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An inter-laboratory comparison organized as a pilot study (PS) has been performed under the umbrella of the Consultative Committee for Amount of Substance – Metrology in Chemistry (CCQM) / Surface Analysis Working Group (SAWG) with the objective to compare k-values measured with Electron Probe X-ray Microanalysis (EPMA) for copper-gold alloys. The k-value, defined as the ratio of the Xray photon intensity of an X-ray characteristic line of the unknown sample to the corresponding one in the reference material, is a rough estimate of the mass fraction of the respective element. Basically, the mass fractions can be calculated from the k-values after applying a matrix correction procedure, which includes empirical approaches, so that traceability gets lost. Due to its physical, measurable nature, the k-value has been selected in the present PS as the primary measurand. The mass fraction has been set as the secondary (derived) measurand. Both EDX and WDX have been employed. The WDX results and the overall comparability between the k-values obtained by EDX and WDX are still in progress.
The high specificity of the coherent (Rayleigh), as well as incoherent (Compton) X-ray scattering to the mean atomic number of a specimen to be analyzed by X-ray fluorescence (XRF), is exploited to gain more information on the chemical composition. Concretely, the evaluation of the Compton-to-Rayleigh intensity ratio from XRF spectra and its relation to the average atomic number of reference materials via a calibration curve can reveal valuable information on the elemental composition complementary to that obtained from the reference-free XRF analysis. Particularly for matrices of lower mean atomic numbers, the sensitivity of the approach is so high that it can be easily distinguished between specimens of mean atomic numbers differing from each other by 0.1. Hence, the content of light elements which are invisible for XRF, particularly hydrogen, or of heavier impurities/additives in light materials can be calculated 'by difference' from the scattering calibration curve. The excellent agreement between such an experimental, empirical calibration curve and a synthetically generated one, on the basis of a reliable physical model for the X-ray scattering, is also demonstrated. Thus, the feasibility of the approach for given experimental conditions and particular analytical questions can be tested prior to experiments with reference materials. For the present work a microfocus X-ray source attached on an SEM/EDX (scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy) system was used so that the Compton-to-Rayleigh intensity ratio could be acquired with EDX spectral data for improved analysis of the elemental composition.
X-ray scattering may contribute significantly to the spectral background of X-ray fluorescence (XRF) spectra. Based on metrological measurements carried out with a scanning electron microscope (SEM) having attached a well characterised X-ray source (polychromatic X-ray tube) and a calibrated energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (EDS) the accuracy of a physical model for X-ray scattering is systematically evaluated for representative samples. The knowledge of the X-ray spectrometer efficiency, but also of the spectrometer response functions makes it possible to define a physical spectral background of XRF spectra. Background subtraction relying on purely mathematical procedures is state-of-the-art. The results produced by the analytical model are at least as reliable as those obtained by Monte-Carlo simulations, even without considering the very challenging contribution of multiple scattering. Special attention has been paid to Compton broadening. Relevant applications of the implementation of the analytical model presented in this paper are the prediction of the limits of detection for particular cases or the determination of the transmission of X-ray polycapillary lenses.
It is a latent wish of any SEM/EDS (scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive spectrometer) analyst to “see more” of the analyzed specimen, i.e. to improve the existing analytical figures of merit.
One key issue are the relatively poor limits of detection (not below 0.1 mass-%) provided by energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) with the conventional electron excitation (ED-EPMA). This is a consequence of relatively low peak-to-background ratios and reduced energy resolution when compared to wavelength dispersive spectrometry (WD-EPMA). Recent technological developments make possible to equip the SEM with a wavelength dispersive spectrometer (WDS), so that
significantly better energy resolution can be attained. Also a relative new product that can be easily attached to a SEM/EDS system is a micro-focus X-ray source. Hence, it is possible to perform (micro-focus) X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (μ-XRF) and take advantage of the enhanced peak-to-background ratios (well suited for trace analysis). However, there are also some disadvantages: an increased measurement time and excitation with a high current in the 10s of nA range are usually required for WDS. μ-XRF provides more bulk information and poor limits of detection for light elements. By combining the advantages of these analytical techniques “seeing more” becomes possible.
A microfocus X-ray source mounted on the analysis chamber of an SEM was used to excite X-ray fluorescence spectra and to detect chemical elements with concentrations below the detection limit of the electron-excited X-ray spectra conventionally measured with SEM/EDS. An aluminium alloy and a hard material ceramics were analysed as representative examples. It is demonstrated that the combination of the three analytical methods: (1) SEM imaging for surface morphology characterisation; (2) electron-excited X-ray spectroscopy with its high spatial resolution for element analysis of inclusions or precipitates; and (3) X-ray fluorescence for the detection of elements with concentrations below 0.1 mass% considerably improves the performance of SEM/EDX analyses.
Seit einem Jahrzehnt sind Röntgenquellen für die Mikrofokus-Röntgenfluoreszenzanalyse (μ-RFA) kommerziell erhältlich und bieten die Möglichkeit, die Analytik am Rasterelektronenmikroskop (REM) mit angeschlossenem energiedispersiven Röntgenspektrometer (EDS) zu erweitern. Mit der μ-RFA lässt sich quantitativ, referenzfrei und zerstörungsfrei der Gehalt der chemischen Elemente in einem mikroskopischen Probenvolumen bestimmen. Für die referenzfreie Quantifizierung mit der RFA wird auf die Sherman-Gleichung zurückgegriffen. Diese Gleichung führt die Intensität der detektierten Röntgenstrahlung auf den Gehalt des Elements in der Probe mittels Fundamentalparameter zurück. Zu den instrumentellen Fundamentalparametern zählen das Anregungsspektrum bestehend aus dem Röntgenröhrenspektrum und der Transmission der Röntgenoptik, die Messgeometrie und die Spektrometereffizienz. Das Ziel dieser Arbeit ist die Entwicklung von Prozeduren zur Charakterisierung der instrumentellen Fundamentalparameter der μ-RFA am REM sowie die Evaluierung und Verringerung der Messunsicherheiten anhand einer kalibrierten Instrumentierung: Die aus der Literatur bekannten Algorithmen zur Berechnung von Röntgenröhrenspektren sollen hinsichtlich ihrer Abweichungen evaluiert werden. Ein semi-empirischer Ansatz wird innerhalb dieser Arbeit bezüglich seiner Unsicherheiten und im niederenergetischen Bereich verbessert. Für drei weitere Anodenmaterialien soll dieser Ansatz erweitert werden. Die mit diesem Ansatz berechneten Röntgenröhrenspektren werden mit direkt gemessenen Röntgenröhrenspektren verglichen, die an einem speziell entwickelten Messstand eines Röntgenröhrenherstellers aufgenommen wurden. Eine Prozedur zur Bestimmung der wichtigsten Parameter von Röntgenhalblinsen im parallelisierenden Modus wird entwickelt. Die zeitliche Stabilität der Transmission von Röntgenvolllinsen, die seit mehreren Jahren im regelmäßigen Einsatz an einer μ-RFA-Quelle waren, wird untersucht. Für das Labor wird ein Verfahren zur Bestimmung der Spektrometereffizienz bis 50 keV neu entwickelt. Neben dieser methodischen Weiterentwicklung werden Anwendungen für die neu charakterisierten instrumentellen Fundamentalparameter vorgestellt. Darunter soll die referenzfreie Quantifizierung mit der μ-RFA am REM anhand von repräsentativen Probenklassen hinsichtlich ihrer Stärken und Schwächen vorgestellt werden. Die Nachweisgrenzen der μ-RFA am REM für schwere Spurenelemente in leichten Matrizen werden an Proben zur Überprüfung einer EU-Richtlinie bestimmt. Darüber hinaus soll überprüft werden, ob die Berücksichtigung der Streueigenschaften einer Probe von Röntgenphotonen für die Analytik ausgenutzt werden kann.