan||Karduck, Peter||Mostert, Marco||Nacucchi, Michele||Procop, Mathias||Rohde, Martin||Scholze, Frank||Statham, Peter||Terborg, Ralf||Thiot, Jean-Francois

publication date

  • October 2006