Formulation of a universal electron probe microanalysis correction method

Abstract

A new correction method for obtaining quantitative electron probe microanalysis results is described. It utilizes data provided by Monte Car10 simulations and tracer measurements to obtain a detailed picture of the way in which the x-ray emission process is influenced by the relevant experimental parameters. Then empirical equations are derived which model the intensity of x-ray emission for an extremely wide range of experimental conditions, encompassing electron beam energies from 5 to 40 keV, characteristic x-ray wavelengths from 11.4 to 0.08 nm, angles of electron incidence from 90" to 40" and elements ranging from beryllium to uranium in the Periodic Table. The method treats separately, as with the traditional approach, the effects of atomic number difference in specimen and standard, x-ray absorption and x-ray fluorescence. The correction method was tested on an extensive range of microanalysis data and shown to work well under all conditions, providing chemical compositions which are accutate to within a few percent relative. The capability of handling ultra-light element (beryllium to sodium) analysis is particularly impressive and the r.m.s. error of 3.8% for carbon analysis on carbides is very close to the errors incurred in measuring actual x-ray intensities. The correction program is currently being developed for commercial use on IBM-compatible computers and the final stage in the evolution of the universal correction will be to extend it to deal with the analysis of thin surface films.~~~ ~

Hyalotekite, (Ba,Pb,K)4(Ca,Y)2Si8(B,Be)2(Si,B)2O28F, a tectosilicate related to scapolite: new structure refinement, phase transitions and a short-range ordered 3bsuperstructure

“…The standards were NBS K-456 Pb glass (70.14 wt.% PbO and 28.60 wt.% SiO 2 ) for Pb-Ma, periclase for Mg-Ka, wollastonite for Ca-Ka and Si-Ka, baryte for Ba-La, spessartine for Mn-Ka, orthoclase for K-Ka, jadeite for Na-Ka, SrBaNb 4 O 10 for Sr-La, fluorite for F-Ka, Y 3 Al 5 O 12 for Y-La and hematite for Fe-Ka. The WDS counts were processed using f(rz) matrix corrections (Scott and Love, 1992). which were applied not only to the measured constituents, but also to B and Be.…”

Formation mechanisms of boron oxide films fabricated by large-area electron beam-induced deposition of trimethyl borate

“…The composition of material at the diffusion interface in the deposit formed at 195 °C is carbon-rich compared to the center of the deposit, which is in stark contrast to the deposit formed at 271 °C. At 271 °C, the concentration of carbon relative to boron and oxygen decreases significantly at the diffusion interface, and the material at the interface was determined by an EDS standard-less ZAF correction method [ 29 – 30 ] to be BO 2.3 with a small fraction of carbon impurity. The reported concentrations using the ZAF correction method were B: (28.4 ± 0.3)%, C: (5.9 ± 1.2)%, O: (65.7 ± 0.1)%.…”

Exposure and analysis of microparticles embedded in silica aerogel keystones using NF3‐mediated electron beam–induced etching and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy

“…Elemental composition maps are constructed by plotting the intensity of the X‐ray energy of interest as a function of position. Elemental concentration is calculated using the atomic number, absorbance, and fluorescence (ZAF) correction scheme with standards (Scott and Love ; Goldstein et al. ).…”