Low voltage X-ray spectrometry in the Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope

  • Pölt, Peter (Co-Investigator (CoI))
  • Golob, Peter (Principal Investigator (PI))

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

Low Voltage Scanning Electron Microscopy (E0 ó 5 keV) offers both high spatial resolution and a greatly reduced X-ray generation depth.This enables the determination of the composition of thin layers on substrates without the need to use a dedicated thin film analysis program. Also the analysis of small phases down to a size of 50 nm is possible. It has to be examined, whether the basic equations used in the quantification routines, generally tested for primary energies higher than 10 keV and X-ray energies higher than 1 keV, are still valid in the low energy region. Problems arise also in connection with the often complex peak shapes and the serious peak overlaps. For the first row transition elements the contribution of the Ll and Ln X-ray lines to the overall peak shape is no longer negligible. Their intensity can be as high as that of the La and Lb lines. Additionally, neither their intensity ratios nor their mass absorption coefficients are known with sufficient accuracy.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date1/09/9631/12/97

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